Taking food into Japan as gifts?

Hi all,
Going to Japan in January for the third time. I will be seeing some friends I met the first two times and I would like to bring them some gifts from Australia. I was wanting to also take them some (Tim Tams). These are chocolate covered biscuits from Australia. Will I be allowed to bring these in if I declare them?

Mikey,

There's no problem with bringing chocolates or things like that. Note that, in larger cities, Tim Tams are not unusual these days, so you might want to look out for some of the more unusual flavours that aren't available here.

Although Tims Tams taste good, they are readily available in many shops in the Kanto area. You should bring some other kinds of Arnotts biscuits that aren't available here.

Or those little bags of mini chocolates, like Crunchies or Cherry Ripes.

I also found Caramello Koalas to be pretty popular with my co-workers!

If you want to give them a 'challenge', bring licorice all-sorts! :)

Lamingtons!!!! I am always asked to bring multitudinous packets of lamingtons for my Japanese family members: amazing.
We pack them in supermarket hard plastic containers, which also double as part of the gift

Thanks everyone for your responses, i didn't realise Tim Tams were available in Japan, well i haven't come across them the two times i've been. So you think that lamingtons would be a hit? My main concern was or is not being able to bring these kinds of things in. But if you all think it is fine i will have to come up with something a little more original! Is there a limit to how much you can bring in?

Took a whole lot through customs a couple of weeks ago for my son who is on exchange.

No problem at all- I took the different flavoured TimTams, Mint Slice, BBQ shapes and Caramello Koalas.

Enjoy your trip.

Thanks Jojo, puts my mind at ease to know that, thanks again.

I've never had any problems bringing food into Japan because their customs officers are so slack.

I even brought mettwurst back in August...granted, I didn't mention that to the customs officer that it was in my bag! And they never checked either.

The in-laws found that to be the most delicious!

Lamingtons would be a great idea- they should go down very well. I'd avoid following the advice of the person above who recommends breaking the law by bringing meat products in and not declaring them, but things like lamingtons are fine!

I agree that something other than TimTams would be better- you can buy different kinds of TimTams in pretty much all the import shops (Kaldi, Seijo Ishii) and quite often in normal supermarkets and convenience stores in bigger cities.

The 12 pack little chocolates like time out are quite good. Probably not sticky caramel type ones - Snickers are here and quite popular - but I've come across a lot of Japanese who find the caramel too sweet - Mars Bars, Twix, Snickers. Packets of Fredos,

Tim Tams are available, but it doesn't mean people won't appreciate them. My husbands Japanese colleagues sometimes bring them back for me!

Teabags / leaf tea is something I often bring back for people - available here but tends to be expensive and not a whole lot of choice. (Liptons, Twinings)

Honey and tea are the two things I bring back for myself. Cadbury's favourites / packs of time outs are the things I bring back where workplace sharing is necessary.

I have also noticed this laidback attitude at the Japanese customs. On more than one occasion I have brought candy, bisquits and bottles of alcohol into Japan and they didn't even ask me to check my luggage. One time they did and I showed them a bottle of gin that I brought as a gift and it was no problem at all. I wouldn't worry too much about biscuits. The only thing that is not done in most customs is importing fruits and vegetables etc.