Fresh Japanese mochi in Canada comes down to a handful of shops in Greater Toronto and Vancouver: a Japanese pastry shop in Markham that makes daifuku by hand, a Japanese supermarket in Vancouver with packs of daifuku, and a Japanese bakery with weekend-only strawberry daifuku. Kirimochi and the flavoured snack mochi sold across Japan are much harder to find, and outside those two cities there is very little at all.
In this guide you will find:
- How to order Japan-market mochi directly from Japan, with no proxy fees and duties and taxes 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 Toronto and Vancouver, store by store, with addresses, opening hours and prices in Canadian dollars
- How to eat and store mochi safely, and the duty and food rules for ordering from Japan
Japanese Mochi, Delivered to Canada
kachicollect only carries products made for the Japanese market. No proxy fees, and duties and taxes are shown before you pay.
Shop on kachicollectBuy Japanese Mochi Direct From Japan: kachicollect
The Mochi You Won’t Find in Canada
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 duties and taxes is shown at checkout before you pay, so nothing extra is charged on delivery. Payment is in Canadian dollars 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, whether you live in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary or Halifax.
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 and taxes 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 and strawberry daifuku, is made to be eaten within a day or two and cannot survive international shipping, so you need a shop that makes it locally. 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.
| Type | Keeps for | Best way to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh daifuku and strawberry daifuku | A day or two | Buy locally |
| Kirimochi (plain and flavoured) | Months, sealed at room temperature | Order from Japan |
| Packaged snack mochi | Months, sealed at room temperature | Order from Japan |
If you are not sure which is which, our guide to the different types of Japanese mochi explains daifuku, dango, warabimochi and more.
Quick Comparison
| Where to buy | City | What you’ll find |
|---|---|---|
| kachicollect (direct from Japan) | Anywhere in Canada | Kirimochi, snack mochi and other shelf-stable mochi, plus purchase requests |
| Sasaki Fine Pastry | Markham (Greater Toronto) | Handmade daifuku |
| Fujiya | Vancouver, Richmond, Victoria | Packs of daifuku, C$7.99 for four |
| Kanadell Japanese Bakery | Vancouver | Weekend-only strawberry daifuku |
Where to Buy Mochi in Toronto
Sasaki Fine Pastry
Sasaki Fine Pastry is a small Japanese pastry shop and tea house at the back of the J-Town complex in Markham, known for authentic daifuku made by hand. The shop has short opening days, so check its official Instagram page for the latest.
| Store | Location | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Sasaki Fine Pastry | Unit 5B, 3160 Steeles Avenue East, Markham (J-Town) | Wed–Fri noon–5 p.m.; Sat–Sun 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Mon and Tue |
For Japanese groceries in Toronto more generally, see our guide to where to buy Japanese snacks in Canada.
Where to Buy Mochi in Vancouver
Fujiya
Fujiya is a long-running Japanese grocery chain with stores in Vancouver, Richmond and Victoria. Its official online store lists packs of daifuku at C$7.99, including a four-piece pack of red and white daifuku filled with sweet red bean, and kinako matcha and sesame daifuku. It is the easiest place in Canada to pick up daifuku with your weekly shopping.
| Store | Location | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fujiya Clark Drive | 912 Clark Drive, Vancouver | 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m., open seven days a week |
| Fujiya Richmond | #113-3086 St. Edwards Drive, Richmond | 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m., open seven days a week |
| Fujiya Downtown | #112-1050 W. Pender Street, Vancouver | Mon–Fri 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; closed weekday statutory holidays |
| Fujiya Victoria | 3624 Shelbourne Street, Victoria | Tue–Sun 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed Mon |
Kanadell Japanese Bakery
Kanadell is a Japanese bakery on East Hastings Street selling Japanese breads, pastries and sweets. Its ichigo daifuku, a whole strawberry with sweet red bean paste wrapped in mochi, is made on weekends only, so check the official Kanadell website and pre-order if you want to be sure of getting some.
| Store | Location | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Kanadell Japanese Bakery | 3596 East Hastings Street, Vancouver | Wed–Sat 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m.–4 p.m. |
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.
Fresh daifuku is best eaten the day you buy it and hardens in the fridge. Kirimochi and snack mochi keep sealed at room temperature; 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.
Shelf-Stable Mochi, Straight From Japan
Kirimochi and snack mochi made for the Japanese market, shipped with tracking anywhere in Canada in about 7 to 14 days. Duties and taxes shown at checkout.
Shop on kachicollectDuty, Taxes and Food Rules for Mochi From Abroad
According to the Canada Border Services Agency and Canada Post, mail items valued at C$20 or less are not assessed duty or tax. The higher C$150 duty threshold under CUSMA applies only to shipments from the United States and Mexico, so it does not cover parcels from Japan. Above C$20, you pay any applicable duty plus GST, or HST in participating provinces, and PST may also apply depending on your province. Canada Post also charges a handling fee of C$9.95 for each mail item assessed for duty or tax.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency allows confectionery and snack foods from countries other than the United States to be imported for personal use up to 20 kg per person, as long as they do not contain meat. Packaged mochi and snack mochi fall well within that. With kachicollect, the total including duties and taxes is shown at checkout, so you can see your costs before you pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy Japanese mochi in Toronto?
Sasaki Fine Pastry in J-Town, Markham, makes daifuku by hand and is open Wednesday to Sunday. For kirimochi and snack mochi sold only in Japan, order from Japan through kachicollect.
Where can I buy mochi in Montreal, Calgary or other cities?
We could not find a shop outside Greater Toronto and Vancouver that sells Japanese mochi with any consistency. Fresh daifuku cannot be shipped, but kirimochi and snack mochi can: kachicollect ships with tracking anywhere in Canada and shows the total including duties and taxes before you pay.
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 duty on mochi ordered from Japan?
Parcels worth C$20 or less are not assessed duty or tax. Above that, duty and GST or HST may apply, plus a C$9.95 Canada Post handling fee. kachicollect shows the total at checkout, before you pay.
Conclusion
For fresh Japanese mochi in Canada, Sasaki Fine Pastry in Markham, Fujiya’s daifuku packs in Vancouver and Kanadell’s weekend strawberry daifuku are the places to go. Beyond them, the choice is thin: kirimochi and the flavoured snack mochi Japanese households keep in the cupboard are hard to find, and outside Greater Toronto and Vancouver there is almost nothing.
The simplest way to get Japan-market mochi anywhere in Canada is to buy it directly from Japan. The kachicollect catalog carries 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 and taxes before checkout, pay in Canadian dollars, and first-time customers can use the code WELCOME20 for 20% off. If you want to make your own, see our easy mochi recipes.
Order Japanese Mochi to Canada
Products made for the Japanese market, shipped with tracking in about 7 to 14 days. Use code WELCOME20 for 20% off your first order.
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