Where to Buy Mochi in the Philippines: Japanese Mochi Shops in Manila and Ordering From Japan

You can find mochi in the Philippines, but Japanese mochi is harder to come by than it looks. Most “mochi” shops in Metro Manila sell their own local takes, while the Japanese options come down to a Kamakura warabimochi specialist and the Japanese food hall at Mitsukoshi BGC. The mochi Japanese households actually keep at home, from plain kirimochi to flavoured bite-size snack mochi, is almost impossible to find on a Philippine shelf.

In this guide you will find:

• How to order Japan-market mochi directly from Japan, with no proxy fees and duties shown before you pay
• The difference between fresh mochi you have to buy locally and shelf-stable mochi that can be shipped
• Where to buy Japanese mochi in Metro Manila, with locations
• How to eat and store mochi safely, and the customs rules for ordering from Japan

Buy Japanese Mochi Direct From Japan: kachicollect

The Mochi You Won’t Find in the Philippines

Most mochi sold in Japan is made for Japanese supermarkets and never exported. That includes kirimochi, the individually sealed blocks of plain mochi that keep at room temperature and puff up when grilled, along with versions studded with black soybeans or mixed with mugwort, thin mochi sheets for hotpot, and small pieces cut for children. It also includes snack mochi: soft, flavoured, one-bite mochi in resealable pouches, in flavours from Amaou strawberry to yuzu and matcha.

kachicollect is a Japan-based shop that carries only products made for the Japanese market, so this is the range it deals in. Our guides to how to cook kirimochi and Japanese mochi snack flavours show what is out there, and if you are new to mochi, start with what mochi is.

How Ordering Works

You pay the listed price plus shipping, with no proxy fees, and the total including any duties is shown at checkout before you pay, so nothing extra is charged on delivery. Payment is in pesos by Visa, Mastercard or JCB, so you do not need a Japanese address or card. Orders ship worldwide with tracking and arrive in about 7 to 14 days, anywhere in the Philippines.

Request Any Mochi by URL

If the mochi you want is not in the catalog, send the product link from a Japanese site. You get an instant quote and can buy it directly on kachicollect with no service fees, and that covers Japanese marketplace listings in general, not only shops.

Proxy services such as Buyee, ZenMarket and FROM JAPAN can also buy from Japanese sites for you, but the fee shown upfront is only the starting point, and other costs are usually added along the way. They also buy at Japanese retail prices that include Japan’s 10% domestic consumption tax and pass it on to you, while kachicollect sells for export. A kachicollect purchase request gives you the same access without proxy fees, with the total including duties shown before you pay.

Fresh Mochi vs Shelf-Stable Mochi

Where you should buy mochi depends on the kind you want. Fresh mochi, such as daifuku, fruit daifuku and warabimochi, is made to be eaten within a day or two and cannot survive international shipping, so the only way to eat it in the Philippines is from a shop that makes or flies it in. Shelf-stable mochi is the opposite: kirimochi and packaged snack mochi are sealed to keep at room temperature for months, which is why they can be ordered from Japan.

Strictly speaking, warabimochi is not rice mochi at all but a jelly made from starch; our guide to the different types of Japanese mochi explains the difference.

Quick Comparison

Where to Buy Mochi in Metro Manila

Mitsukoshi Fresh (BGC)

Mitsukoshi Fresh is the supermarket and food hall on the basement floor of Mitsukoshi BGC, the Japanese department store in Bonifacio Global City, laid out like a Japanese depachika with counters for sweets and deli items. It has carried fruit daifuku from Shinkinedo, a Japanese confectioner, including daifuku made with Wakayama mandarins and Shine Muscat grapes, alongside other Japanese sweets. Stock changes, so check the counter or Mitsukoshi BGC’s official Instagram before a special trip.

Warabimochi Kamakura

Warabimochi Kamakura is a warabimochi specialist from Kamakura, near Tokyo, that opened its first Philippine store at SM Megamall in January 2025. Its warabimochi is soft, wobbly and dusted with kinako, and the shop also serves warabimochi drinks. Because it is fresh, eat it on the day you buy it. Branch updates are posted on Warabimochi Kamakura Philippines’ official Facebook page.

Outside Metro Manila, we could not find a shop selling Japanese mochi with any consistency. In Cebu, Davao and other cities, ordering shelf-stable mochi from Japan is the most reliable route. For Japanese grocery stores in Manila and Cebu more generally, see our guide to where to buy Japanese snacks in the Philippines.

How to Eat and Store Mochi Safely

Mochi is a genuine choking hazard, especially for older people and young children. Cut it into small pieces, take small bites, drink tea or soup first to moisten your throat, chew slowly and thoroughly, and keep an eye on anyone at risk while they eat.

Kirimochi and snack mochi keep sealed at room temperature, but in the Philippine heat, store them somewhere cool and away from direct sunlight, and once a bag is opened, refrigerate it and eat it quickly. Never eat mochi with mould on it, even if you cut the mouldy part away. Our kirimochi guide covers storage and cooking in detail.

Customs and Duties on Mochi Ordered From Abroad

The Bureau of Customs treats imported goods with a value of ₱10,000 or less as de minimis, meaning they are exempt from customs duties and taxes. Under Customs Administrative Order No. 02-2025, a small import processing charge may still apply to some de minimis shipments, depending on how the parcel is cleared. Orders above ₱10,000 are subject to duties and taxes.

Food for your own use does not need clearance from the Food and Drug Administration, as long as it is for personal consumption rather than resale and within the personal-use quantity limits. With kachicollect, the total including any duties is shown at checkout before you pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I buy Japanese mochi in Manila?

For fresh Japanese mochi, Warabimochi Kamakura has branches at SM Megamall, SM Aura and Mitsukoshi BGC, and Mitsukoshi Fresh in BGC has carried fruit daifuku from a Japanese confectioner. For kirimochi and packaged snack mochi, order from Japan through kachicollect.

Can I buy kirimochi in the Philippines?

It is rarely stocked locally. Kirimochi keeps sealed at room temperature for months, so ordering it from Japan through kachicollect is the most reliable way to get it, including the flavoured and specialty types sold only in Japan.

Can fresh daifuku be shipped from Japan?

No. Fresh daifuku is meant to be eaten within a day or two, so it cannot survive international shipping. Shelf-stable snack mochi, including daifuku-style snack mochi, can be shipped.

Do I pay customs on mochi ordered from Japan?

Not if the order is worth ₱10,000 or less, although a small processing charge may apply depending on how the parcel is cleared. kachicollect shows the total including duties at checkout, before you pay.

Conclusion

For fresh Japanese mochi in the Philippines, Warabimochi Kamakura and Mitsukoshi Fresh in BGC are the places to go, and they are worth the trip. For everything else, the choice is thin: the kirimochi, flavoured mochi and snack mochi Japanese households keep in the cupboard rarely reach a Philippine shelf, and outside Metro Manila there is almost nothing.

The simplest way to get that range is to buy it directly from Japan. The kachicollect catalog carries Japan-market mochi and sweets you can order today, and anything not listed can be requested by sending the product link. You pay the item price plus shipping with no proxy fees, see the total including duties before checkout, pay in pesos, and first-time customers can use the code WELCOME20 for 20% off. If you want to make your own, see our easy mochi recipes.