It can be a bit challenging to find vegan chocolate in Japan. When looking for chocolate we suggest you:

– Look in foreign food stores like Kaldi Coffee Farm , natural food stores, or upscale supermarkets
– Order online, for example from iHerb
– Check 100 yen stores
– Read the label carefully (you can see the common ingredients below)

While you will see a range of dark chocolate in supermarkets and convenience stores, many contain milk. Many also contain ‘flavoring’ (without further description), and emulsifier that is not specified as being made from soy, so of indeterminate origin.

In relation to “flavoring,” it seems that this could just be vanilla, For example, this hot cocoa powder includes ‘natural vanilla’ in the English list of ingredients, but the Japanese list only says “flavoring.”

   

A NOTE ABOUT CHOCOLATE LABELING IN JAPAN: Many products will state一部に乳成分を含む, meaning “contains dairy.” However, if dairy is not listed anywhere in the ingredients list, without contacting the company, it is not possible to tell if they mean dairy was used as an ingredient, or if it only means that small particles of dairy may be present from cross-contamination. For example, the Quinoa Krunch product shown below is marked “vegan” in English, but has this warning on the package. Therefore, in that case the dairy must be from cross-contamination. Please contact the company that makes the product you are interested in for further information if necessary.

   

Here’s another example of a product that states that it contains dairy, but per customer service, it’s cross-contamination from manufacturing and not an actual ingredient. Customer service for the below Daiso product stated that most of the chocolate makers in Japan now put “it contains dairy” on the product package as it’s almost impossible to avoid contamination.

• Daiso Kuchidoke Black Chocolate. Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa powder, vegetable oil/emulsifier, flavoring (product contains dairy and soy).

The package states that the item contains dairy/一部に乳成分…を含む, but the customer service stated that it is cross-contamination from manufacturing, not from an actual ingredient. They further stated that for all items imported by Doushisha/ドウシシャ, the importer of this product, if there is no dairy listed in the ingredient list, the warning “product contains dairy” just means it has possible dairy cross-contamination.

There is also a warning on the package stating it is produced in a factory with items containing egg, wheat, peanut, orange, cashew nuts, sesame, banana, gelatin, kiwi fruits, walnuts, peach and apple.

   

Here is an example of the type of product that may pop up in natural food markets. It was found in February 2021 in a natural food supermarket called Kodawariya, a chain with branches in Tokyo and Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures. It’s vegan chocolate from Estonia in biodegradable packaging.

Roosiku Organic Chocolate/ローシク　オーガニックチョコレート in Strawberry, Mild, and Hi Cacao flavors.

Online purchase links: Kodawariya’s online shop (Strawberry), Kodawariya’s online shop (Mild), Kodawariya’s online shop (Hi Cacao), Kodawariya’s online shop (three-pack of all flavors)

 　　    

CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Dairy-free chocolate chips are extremely hard to find in regular stores and supermarkets in Japan. Cutting a chocolate bar into small pieces may work for some recipes, or there are online options such as ordering from overseas companies like veganessentials.com or companies based in Japan. A few companies also make couverture products in small pieces intended for melting that look similar to chocolate chips. It might be possible to substitute couverture chocolate for chocolate chips. 

These My Kitchen Rich Choco Chips are from a branch of Seria, a 100 yen shop. Photos taken in March 2021.

• My Kitchen Rich Choco Chips, Cafe Mocha for Adults/My Kitchen Rich Choco Chips　大人のカフェモカ. Ingredients: Sugar (domestically produced), vegetable oil, cocoa powder, coffee powder, cacao mass/flavoring, thickener (processed starch), emulsifier (soybean derived).

Products with wheat, dairy and egg are made in the same factory.

   

Now let’s look at some online ordering options for chocolate chips. 

Tengu Natural Foods (Alishan) is a Saitama, Japan-based company that sells chocolate chips marked “vegan-friendly” on the online product page. They’re organic and made in Peru, supplied by Equal Exchange.

•  Alishan Organic Chocolate Chips (Bitter)/有機チョコレートチップス（ビター）. 

   

iHerb also carries a few choices. They stock the Enjoy Life vegan chocolate chips in various sizes. They’re reported to often be out of stock, but you can set a notification up to tell you when they’re available for purchase. iHerb only ships chocolate items between October 1st and June 14th as they might melt or spoil in transit in the hot summer months.

Photos from iHerb.co.jp.

Equal Exchange organic and fairly traded chocolate chips are also carried on iHerb in two versions, Organic Bittersweet Chocolate Chips and Organic Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. They are both labeled vegan on the Equal Exchange website (but for some reason not on iHerb, so they don’t come up on iHerb when searching for “vegan chocolate chips”).

Photos from the Equal Exchange website.

Amazon Japan also sells a brand of chocolate chips called Natural Kitchen. The product is made in Peru.

• Natural Kitchen JAS Certified Organic Chocolate Chips/オーガニック・チョコチップ 【有機JAS認証品】【ナチュラルキッチン】. Ingredients: Organic sugar, organic cacao mass, organic cocoa butter.

