In the 15th century, Japan's first snack boom when samurai invented the small portable food style that had a long shelf life for battle. To this day many of these snacks have survived. For the experimentation with crazy snack combinations, Japan is known for. In the 1860s, the next wave of Japanese snack innovation came after Japanese markets suddenly opened to imported sugar and grains. Japanese factories soon began producing Western-style snacks, with the markets now open to import grains and sugar.

Hence, Snacks became a staple of Japanese culture. The snack industry, today, is at an all-time high in Japan. In supermarkets and convenience stores Companies are always competing for shelf space, so they run limited snack flavors and varieties on a monthly basis to out-perform the competition. Because of this, many favorite snacks are short-lived. One of the most famous Japanese snacks is Kappa Ebisen, which is made from four types of shrimps minced in their shells and mixed with flour, salt, and calcium. In 1964, it was created and has been popular for over 50 years, while the slogan Yamerarenai tomaranai (Can't give 'em up, can't stop eating 'em), used in advertising jingles since 1969, is still well-known today. With flavor and mouthfeel subtly adapted to meet local tastes, the crunchy sticks have also won fans overseas. Japanese snacks and Jagariko made from steamed potatoes that have been cut into sticks and fried are also popular with children and young people. This is because of their variety of flavors, including seasonal offerings, and the firm crunchiness of the sticks.

Snacks are continued to gain popularity as industrialization picked up speed and workers spent more time at the factory or office. For a small amount of money, Japanese snacks are confectionery that can be bought. In Japan more than 2,000 Japanese original snack foods, and more than 100 new snack foods newly created in Japan. Japanese snacks, every year, are sold in almost every kind of shop in Japan, includes convenience stores (Seven Eleven, Lawson, Family Mart, etc.), large shopping malls, and supermarkets. Japan has come out over the years, with some of the most interesting snack foods ever encountered. Combinations of the flavors defy reason and the cuteness is off the charts, so Japan is basically like the mad scientist of the snack world.  When stored 'Hoshi ii' (dried boiled rice) was disposed of, in some local domains, it was used to make dagashi, which soon became established as traditional local food and which is still sold today. 

The ingredients for dagashi in those days were limited and the use of expensive refined sugar was prohibited. The "sweetness of dried persimmons" phrase is associated with traditional dagashi and it is considered to be reflective of the period. Some of the snacks contain a chance to win a small gift, and this is one of the reasons they are popular among kids.

Some of the snacks of them are as follows:

Senebi: It is a Japanese rice cracker. Although they are usually savory, they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors, some sweet flavors exist as well.

Crepes: These are very popular among the Japanese. Many of the crepe shops exist offering a large variety of flavors and unique twists to the classic pancake snack.

Dorayaki: It is a Japanese confection that wraps two pancakes (made from castella) around a red bead paste filling.

Taiyaki: With a creamy inner filling Taiyaki is a fish-shaped pastry. Red bean paste made from sweetened azuki beans is the most common filling, but other variants include chocolate, cheese, or sweet potato.

Melonpan: Melonpan, a Japanese sweet, is made from enriched dough and covered in a layer of crispy cookie dough, resembling the appearance of a melon.