The Best Hiroshima Souvenirs — What Locals Buy
Last Updated on June 9, 2025 by Kay
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Wondering about what kind of souvenirs to buy from Hiroshima?
Located in western Japan, Hiroshima is a city along the Seto Inland Sea that’s famed for its food, stunning scenery, and mission for world peace.
My husband is also from Hiroshima, so we often visit the prefecture to see his family and return to Osaka with various treats for our friends and neighbors. My husband’s family also gifts us with different Hiroshima souvenirs whenever we visit, so over the years, we’ve tried a lot of great things Hiroshima has to offer.
In this article, I’ll cover what locals think are great Hiroshima souvenirs that every visitor should get on their trip. This includes famous treats as well as lesser-known foods and handicrafts that would make great gifts or mementos.
Before I dive into the list, please ensure you check the expiry date of food souvenirs before purchasing. The last thing you want is for your souvenir to go bad before you gift it to someone! The expiry date on a package will have the kanji 賞味期限 and look like the following:
賞味期限 refers to the date the food will taste the best by, so you won’t get sick if you eat something past this date. However, you probably don’t want to gift someone with something that isn’t at its freshest.
Now that’s out of the way, let’s dive into the list.
What to Buy From Hiroshima
Onomichi Ramen
My mother-in-law always sends us care packages from Hiroshima with Onomichi Ramen (尾道ラーメン) in them. As the name implies, this ramen hails from a small coastal town in Hiroshima called Onomichi. The broth consists of fish caught in Onomichi as well as pork fat and soy sauce, giving it a rich, complex flavor. I’m also a huge fan of the thin noodles, which have just the right amount of bite to them.
This ramen doesn’t have to be chilled, although my husband always puts it in the fridge after we receive it.
Calbee Lemon Shrimp Chips
Calbee is a Japanese snack company that makes a range of world-famous snacks, one being shrimp chips that are shaped like crinkle-cut fries.
Now pair those shrimp chips with the taste of fresh Setouchi lemon grown in Hiroshima — it is perfection. These boxes come with 13 individual bags of chips inside, making them perfect for sharing.
My family in Canada is obsessed with these chips, and they always ask me to bring them some when I visit.
Hiroshima Chocola
Hiroshima Chocola is a soft, rich chocolate confectionery that reminds me of a slightly undercooked brownie. It’s a little chewy like mochi as well with a melty chocolate center, making it truly unique. I love to enjoy one of these with a hot cup of coffee.
Each box contains eight individually wrapped treats. When I brought a box of these back to Canada, my brother and male cousins devoured everything, making me wish I had gotten more.
You can buy individual packages of these if you want to try one before purchasing. Sometimes the staff at the souvenir store in Hiroshima Station’s ekie will give out samples as well.
Setouchi LuLuLun Masks
If you have a skincare fan or two in your life, these would be a perfect souvenir to gift them. LuLuLun is one of the most famous face mask companies in Japan, so it’s natural that their Hiroshima-limited masks infused with sun-kissed Setouchi lemon are incredibly popular.
Each box comes with five bags that contain seven masks each.
Hiroshima Lemosco
Another food souvenir made with Hiroshima lemons, Lemosco is a hot sauce that tastes great and doesn’t contain any preservatives. The yellow one is great with seafood and salads, while the red is perfect for pizzas and pasta. Honestly, you can use these any way you like!
My family and friends love spicy food, so I make sure to get them a few bottles of these.
Momiji Manju
What would an article on Hiroshima souvenirs be without the most famous souvenir — Momiji Manju (もみじ饅頭)! These confectioneries are cake-like with a sweet filling inside and are shaped like maple leaves (momiji), a symbol of Hiroshima.
The most typical Momiji Manju flavor is sweet red bean paste, either smooth (こし餡) or chunky (粒餡). Other flavors include matcha, chocolate, and custard.
The best Momiji Manju flavors, in my opinion, are smooth red bean paste and chocolate.
You can find especially unique Momiji Manju in Miyajima, such as strawberry and lemon.
Milk Momiji Manju
Speaking of unique Momiji Manju, my mother-in-law bought some of this milk Momiji Manju. I had never heard of it before, but it was absolutely delicious.
There are two types of filling — koshian (smooth red bean paste) and milk white bean paste. The package contains only two milk white bean pastes, so make sure to snag one if you’re sharing!
Today’s Cat Pattern (Kyou no Neko Moyou)
My mother-in-law got these Hiroshima-made cookies for my daughter, who’s a huge fan of cats. The box itself is adorable, and the inside contains cats with different patterns of fur.
You’re supposed to break off the outer edges of the cookie to get the cat shape, which can seem annoying, but it’s actually surprisingly fun.
The inside of the vanilla cookie has a thin chocolate cookie layer.
Compressed Towels in Momiji Manju Shape
Speaking of Momiji Manju, these compressed towels are great for traveling. All you have to do is place one in water, loosen it up a bit by hand, and it expands into a face towel!
The expanded towel has Hiroshima written in kanji at the bottom as well as some maple leaf motifs.
Origami Crane Keychains
Cranes are a symbol of peace, and in Japan, it’s believed that if you fold 1000 paper cranes, your wish will come true.
These origami crane keychains are made of recycled materials, making them not only symbolic but also eco-friendly.
Replica of Sadako’s Paper Crane
Many of you might be familiar with the tale of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima as a toddler but died due to irradiation when she was twelve years old.
Before she died, Sadako aimed to fold 1000 paper cranes to make her wish come true, and she succeeded. However, she passed away shortly after.
Sadako’s brother created a project to help distribute Sadako’s original paper cranes to the world using 3D technology. I think if there’s any truly meaningful souvenir to get from Hiroshima, it’s this one.
Origami Crane Earrings
You can find lots of origami crane earrings in Hiroshima, but I find these especially lovely because of their simple yet elegant appearance. Best of all, these are hypoallergenic.
Origami Crane Decor
This is another souvenir featuring origami cranes. What I liked about these is not only that you can display them, but they can also be used as chopstick rests.
Wrap-up: The Best Souvenirs From Hiroshima
I hope this look at my family’s favorite Hiroshima souvenirs has been helpful for you. Hiroshima has lots of great and unique things to offer that you won’t find elsewhere in Japan, so make sure you don’t skip shopping when you’re there!