Out of the 7 specified allergens, the factory the product is manufactured at also manufactures products containing milk and wheat.

You could also try the Mama Pan chocolate from Amazon Japan. This is a couverture chocolate product meant for melting and covering sweets or cakes, but the pieces may also work as chocolate chips. The item listing specifies that items containing dairy are processed on the same factory line. Only refrigerated shipping is available for this item from April-October.

• Mama Pan Belgian Córdoba Couverture Dark Chocolate 71.4%/チョコレート ベルギー産 ダークチョコレート　コルドバ　 カカオ71.4% クーベルチュール. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter/soy lecithin, flavoring (vanilla).

Product includes soybeans.

Dairy products are used on the same line.

Tomiz. the baking goods supply store, also carries a made-in-Italy couverture chocolate intended for commercial use. It can also possibly be used as chocolate chips. It can be ordered on Amazon Japan and may also be available in Tomiz stores.

•  Tomiz (Tomizawa Shoten) Ariba Couverture Dark 72% Cacao/アリバ クーベルチュール ダーク72%TOMIZ(富澤商店) カカオ分72% 高カカオ チョコレート 業務用. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa powder, cocoa butter/emulsifier.

Of the 7 specified raw materials, the product processing plant also handles food containing wheat, dairy products, eggs, buckwheat, peanuts, shrimp, and crab.

CHOCOLATE

Let’s look at some examples of chocolates that are vegan or appear to possibly be. The list is not exhaustive. As of late 2020, there are many chocolates on the market that state they contain dairy, but don’t appear to show any dairy from the ingredient list. Realistically, it is not possible to tell for sure if they have dairy as an ingredient, or just cross-contamination from dairy during manufacturing, without contacting the company to ask.

• Aff x Nikkoh Allergen-Free Dark Chocolate/ニッコー アレルゲンフリーチョコレートダーク. Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass, vegetable oil, cocoa powder/emulsifier, flavoring.

Free of all 27 allergenic ingredients. Those with milk allergies can safely enjoy this product. Photo from Nikkoh’s website.

• Asahi Ippon Manzoku Bar Cereal Black 80% Less Sugar/一本満足バー シリアルブラック 糖質80%オフ. Ingredients: Maltitol, cocoa mass, corn flakes, vegetable oil, macadamia nuts, dextrin, wheat puffs (wheat, starch, etc.), raisins, cocoa powder, cocoa butter,  glucomannan/cellulose, emulsifier, flavoring, vitamin E, sweetener (sucralose), vitamin B6, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, vitamin B12. (Contains wheat, dairy and soybeans.)

This is a chocolate bar that has been fortified with some vitamins, including 1.1 mcg of B12. 

The company has stated that it contains no animal ingredients. However, it may have cross-contamination from milk being processed in the same factory or on the same line, so in this case, the warning on the package that makes it look as if dairy is an ingredient only means that particles may be present from cross-contamination. Be sure to get the one in the black packaging as the others have animal ingredients such as milk. It can be found in many convenience stores (as well as some drugstores).

The blog sushivoyage.net (Japanese) states that the vegetable oil partially consists of palm oil.

   

NOTE: As of October 2020, the ingredient list now reads: Chocolate (cocoa mass, maltitol, vegetable oil, dextrin, cocoa powder, cocoa butter) (includes dairy) (domestically produced), corn flakes, corn grits, sugar, etc.), macadamia nuts, wheat puffs (wheat flour, starch, malt extract), raisins, glucomannan, salt/cellulose, emulsifier (derived from soybeans), flavoring, ferric phyrophosphate, sweetener (sucralose), vitamin E, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, acidulant, vitamin B12. Products containing eggs are manufactured in the same factory. Out of the 28 suggested allergens, item contains wheat, dairy, and soybeans.

However, per the company’s customer service, this still only means cross-contamination from dairy, and dairy is still not included as an actual ingredient. In October 2020, they only switched from a system where allergens were listed at the end of the ingredient list to one where allergens were listed after the raw material they were contained in.

In another response to a customer, they stated that since it isn’t a vegan food, they stated that cross-contamination with dairy is inevitable during the manufacturing process, and that they cannot certify that no animal materials are used even in the raw materials.

• Benjamissimo organic vegan chocolate. 5 flavors, seen only at some branches of discount and import stores such as Kaldi and Jupiter.

Dark 70% with Bulgarian rose oil. Ingredients: Cacao mass*, raw cane sugar*, cacao butter*, sunflower lecithin*, Damask rose essential oil* (0,004%). Cacao: 70% minimum. *From organic agriculture. May contain traces of nuts.

White with raw cocoa nibs. Ingredients: Raw cane sugar*, cacao butter*, coconut cream*(11%), almond protein powder* (10%), raw cacao nibs* (5%), sunflower lecithin*, Bourbon vanilla*. Cacao: 35% minimum. *From organic agriculture.

