Japanese Summer Fruits: Three Must-Try Spots in Tokyo

I have said it before, Japanese people love seasonal flavors and limited-edition foods. That's not only true for mint chocolate, but also for fruits. Here are the three Japanese summer fruits in Tokyo you should try.

Where to Buy Japanese Summer Fruit Souvenirs in Tokyo

It's almost a game spotting all the seasonal summer fruit treats on shop shelves and cafés menus in Tokyo. The truth is, you can find virtually any sweet imaginable reimagined in seasonal fruit flavors.

The entrance of Don Quijoite in Shinjuku's Kabukicho neighborhood. A true treasure trove of limited-edition candies!

For those looking to bring home seasonal souvenirs, Don Quijote remains one of Tokyo's best destinations for seasonal Japanese fruit desserts and candies. Their extensive selection currently features peach-flavored Kit Kats, mango Choco Pies, and mochi in an array of seasonal varieties. However, in this article, I'll be focusing specifically on actual desserts.

White Peach: Delicious Desserts at Every Price Range

If you like white peach, you're in luck, because this flavor is especially popular in Japan during the summer when peaches are ripe and in season.

The convenience store Lawson recently launched a limited-edition collection of peach-flavored desserts, so I sampled five of them and ranked them from least to most delicious:

All of the white peach flavored desserts I tried at Lawson.

Shiromaro Cream Pan

Unfortunately, this peach flavored bread was not my favorite.

The bread was filled with peach-flavored cream had an oddly artificial taste that reminded me more of peach-scented hand cream than actual fruit. While the packaging suggested there would be peach pieces inside, I found only thin streaks of peach jam

Peach No-Bake Cheesecake

While the taste and texture aren't necessarily bad, the cheesecake flavor completely dominates and I couldn't taste the peach flavor.

Peach Parfait

This adorable mini parfait features a beautiful color gradient in the peach layer. With actual peach pieces providing textural interest, it's quite appealing. The whipped cream is slightly too sweet, but it complements the peach flavor nicely.

White Peach-Shaped Mousse Cake

This small cake is quite impressive visually as it's literally in shape of a peach. So cute! The cake is made entirely of peach-flavored mousse with peach pieces throughout. It's incredibly light, like eating a peach-flavored cloud, making it perfect when you want something sweet but not too heavy.

Peach Tart

I'm genuinely impressed that such a sophisticated dessert is available at a convenience store for just 360 yen. It looks bakery-quality! Featuring half a white peach, a center of peach jelly, and a layer of peach mousse, it's a fantastic way to indulge at a low price.

Lawson has truly succeeded in showcasing white peach beautifully. For those seeking a more upscale peach experience, read my review of the Peach Dessert Platter at Takano Fruit Parlor, here.

Mango: Perfect for Refreshing Drinks and Iced Treats

You might be surprised to learn that Japan actually grows its own mangoes! The Miyazaki region in Japan's southern Kyushu island is particularly renowned for their "Taiyo no Tamago" (sun egg) variety, which commands premium prices going upwards of hundreds of dollars.

During my research, I discovered that most mango-flavored treats tend to be drinks, kakigori (Japanese shaved ice), or ice cream. Wanting to try something different, I visited the popular pastry chain Ginza Cozy Corner for their seasonal Mango Tart.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be a peach-mango tart where the peach completely overshadowed the mango. This seemed like an odd choice considering they already offer delicious peach cakes and tarts. I really wished mango had been the star of this dessert. Moral of the story: I should have probably stuck with the cold treats, they are the most popular for a reason.

Melon: A Classic Japanese Summer Fruit Flavor

You might wonder why I decided to add melon to that list, given that melon-flavored soda and sweets can be found year round in Japan. But, you'll see that the melon craze practically explodes during summer, with many seasonal summer fruit desserts being offered all over Tokyo. Melon is everywhere, in every type of dessert and drink you can think of: shortcake, parfait, ice cream, cookies, frappés, candy, you name it!

Soft serve ice cream inside a Japanese melon. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

My favorite melon dessert are Melon pancakes from Bridge Coffee in Ginza. These pancakes are available year round, however in the summer they are made with Raiden melons, a special type of melon from Hokkaido only ripe in the summer.

These melon pancakes are so good they've even been featured in a campaign with the JR East train company, but it's not as touristy as you would expect. Tucked away in the basement of a Ginza mall, it's not exactly a place you'd stumble upon by accident but trust me, these pancakes are absolutely worth the effort.

The signature melon pancake is visually stunning and highly Instagram-worthy, with its layer of green melon-flavored cream and white whipped cream arranged in a grid pattern it looks like a cartoon melon come to life!

Far from being simple stacked pancakes with melon cream, there's actually a delightful surprise inside.

When you cut into it, you discover that the pancake is only an outer shell and is filled with vanilla ice cream and fresh melon pieces. It's the perfect summer dessert, even suitable for people like me who don't typically have a sweet tooth.

In spite of its large size, I managed to eat it all by myself easily. If you love melon, you cannot leave Tokyo before trying this dessert.

Final Thoughts

While I've focused on the three main seasonal Japanese summer fruits highlighted this season, there are certainly many others worth exploring, such as watermelon, lemon, and lychee (I highly recommend the lychee ice cream and soda from 7-Eleven, by the way).

Enjoying seasonal fruits, whether fresh or in limited-edition desserts, is an easy and delicious way to experience summer just like the locals.