Konbini Kinyoubi: Tongari Corn, Japan's Answer to Bugles

Welcome to Konbini Kinyoubi, where every Friday (Kinyoubi) we visit our local convenience store (Konbini) and buy something delicious. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read our affiliate disclosure.

When I’ve got a scratchy throat, I have a system: I want a C.C. Lemon, a murder documentary, and a big box of Tongari Corn. With a name that translates roughly to “spiky corn,” they’re the Japanese version of Bugles. Although, since I exclusively buy them when I don’t feel good and devour an entire box in one sitting, I suppose they're really the Japanese version of Cheez-Its. However, I will submit to you that they are intended to be eaten all in one sitting, as evidenced by how fun it is to rip the box open.

You are REQUIRED to move the separated lid like a mouth and go “Nom nom nom nom nom!”

Found in the potato chip aisle, Tongari Corn is available in two flavors: salt and fried corn. They taste pretty similar, though the salt flavor is - you guessed it - a little saltier. Alas, the store was sold out of the salt kind this week, so we went with the cornier version.

Note that the bag is not resealable. They want you to eat the entire thing!

As you can see, these crunchy corn snacks have the classic “Witch hat” design of Bugles in America, with little ridges all over them. One nice thing about them is that they aren’t completely covered in dust, so your hands don’t get too dirty. However, there is a little bit of dust, so they’re not great for eating while playing video games. These are the major concerns for a man of extravagance such as myself.

If you don’t have a dog, it’s on YOU to mop up all the shards and eat them.

Now, as for the taste: they are freaking delicious. Crunchy, salty, savory, not artificial-tasting - everything is in balance. I would take points off because they’re too small to fit over my fingers to make claws, but we’re in Japan, so maybe they’re designed for Japanese fingers.

I don’t remember what Bugles tasted like, but I would submit these are better. Not only do I always finish the box in one sitting, I eat them as fast as possible, like a dog who only eats once a day going to town on his bowl of chow. This may be because I’m greedy and want to eat them all before my wife can grab too many of them, but also may just be because they’re pack snacks and want to be with their friends, and I’m happy to reunite them in my tummy.

Tongari Corn is near the top of my list of savory snacks in Japan. 15/10 all day long. Their only downside is that they’re TOO good, meaning we cannot keep them around the house because I can’t be trusted with them (we have the same rule about peanut butter). Best not to get between me and my Tongari Corn, because I WILL eat through you to get to them.