Dark 70% with mint and maca. Ingredients: Cacao mass*, raw cane sugar*, cacao butter*, maca powder* (2%), sunflower lecithin*, peppermint essential oil* (0,03%). Cacao: 70% minimum. *From organic agriculture. May contain traces of nuts.

White with matcha and lemon. Ingredients: Raw cane sugar*, cacao butter*, coconut cream*(11%), almond protein powder* (10%), matcha tea powder* (2,5%), sunflower lecithin*, lemon oil* (0,04%). Cacao: 35% minimum. *From organic agriculture.

Dark 70% with chia and grapefruit. Ingredients: Cacao mass*, raw cane sugar*, cacao butter*, chia seeds* (2%), sunflower lecithin*, grapefruit oil* (0,1%), orange oil*, lemon oil*, Bourbon vanilla*.

These Blue Diamond Almonds, Dark Chocolate Flavor, were spotted in December 2020.

• Blue Diamond Almonds, Dark Chocolate Flavor/ブルーダイヤモンド チョコレート味ローストアーモンド. Ingredients: Almonds, sugar, cocoa powder, maltodextrin, chocolate flavor, salt/flavoring, sweetener (stevia).

   

• Daiso 80% Cacao Couverture Chocolate/カカオ80%クーベルチュールチョコレット. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cacao butter/emulsifier, flavoring.

Product contains dairy and soybeans.

It’s unclear if the dairy warning means dairy was used as an ingredient or if it’s just a cross-contamination warning meaning small particles of dairy may be present.

• Daiso Black Chocolate. Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa powder, vegetable oil/emulsifier, flavoring (product contains dairy and soy).

It’s unclear if the dairy warning means dairy was used as an ingredient or if it’s just a cross-contamination warning meaning small particles of dairy may be present.

There is also a warning on the package stating it is produced in a factory with items containing egg, wheat, peanut, orange, cashew nuts, sesame, banana, gelatin, kiwi fruits, walnuts, peach and apple.

   

Customer service for the below Daiso product stated that most of the chocolate makers in Japan now put “it contains dairy” on the product package as it’s almost impossible to avoid contamination.

• Daiso Kuchidoke Black Chocolate. Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa powder, vegetable oil/emulsifier, flavoring (product contains dairy and soy).

The package states that the item contains dairy/一部に乳成分…を含む, but the customer service stated that it is cross-contamination from manufacturing, not from an actual ingredient. They further stated that for all items imported by Doushisha/ドウシシャ, if there is no dairy listed in the ingredient list, the warning “product contains dairy” just means it has possible dairy cross-contamination.

There is also a warning on the package stating it is produced in a factory with items containing egg, wheat, peanut, orange, cashew nuts, sesame, banana, gelatin, kiwi fruits, walnuts, peach and apple.

   

• Eagle Confection Luxury Orange Bitter Chocolate/ひとりじめスイーツビターチョコレート贅沢オランジェ. Ingredients: Chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter), orange peel preserves, cocoa butter, liqueur (100% Grand Marnier), emulsifier, flavoring, acidulant. (Product contains dairy, soy and orange.)

Products containing dairy, egg, wheat, soybeans, apple, peach, orange, banana, gelatin, cashew nuts, sesame and rice are processed in the same factory.

It’s unclear if the dairy warning means dairy was used as an ingredient or if it’s just a cross-contamination warning meaning small particles of dairy may be present.

Grand Marnier-soaked orange peels in bitter chocolate are a treat for adults. Recommended to pair with whiskey or black coffee.

The source of the emulsifier isn’t listed but since the product says it contains soy it seems likely that a soy emulsifier was used.

Grand Marnier is vegan per Barnivore.

This product is available in NewDays convenience stores and also online.

   

iChoc vegan chocolate can be found in some health food stores and upscale specialty shops.

• iChoc Almond Orange. Ingredients: raw cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, cocoa mass*, rice drink powder*14%, almonds, chopped* 4 %, granulated orange*3%, hazelnut paste*, orange essential oil*, bourbon vanilla extract*. Cocoa solids: 40% minimum. * from organic agriculture
Allergens: Contains almonds and hazelnuts. May contain traces of milk and gluten.

• iChoc Choco Cookie. Ingredients: Raw cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, cocoa mass*, rice drink powder* 13% (dried rice syrup*), cocoa cookie* 12% (wheat flour, cocoa powder*, raw cane sugar*, coconut fat*, sugar beet syrup*, sea salt), hazelnut paste*, bourbon vanilla extract*. Cocoa solids: 40% minimum. Allergens: Contains wheat and nuts. Not used as ingredients but traces may be present: milk and nuts.

• iChoc White Vanilla. Ingredients: Cocoa butter* 37%, raw cane sugar*, rice drink powder* (dried rice syrup*), tiger nuts* (ground), bourbon vanilla pod* (ground). *from organic agriculture. May contain traces of tree nuts, milk and gluten.

