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1. What’s Tansan Senbei?

Tansan Senbei

⇨ A traditional Japanese wafer snack from Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture.

I went on a trip to Arima Onsen at the end of last year. There are many delicious foods in Arima Onsen,

but I also found some delicious sweets, so I would like to introduce one of them.

It is extremely

thin, light, crispy, and a mildly sweet flavor.

Because of its simple taste and delicate texture,

it is popular as a souvenir and is enjoyed by people

of all ages.

My preference:�I like tansan senbei because it is light,

not too sweet, and easy to eat.

source : Arima Senbei Honpo Official Website

https://tansan-senbei.com/

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2. How Tansan Senbei is made?

① Wheat flour, sugar, and carbonated water (spring) are mixed to make a soft dough.

② The dough is poured into a heated iron mold.

③ The mold presses the dough into a very thin round shape.

　 It is baked until dry and crispy.

Two ways to make Tansan Senbei : so simple!

Handmade

Machine

Carefully one by one

all at once by machine

All image source: Arima Senbei Honpo Official Website, https://tansan-senbei.com/

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Handmade

Machine

④ Remove from the mold

“Nama” Tansan Senbei that can only be eaten at Arima Onsen!!

2. How Tansan Senbei is made?

The expiration date is just 5 sec!!

It's freshly baked, so it's not hard and is soft and fluffy.

Complete!

What makes it different from regular Tansan Senbei?

The "nama" means it's freshly made and in a soft state before

hardening. It's like a thick crepe and is delicious.

After 5 seconds, it hardens like regular ones.

All image source: Arima Senbei Honpo Official Website, https://tansan-senbei.com/

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~ How Rice Senbei Are Made ~

① The rice is ground into flour.

② The rice flour is steamed and formed into a mochi-like dough.

③ The dough is cooled to lock in the flavor.

④ The dough is cut into round shapes and slowly dried (first drying).

⑤ It is dried once more to remove moisture completely (second drying).

⑥ The dried pieces are baked in a special oven until crisp.

⑦ A secret seasoning is evenly absorbed into the senbei.

3. Similar Foods and Differences (1): Rice Senbei

Rice Senbei

Made from rice flour
Often salty or soy-sauce flavored
Very crunchy and hard texture

Although both are called “Senbei,” they are actually quite different snacks.

⇨ another traditional Japanese cracker

All image source: Risseidou Rice Senbei Official Website, https://www.risshodo.com/

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Gaufres

Made from wheat flour, milk, whole eggs, sugar, and

butter (close to biscuits and wafers)

Two wafers with cream inside
Sweeter and richer

Gaufres look similar to Tansan Senbei, but they are sweeter and richer because of the cream filling.

⇨ a well-known souvenir sweet in the Kansai area.

3. Similar Foods and Differences (2): Gaufres

Just like Tansan Senbei, the dough is placed in a mold and baked.

It all began around 1926, when a customer returning from a trip to the West brought some French baked goods with him and suggested that s/he try making them in Japan.

source: Risseidou Rice Senbei Official Website, https://www.kobe-fugetsudo.co.jp/sweets/gaufres.html

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3. Similar Foods and Differences (3): Oplatky

Oplatky look similar to Tansan Senbei,

but the ingredients are different, and the texture is different.

Oplatky

Made from wheat flour, egg yolk, fat, milk,

vanilla sugar, honey

(close to biscuits and wafers)

Moist and light crispy texture
Buttery and rich flavor of European sweets

⇨ a traditional Czech wafer

Just like Tansan Senbei, the dough is placed in a mold and baked.

All image source:oplatky kolonáda Official Website, https://oplatky-kolonada.cz/en

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4. Similar Foods and Differences : Summary

	Rice Senbei	Gaufres	Oplatky	Tansan Senbei
Main ingredient	rice flour	wheat flour	wheat flour	wheat flour
process	many	little	little	little
flavor	salty or soy-sauce	sweet rich	Buttery rich	sweet
texture	fragrant very crunchy	crispy, fragrant and light	moist, light crispy	light, delicate
sytle	traditional Japanese cracker	Western cracker	Western (Chez) cracker	traditional Japanese cracker

To summarise the characteristics of each snack:

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5. Where Is It Sold in Japan?

Tansan senbei is mainly sold as a souvenir in Arima Onsen (Hyogo Prefecture).

Other…

Kobe area souvenir shops
Department store gift shops
Online stores

Because of its history and light taste, it is considered one of the famous local snacks of Arima Onsen.

a famous specialty of Arima Onsen

Yunohanadou in Arima Onsen town,

where you can eat the ”Nama Tansan Senbei".

You can also purchase a variety of souvenirs.

This is the souvenir Tansan Senbei I actually bought.

The photo shows a regular Tansan Senbei,

but there are also some unique ones, such as chocolate-covered and matcha-flavored ones.

source : Arima Senbei Honpo Official Website

https://tansan-senbei.com/

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6. Conclusion

・Tansan senbei is a unique Japanese wafer snack made from wheat flour and carbonated water.

・Tansan Senbei and Rice Senbei, both of which are called Senbei, have very different manufacturing processes, which also affect their texture.

・Although it looks similar to other wafers such as gaufres, and oblatky, it is different in taste, texture, and cultural background.

・Its light sweetness and crispy texture make it an enjoyable and easy-to-eat snack.

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7. Reference

Information and images were obtained from the following official websites (accessed January 5, 2026):

・Arima Senbei Honpo Official Website

https://tansan-senbei.com/

・Risseidou Rice Senbei Official Website�https://www.risshodo.com/

・Kobe Fugetsudo – Gaufres�https://www.kobe-fugetsudo.co.jp/sweets/gaufres.html

・Oplatky Kolonáda Official Website�https://oplatky-kolonada.cz/en