Best Snacks at Mitsukoshi Department Store in Epcot’s Japan Pavilion
Don’t overlook the snack section inside Mitsukoshi Department Store at Epcot! Here’s my favorite Japanese snacks, candy, chips, frozen treats, and what I recommend trying.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
One of my favorite things to do in Epcot’s Japan Pavilion has absolutely nothing to do with rides.
It is wandering around Mitsukoshi Department Store and looking at snacks.
And when I say snacks, I do not mean one little shelf with a few bags of candy.
There are aisles of them.
Candy. Chips. Cookies. Crackers. Mochi. Ice cream. Drinks. Things covered in chocolate. Things flavored like ramen. Things I cannot identify without turning the package over and hoping there is an English label somewhere.
Honestly, that is half the fun.
I already have separate reviews for Kabuki Cafe, where you can grab kakigori and sushi, and Katsura Grill, which has full meals and a few fun snack options of its own. This post is about the snacks hiding inside the department store.
Because Mitsukoshi is not just a place to shop for Pokémon, anime merchandise, pearls, and Japanese souvenirs.
It is also one of the most entertaining places in Epcot to build your own snack haul.
Why I Always End Up in Mitsukoshi
Truth be told, I usually don’t walk into Mitsukoshi because I’m hungry.
For the past several years, it’s become one of my favorite places at Disney World to shop for birthday and Christmas gifts for my daughter. She’s a huge anime fan, loves Pokémon, and would happily spend an hour browsing the store. Between the plushes, stationery, collectibles, and Japanese souvenirs, it’s one of those stores we never skip.
Of course, somewhere along the way, I always wander into the snack section.
And once that happens…
Well… my shopping trip usually turns into a snack stop.
Where Are the Snacks Inside Mitsukoshi?
Mitsukoshi Department Store is the huge shop in the Japan Pavilion, and the food section is toward the back.
You will know when you have found it.
There are shelves packed with colorful bags of chips, candy bins, boxed treats, refrigerated desserts, and enough unfamiliar flavors to keep you standing there for a while.
At least, that is what happens to me.
I always think I am just going to walk through quickly.
Then I spot something weird.
Or cute.
Or strawberry flavored.
And suddenly I am reading packages and trying to decide how adventurous I feel that day.
The Strawberry Wafer Ice Cream Sandwich
This was my favorite snack I have tried from inside Mitsukoshi so far.
The Strawberry Wafer Ice Cream Sandwich is exactly what it sounds like: strawberry ice cream inside a crisp wafer shell.
But it is shaped a little differently than the ice cream sandwiches most of us are used to, and the wafer gives it a much lighter texture than a cookie sandwich.
I really liked this one.
The strawberry flavor was sweet without being too heavy, and the outside stayed crisp instead of turning into a soggy mess.
It was also a fantastic hot-weather snack.
And yes, I ate it quickly.
Not because I was greedy.
Because Florida.
You have maybe 45 seconds before ice cream starts making plans for your hand, your shirt, and everything in your park bag.
The snack section inside Mitsukoshi is one of the reasons Japan earned a spot on my list of the best snacks at Epcot. If you’re planning to eat your way around World Showcase, don’t miss my full roundup before your trip.
There Are More Frozen Treats Than You Might Expect
The freezer section had several other options when I visited, including mochi ice cream, cream buns, Coolish drinks, and other wafer ice cream flavors.
I love that these are not the same frozen desserts you see everywhere else in Disney World.
You can get regular ice cream in plenty of places.
Here, you can try matcha mochi, mango mochi, sweet potato ice cream, or a Japanese frozen drink in a pouch.
That is much more fun.
I would absolutely try another wafer sandwich next time, and I am curious about the mochi ice cream too.
Japanese Candy
This may be the most overwhelming part of the store.
In a good way.
There are baskets and shelves filled with fruity candy, sour candy, hard candy, gummies, and packages that are so brightly colored they practically jump into your basket on their own.
Some of it is familiar.
Some of it is not familiar at all.
And some of it looks like something your teenager will insist on buying because they saw it online somewhere.
This is a great place to let everyone pick one thing.
That keeps the cost under control, and it turns the whole thing into a little taste test later.
You could bring everything back to your hotel, open the packages, and see who chose wisely.
There is always at least one questionable choice.
That is part of the experience.
Chips, Crackers, and Savory Snacks
The savory snack shelves are just as interesting.
You will find Japanese potato chips, rice crackers, ramen-flavored snacks, shrimp crackers, seaweed snacks, and flavors you are not going to see in the average American grocery store.
Some of the bags are pretty small, which is actually perfect for Epcot.
You can try something unusual without committing to a family-size bag of shrimp chips that nobody else will help you finish.
And if you find something you love?
Go back and buy another bag.
I am not judging.
Why Mitsukoshi Is Such a Fun Snack Stop
The best part about buying snacks here is that it feels like an activity, not just a food stop.
You are browsing.
You are comparing strange flavors.
You are talking each other into buying something.
You are trying to figure out what is inside the package.
And then later, you get to eat everything.
That is a pretty solid Epcot experience.
It also works well when you are not hungry enough for a full meal.
Maybe you already ate at Katsura Grill.
Maybe you just had kakigori from Kabuki Cafe.
Maybe you have a table service reservation later and know better than to fill yourself up.
You can still pick out a few packaged snacks and save them for later.
Bring Ziploc Bags
Yes, I am saying it again.
Bring Ziploc bags to Disney World.
They are especially useful here because you may open a bag of candy or crackers, eat a few, and then decide you are done for the moment.
A Ziploc keeps everything from going stale and prevents an open bag of mystery seasoning from dumping itself all over the bottom of your backpack.
Ask me how I know.
They are also helpful if everyone picks different snacks and you want to divide them up for a hotel room taste test.
Is Mitsukoshi Expensive?
Some things are definitely more expensive than they would be at a Japanese grocery store outside Disney World.
That should not surprise anyone.
You are inside Epcot.
But I also think this can be a relatively affordable way to have a little fun with food, especially if everyone chooses one small item instead of buying a full dessert or meal.
A few bags of candy or chips can also stretch beyond one park day.
So while this is not where I would stock my pantry, I do think it is worth picking out something unusual.
Is Mitsukoshi Worth Visiting for the Snacks?
Absolutely.
Even if you do not buy anything, go look.
There is so much packed into that food section, and it is one of those little corners of World Showcase that makes Epcot feel different from the other parks.
You are not just choosing between popcorn and a Mickey pretzel.
You are deciding whether today is the day you try matcha mochi, ramen chips, or a strawberry wafer ice cream sandwich.
That is a much more interesting problem to have.
And knowing me, I am probably choosing the strawberry ice cream again.
The Japan Pavilion is one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon at Epcot. Between Mitsukoshi, Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya, Kabuki Cafe, and Katsura Grill, there’s something for just about every budget and appetite.