A vegan alternative to white chocolate.

These Kawagoeya Cacao Walnuts were spotted in December 2020.

• Kawagoeya Cacao Walnuts/カワゴエヤ　カカオxくるみ. Ingredients: Walnuts (America), brown sugar, granulated sugar, organic cocoa powder, erythritol/flavoring, sweetener (monkfruit extract).

   

• Kit Kat Sublime Bitter. Ingredients: chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter), wheat flour, vegetable oils, sugar, yeast, emulsifier, baking soda, yeast food. (Includes soybeans) Products containing nuts, including almonds, and milk are manufactured in the same factory.

Kit Kats sold in regular stores in Japan all have dairy. One variety available only in the upscale Chocolatory stores and online appears not to contain dairy from the ingredient list, although it does have an allergy warning for dairy, likely due to cross-contamination during the manufacturing process. The store list is here (Japanese).

The sugar in Kit Kats was also confirmed by the company to be bone char processed as of 2017. Also, it isn’t clear what “yeast food” is and if it is vegan. However, it appears the emulsifier may be made of soy, due to the soy warning on the package.

Three types of cacao- roasted, floral, and fruity are blended for a cacao content of 66%, balancing sour and bitter elements. Photo from website.

This imported product available in some Kaldi stores is a tin of rice milk chocolate sticks with a vegan mark on the package. Look for it in the winter months as it doesn’t seem to be carried at other times.

• King Monty Rice Milk Chocolate. Ingredients: Chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter; cocoa mass, rice powder (rice syrup, rice flour), dietary fibre (inulin), emulsifier: E322 (SOY), natural cocoa and vanilla flavoring), vanilla; aroma, inverted sugar, stabilizer: E422.

May contain traces of nuts.

Allergy Information:

For allergens, see ingredients highlighted in bold in the ingredients list.

Products may contain trace amounts of other ingredients if produced in a mixed environment.

   

Maestrani makes a matcha and mint flavored white confectionery with green tea and peppermint that is labeled “vegan” in English on the front of the package. It has been spotted only in Yamaya Liquor stores.

• Maestrani Swiss Organic Matcha & Minze (Matcha and Mint). Ingredients: Cane sugar, cocoa butter, dehydrated rice syrup, coconut paste, green tea powder 1.5%, sea salt, emulsifier (soya lecithin), peppermint oil. Allergy notes: May contain hazelnuts, almonds, milk.

Product of Switzerland.

   

The following Meiji chocolates in the “The Chocolate” and “Chocolate Effects” series do not contain any dairy as an ingredient. However, they may have cross-contamination from milk being processed in the same factory or on the same line, so in this case, the warning on the package that makes it look as if dairy is an ingredient only means that particles may be present from cross-contamination.

The company has also stated that they do use bone-char processed sugar in the making of these chocolates and they are not a product that is guaranteed to not use any animal products in the manufacturing process. It is not clear how the flavorings in the “Chocolate Effects” series are made.

Some of the following choices are available in convenience stores, and the rest in supermarkets or online.

Other chocolates in the same “The Chocolate” and “Chocolate Effects” series do contain dairy as an ingredient, not just as traces from manufacturing, including The Chocolate Framboise (Raspberry).

• Meiji The Chocolate Comfort Bitter/Meiji ザ・チョコレート   力強い深みコンフォートビタ. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter/emulsifier. Marked “contains dairy and soy.” The dairy warning, in this case, refers to small particles that may be present due to this product being processed alongside products containing dairy.

• Meiji The Chocolate Elegant Bitter/Meiji ザ・チョコレート   華やかな果実味エレガントビタ. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter/emulsifier. Marked “contains dairy and soy.” The dairy warning, in this case, refers to small particles that may be present due to this product being processed alongside products containing dairy.

• Meiji The Chocolate Blossom Bitter/ Meiji ザ・チョコレート 凛と香り立つブロッサムビタ. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter/emulsifier. Marked “contains dairy and soy.” The dairy warning, in this case, refers to small particles that may be present due to this product being processed alongside products containing dairy.

• Meiji The Chocolate Fragrant Yuzu/Meiji  ザ・チョコレート　弾ける香りゆず. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, yuzu powder, yuzu peel, vegetable oil/emulsifier. Marked “contains dairy and soy.” The dairy warning, in this case, refers to small particles that may be present due to this product being processed alongside products containing dairy.

    

There is also an eight-pack available in some stores that contains small portions of two flavors, Comfort Bitter and Elegant Bitter. 

• Meiji The Chocolate Bitter Comfort & Elegant. 

• Meiji Chocolate Effects 72% Cacao Blocks/Meiji チョコレート効果カカオ72%.  Comes in two sizes, one large blocks and the other small. The ingredients for both sizes are the same. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa powder, cocoa butter/emulsifier, flavoring. Marked “contains dairy and soy.” The dairy warning, in this case, refers to small particles that may be present due to this product being processed alongside products containing dairy.

