Japanese sweets are less sweet than their American counterparts, but they are quite a bit sweeter than snack items from other Asian countries such as Taiwan.

Compared to the US, not only are Japanese snacks less sweet, for the most part you can recognize the ingredients in the majority of food imported from Japan. The label looks like a food label, not one for kitchen cleaner like the labels on most US food. They also use much higher levels of cocoa mass in their products, compared to US companies that are lobbying FDA to allow them to label fake chocalate as real!

Although I prefer Japanese food items, I have typically found the purest ingredients in food products from Taiwan. Steamed buns that contain wheat flour, black sesame paste, sugar and yeast, with only an emulsifier as an additive. Japanese products typically add an item or two, and American products require most of the box or bag to list the chemicals they add.

Japanese sencha and mochi or Taiwanese steamed sesame buns and high mountain oolong? I have time for both! Dunkin Doughnuts coffee and jelly doughnuts? No thanks!

Very interesting Britt... Actually, I really enjoy desserts that are less sweet such as a well made scone...

I must admit, however, that a chocolate frosted doughnut with a cup of black coffee every once in a very while is hella good!

I actually found some Japanese soft cakes with red bean and sweet potato that weren't very sweet at all. They must be intended to go with matcha like the Uji Matcha Manten, as that is a very sweet and mellow matcha. I think the extremely sweet stuff is probably meant to go with cheaper tea or matcha to subdue the bitterness.

Black coffee will certainly help balance out the chocolate frosted doughnut! I used to do the doughnut thing every once in a while as well as regularly visiting the vending machines at work. After finding a market with a great supply of Japanese food items and snacks, I can't bring myself to do either any more. The Japanese items are quite expensive over here, though, but I think they're worth it.

I think Youkan is mainly made with agar. I know there are different kinds of Youkan. The only kind I've been able to get is a green tea Youkan. Which was pretty good.
As far as the level of sweetness. I think we have really driven up the level of sweetness in foods the past 50 years or so. People unfortunately have gotten used to the higher levels so they expect them. I haven't had a wide variety of Youkan or Mochi (can't get it where I live). But I've like what I've had quite a bit even if it isn't quite as sweet as the 'usual' desserts I'm used to.

Hmmm...guess I'm going to have to try this sometime.

I once had a candy bar that was dark chocolate mixed with matcha...it was great but I only saw it one time and haven't been able to find it again since

Yet another reason why I need to go to Japan, I think in Japan they have green tea flavour mixed into tons of things

Didn't they have a Diet Green tea Coke? (well, don't think I'd try that though... )

Yeah! When I heard about that I was disgusted....wrote to Hershey's - which used to be good chocolate - and told them I'd had the last of their "chocolate". The flavor has changed for the worse.