    

• Meiji Chocolate Effects 86% Cacao Blocks/Meiji チョコレート効果カカオ86%. Comes in two sizes, one large blocks (not pictured here) and the other small. The ingredients for both sizes are the same. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cocoa powder, sugar, cocoa butter/emulsifier, flavoring. Marked “contains dairy and soy.” The dairy warning, in this case, refers to small particles that may be present due to this product being processed alongside products containing dairy.

• Meiji Chocolate Effects 95% Cacao Blocks/Meiji チョコレート効果カカオ95%. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cacao powder, sugar, cocoa butter/emulsifier, flavoring. Marked “contains dairy and soy.” The dairy warning, in this case, refers to small particles that may be present due to this product being processed alongside products containing dairy.

   

•  Meiji Chocolate Effects 72% Cacao Blocks with Roasted Crushed Almonds/ Meiji チョコレート効果72%素焼きクラッシュアーモンド

• Meiji Chocolate Effects 72% Cacao Blocks with Coarsely Ground Cacao/チョコレート効果72%素チョコレート効果72％ 粗くだきカカオ豆.  This product is not viewable on the website, although it may still be sold in some places. It may be in the process of being replaced with the following product:

• Meiji Chocolate Effects 72% Cacao Blocks with Cacao Nibs/Meiji チョコレート効果　カカオ７２％　カカオニブ.　Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa powder, fried cacao nibs, vegetable oil, cocoa butter/emulsifier, flavoring. Marked “contains dairy and soy.” The dairy warning, in this case, refers to small particles that may be present due to this product being processed alongside products containing dairy.

    

The ball type in the Chocolate Effects series contains shellac, produced from insects, so they are not vegan. It’s listed as 光沢剤 kōtaku-zai, (food) polisher/brightener.

• Nikkoh Cacao 70% Chocolate/ニッコー カカオ70％チョコレート(110g). Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, emulsifier (derived from soy), flavoring.

Photo from website.

• Otsuka SOYJOY Crispy, White Macadamia/Otsuka ソイジョイ　クリスピー　ホワイトマカデミア. Ingredients: Soy flour (Japan-processed, non genetically modified), margarine, puffed soy (soy protein, tapioca starch), soymilk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, soy powder, other), sugar, non-digestible dextrin, macadamia nut, soy protein, salt/flavoring.

SOYJOY crispy, according to the manufacturer’s website, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, are “nutritional foods made with whole soybean flour, fruits and nuts, containing no wheat. They offer a smart and delicious way to enjoy the nutritional goodness of soy, including vegetable protein, soy isoflavones, and dietary fiber.”

They can be found at many convenience stores and drugstores across Japan.

SOYJOY crispy contain sugar that is confirmed to have been whitened using the bone char processing method.

As Otsuka Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical company, they surely do animal testing, but we don’t have information on if this specific product was developed using animal testing.

They come in five flavors. The only chocolate flavor is white macadamia, which contains non-dairy white chocolate made of soy.

Regular SOYJOY (not SOYJOY Crispy) contains egg. Be sure to check that the package says “crispy” in English, as otherwise the packaging is virtually identical.

More information can be found on the English-language Otsuka Pharmaceuticals website.

Check our convenience stores page for information on the other flavors of this product.

People Tree, the fair trade company, makes various chocolates. Some contain dairy as an an ingredient. However, for the chocolates marked “vegie,” the Japanese warning on the package saying “contains dairy as part of ingredients” has been confirmed, in this case, to be a cross-contamination warning meaning these chocolates are processed on the same line as items containing dairy. Small particles of dairy may be present in these chocolates as a result.

They can be purchased at some Natural Lawson convenience stores (not regular Lawson), at the People Tree shop in Jiyugaoka, Tokyo, in health food stores and supermarkets, and on the People Tree website.

The photo below was taken at Idee Shop, Shibuya Hikarie, Tokyo in February, 2020.

• People Tree Fair Trade Bar Chocolate, Bitter Lemon Peel/ピープルツリー フェアトレードチョコ・板チョコ・オーガニック ビター・レモンピール. Ingredients: Organic cocoa mass, organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic starch syrup powder, organic lemon peel / lemon flavor. (Contains dairy as part of ingredients.) Organic JAS certification. Manufactured with common equipment with products including wheat, peanuts, oranges, cashew nuts, and rice.

• People Tree Fair Trade Bar Chocolate, Bitter Pomegranate/ピープルツリー フェアトレードチョコ・板チョコ・オーガニック ビター・ザクロ. Ingredients: Organic cocoa mass, organic crude sugar, organic pomegranate jelly (organic pomegranate juice, organic apple juice, organic rice flour), organic cocoa butter / vanilla flavor, thickener (pectin). (Contains dairy as part of ingredients.) Organic JAS certification. Manufactured with common equipment with products including wheat, peanuts, oranges, cashew nuts, and rice.

• People Tree Fair Trade Bar Chocolate, Organic Cacao Nibs/ピープルツリー フェアトレードチョコ・板チョコ・オーガニック カカオニブ. Ingredients: Organic cocoa mass, organic kokuto sugar, organic cacao nibs, organic crude sugar, organic cocoa butter. (Contains dairy as part of ingredients.) / Organic JAS certification.

Limited edition Fall/Winter item.

• People Tree Fair Trade Bar Chocolate, Organic Bitter/ピープルツリー フェアトレードチョコ・板チョコ・オーガニック・ビター. Ingredients: Organic cocoa mass, organic  brown sugar, organic crude sugar, organic cocoa butter. (Contains dairy as part of ingredients.) Organic JAS certification. Manufactured with common equipment with products including wheat, peanuts, oranges, cashew nuts, and rice.

• People Tree Fair Trade Bar Chocolate, Organic Coconut Milk/ピープルツリー フェアトレードチョコ・板チョコ・オーガニック ココナッツミルク. Ingredients: Organic coconut sugar, organic cocoa mass, organic cocoa butter, organic coconut flakes, organic coconut milk powder / vanilla flavor. (Contains dairy as part of ingredients.) Organic JAS certification. Manufactured on common equipment with products including wheat, peanuts, oranges, cashew nuts, and rice.

• People Tree Fair Trade Bar Chocolate, Peru 75/ピープルツリー フェアトレードチョコ・板チョコ・オーガニック ペルー７５. Ingredients: Organic cocoa mass, organic crude sugar, organic cocoa butter/vanilla flavor. (Contains dairy as part of ingredients.) Organic JAS certification. Manufactured on common equipment with products including wheat, peanuts, oranges, cashew nuts, and rice.

As of November 2020, People Tree has added another flavor to their lineup of Vegie chocolates, White Hazelmilk. It’s marked on the People Tree website as available in Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu (excluding Amami), and is also available for online purchase. It’s a limited-edition product only for fall and winter. It seems as if the “contains dairy as part of ingredients” warning on this flavor as well may simply be warning of cross-contamination from dairy. The item listing specifically states the items in this Vegie series do not contain animal ingredients: dōubutsusei genryou fushiyou no Bege series/動物性原料不使用のベジシリーズ.

• People Tree Fair Trade Bar Chocolate, White Hazelmilk 75/ピープルツリー フェアトレードチョコ・板チョコ・オーガニック ホワイト・ヘーゼルミルク. Ingredients: Organic crude sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic hazelnuts, organic inulin, salt, vanilla flavor. (Contains dairy as part of ingredients.) Organic JAS certification. Manufactured on common equipment with products including wheat, buckwheat, eggs, peanuts, almonds, oranges, cashew nuts, kiwis, walnuts, bananas, peaches, and apples.

Photo from website.

• Quinoa Krunch. Ingredients: Dark non-gmo chocolate (64% cocoa) (cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla extract), organic quinoa, tapioca syrup, tapioca dextrin, zein (non-gmo corn derivative), coconut oil. Processed in a factory that also processes milk, tree nuts, soy, and sesame.

This product has been spotted only in Kaldi import stores.

Marked vegan, gluten free, peanut-free on the package. The Japanese label has a warning that makes it seem like milk could be an ingredient, but it is a warning that small particles may be present due to cross-contamination. It reads （一部に乳成分・大豆を含む）, meaning “contains dairy and wheat.”

   

The following chocolate is imported from Malaysia. It was spotted at a branch of Aeon in August 2020.

• Sincero 72% High Cacao Chocolate/Sincero 72%　ハイカカオチョコレート. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sugar, cocoa powder/emulsifer (contains soybeans), flavoring.

   

Seijo Ishii supermarket has some chocolate buttons meant for baking or cooking that may be vegan. They can also be used to make a nice fondue. The 38% variety is not vegan as it has whole milk powder as an ingredient.

• Seijo Ishii Couvert Tulle Superior Cacao 56% 300g/成城石井 クーベルチュールスペリオール カカオ分56% 300g. Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, vanilla, emulsifier. (Contains milk and soybeans as part of ingredients.)

The milk warning may just be an allergy warning due to products containing milk being processed on the same line/in the same factory, especially since the soy is likely to be the emulsifier, but it would be necessary to contact the company to find out.

Three types of cocoa beans from different regions are blended to make a simple but flavorful sweet chocolate. It is recommended for brownies and cookie doughs, coatings and so on.

• Seijo Ishii Couvert Tulle Superior Cacao 70% 300g/成城石井 クーベルチュールスペリオール カカオ分70% 300g. Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (Product contains milk and soybeans.)

The milk warning may just be an allergy warning due to products containing milk being processed on the same line/in the same factory, especially since the soy is likely to be the emulsifier, but it would be necessary to contact the company to find out.

Cacao beans from Ecuador are used to make a sweet chocolate that’s also bitter. It is recommended for gateau chocolat and cookie dough.

   

This Belgian Seijo Ishii Single Origin Chocolate was found in February 2021 and is reported confirmed by the company’s customer service to not contain dairy as an ingredient, only from cross-contamination during manufacturing (package marked product contains dairy/一部に乳成分を含む).

• Seijo Ishii Single Origin Chocolate Cacao 71% Dark Ecuador成城石井シングルオリジンチョコレートエクアドル（カカオ分７１％）. Ingredients: Cacao mass (cocoa beans (Ecuador)), sugar, cocoa butter/flavoring.

Product contains dairy.

Factory handles products that contain wheat. 

   

This Terravita Dark Chocolate, found in a branch of Daiso in December 2020, states it’s in 100% recyclable packaging. Typical for chocolates sold in Japan, the Japanese ingredient panel states it contains dairy, but the English ingredient list only says “may contain milk” and other ingredients, so it seems it may only be cross-contamination. We’ve reproduced the English ingredient list below.

• Terravita Dark Chocolate/テラビータダークチョコレート. Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, fat-reduced cocoa powder, emulsifiers: lecithins (from soy), E476, flavour.

May contain milk, cereals containing gluten (wheat, barley), peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts and cashews.

   

The following product was found in the “allergy” section of an AEON store. It’s made without the top 7 allergens required to be listed by law (egg, dairy, wheat, peanut, soba, shrimp, and crab).

• TopValu Dairy Free Chocolate/TopValu まろやかチョコレート. Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass,vegetable oil, cocoa powder/emulsifier, flavoring.

It isn’t clear what the emulsifier in this product is made of.

The website and package, as of February 2020, both state that this product uses beet sugar (not genetically modified).

The listed ingredients are the same as the Aff x Nikkoh Allergen-Free Dark Chocolate at the top of the page, but that one is listed as free of the 27 allergenic ingredients, and it doesn’t say what kind of sugar is used.

   

• TopValu Green-Ai Organic and Fair Trade Dark Chocolate/TopValu グリーンアイ　オーガニック&フェアトレード ダークチョコレート. Ingredients: Organic cocoa mass, organic sugar, organic skimmed cocoa powder, organic cocoa butter, emulsifier (derived from soy). (Contains dairy as part of ingredients.) The Japanese warning on the package saying “contains dairy as part of ingredients” has been confirmed, in this case, to be a cross-contamination warning meaning these chocolates are processed on the same line as items containing dairy. Small particles of dairy may be present in these chocolates as a result. Photo from website.

UHA Mikakuto Happy Dates bars can be ordered online here or found in selected stores (Natural Lawson convenience stores or some drugstores). The three flavors are all free of the top 27 allergenic substances. We’ll only detail the most chocolate-y tasting of the three bars here. For information on the others, check the blog’s Snack Foods section.

• UHA Mikakuto Happy Dates Chocolate Brownie/HAPPY デーツ　チョコブラウニー味. Ingredients: Dates, cocoa mass, jaggery, roasted almonds, cocoa powder, concentrated date fruit juice, salt (salt from Miyakojima).

Chocolate brownie-flavored bars with dates as the main ingredient. Milk, egg, wheat and refined sugar-free. Sweet with the flavor of roasted almonds. Uses salt from an island in Okinawa. The taste is quite chocolatey.

The UHA Mikakuto Vegan Cacao Bars are from the same company as the Happy Dates bars and feature three similar flavors, but with more stripped-down ingredient lists. The Roasted Almond flavor of the UHA Vegan Cacao Bars appears to be the equivalent of the Happy Dates Chocolate Brownie.

• UHA Mikakuto Vegan Cacao Bar, Roasted Almond /UHA ビーガンカカオばー ローストアーモンド．Ingredients: Date paste (dates (from Iran)), cacao mass, jaggery, almonds, cocoa powder, salt (sea salt from Miyakojima).

Product contains almonds.

Although they are not carried in regular supermarkets or grocery stores, upscale supermarkets and Natural Lawson (not regular Lawson) convenience stores will sometimes have Vivani chocolates, marked in English as vegan on the package. The Japanese warning that makes it look like they have dairy on the back means, in this case, that small particles of dairy may be present due to processing, not that dairy was used as an ingredient.

• Vivani Almond Orange/Mandel Orange. Ingredients: Raw cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, cocoa mass*, rice drink powder* (rice syrup*, dried) 14%, almonds, chopped* 4 %, granulated orange*3%, hazelnut paste*, orange essential oil*, bourbon vanilla extract*.cocoa solids: 40 % min.

* from organic agriculture certified by (DE-ÖKO-013)

May contain components of other shell fruits, milk and gluten.
(see allergen information).

• Vivani Black Cherry. Ingredients: Cocoa mass*, raw cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, sour cherry crisp* 3,5 % (sour cherry puree*, apple puree concentrate*, sour cherry juice concentrate*, lemon juice concentrate*) Cocoa solids: 62% min.* from organic agriculture certified by (DE-ÖKO-013). May contain components of other shell fruits, milk and gluten.

From Vivani’s website: “Dark Chocolate with Sour Cherry Crisp. Sour, fruity, aromatic. Delicate juicy but crunchy pieces of sour cherry find a perfect contrast in the intensive South American organic cocoa. A duet that appeals to all senses.”

• Vivani Crispy Corn Flakes. Ingredients: Raw cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, rice drink powder* (rice syrup*, dried) 13%, cocoa mass*, cornflakes* 7 % (corn*, raw cane sugar*, sea salt), tiger nuts* (ground), hazelnut paste*, bourbon vanilla extract*, sea salt.
cocoa solids: 37 % min. * from organic agriculture May contain components of other tree nuts and milk.

From the Vivani website: “Crunchy vegan “milk chocolate” bar with rice drink instead of milk, refined with brittle cornflakes. Not just for vegans! 5 Cent Logo for Haiti
As part of the VIVANI ‘KIDS for KIDS’ campaign against child labour, 5 cents per bar are donated to the Ecole Amitié (‘School of Friendship’) in Haiti. This provides street children access to education, food and hygiene.”

• Vivani Strawberry Wafer Crunch Bar/Vivani Erdbeer Waffel Crunch. Ingredients: Cocoa butter*, raw cane sugar*, rice drink powder* (rice syrup*, dried) 17,5 %, tiger nuts (ground), strawberry powder 3 %, pieces of wafer* 2,5 % (wheat flour*, emulsifier: soy lecithin*, sunflower oil*, sea salt), natural flavor* (strawberry taste), sea salt, bourbon vanilla pod* (ground).
* from organic agriculture

Contains soy & nuts.

May contain components of tree nuts and milk. (Due to cross contamination)

White rice milk chocolate with strawberry. Labeled vegan in English on the package.

• Vivani Rice Choc 40% Cacao. Ingredients: Ingredients: raw cane sugar*, cocoa butter*, cocoa mass*, rice drink powder* (rice syrup*, dried) 15 %, hazelnut paste*, bourbon vanilla extract*. Cocoa solids: 40 % minimum. * from organic agriculture certified by (DE-ÖKO-013) May contain components of other shell fruits, milk and gluten.

From Vivani’s website: “Trendy snack for vegan chocolate lovers as an ideal alternative to common “milk” chocolates! Instead of milk powder with vegan rice drink powder. Tastes like normal milk chocolate, thus attractive for “non vegans”, too.

Here are some more varieties of chocolate that are not vegan. These are some of the most commonly available types of dark chocolate in Japan.

• Black Thunder contains dairy and whey powder.

• Bourbon Petit Bit Cacao 70% contains whole milk powder/全粉乳 zen fun’nyū.

   

• Glico Pocky. It’s been reported that as of 2017, their customer service stated they do not make any vegan Pocky in Japan.

• Kit-Kats (with the possible exception of Sublime Bitter)

All KitKats in regular stores are made with dairy as a standard ingredient in Japan. The sugar was also confirmed by the company to be bone char processed as of 2017. There is one product called “Sublime Bitter” available only at their upscale line of Chocolatory stores and online that appears not to contain dairy from the ingredient list, although it does have an allergy warning for dairy, likely due to cross-contamination during the manufacturing process. It contains something called “yeast food,” and it is unclear if that is vegan or not.

Below is a photo of their roasted barley flavor, which contains dairy.

• Lotte Ghana Black Chocolate contains whole milk powder/全粉乳 zen fun’nyū.

    

• Lotte Polyphenol 50% Chocolate/Lotte ポリフェノールショコラ カカオ70％ contains whole milk powder/全粉乳 zenfunnyū.

    

•  Meiji BLACK Chocolate/Meiji ブラックチョコスティックパック is not vegan as it contains whole milk powder/全粉乳 zen fun’nyū.

   

• Meiji Black Chocolate Cubie/Meiji ブラックチョコレート CUBIE contains whole milk powder/全粉乳 zen fun’nyū.

 

• Meiji Galbo Black/Meiji ガルボブラックポケットパック contains dairy and eggs.

• Morinaga DARS Bitter Chocolate is not vegan as it contains butter oil.

 HOT CHOCOLATE/COCOA POWDER

The product page of this Meito Almond Cocoa states that milk ingredients are not used. 

• Meito Almond Cocoa/名糖　アーモンドココア. Ingredients: Sugar (manufactured overseas), cocoa powder (cocoa butter 14-16%), dextrin, almond milk powder (processed almond), salt/flavoring, vitamin E, emulsifier.

Product contains almonds. 

Photo from website. 

The following product is cocoa powder from the Netherlands. 

•  Morinaga Pure Cocoa/森永　純ココア. Ingredients: Cocoa powder.

Photo from website.

• Van Houten Pure Cocoa/バンホーテン ピュア ココア. Ingredients: Cocoa powder.

Photo from website.