Keeping breath mints handy is the best way to make sure your breath is always fresh. Check out these best Japanese breath mints that will freshen up your breath and provide you with a wake-up punch.
There are different mints available. Some come in large saver packs, others in dainty little boxes, and even in reusable cases. You also get mints in super strong flavors and also those that have a fruity hint to it. Japanese breath mints are amazing and varied, which means, there are a plethora of options to choose from.
Best Japanese Breath Mint: Quick Summary
Best Japanese Breath Mint | Editor’s Ratings | View On Amazon |
Asahi Mintia Dry Hard Breath Mints – Best Japanese Breath Mint | 9.5/10 | View On Amazon |
Frisk Clean Breath Mints | 8/10 | View On Amazon |
Asahi Mintia Mega Hard Mints | 9/10 | View On Amazon |
Asahi Mintia Cold Smash Mints | 9.5/10 | View On Amazon |
Frisk Sugar Free Refreshing Power Mints | 8.5/10 | View On Amazon |
Asahi Mintia Grape Flavor Mints | 8.5/10 | View On Amazon |
Frisk Peppermint Breath Mints | 9/10 | View On Amazon |
Frisk Neo Peppermint Breath Mints | 8.5/10 | View On Amazon |
Here are some of the best Japanese breath mints for you to keep by your side forever!
- Related: Best Japanese Candy
Best Japanese Breath Mint
Which is the best Japanese breath mint?
I always carry breath mints along with me. Either for having after my meals or when I feel sleepy at work. It leaves you refreshed and gets rid of any bad breath. My favorite and the best Japanese breath mint is the Asahi Mintia dry hard breath mints.
The mintia dry hard breath mints have an intense yet refreshing flavor. It’s very minty and leaves you with a tingling feeling. It’s also a great breath mint to pop in when you feel sleepy as it also has caffeine content. But its intense flavor is enough to kick out the drowsiness. It costs $21.79 on Amazon for a pack of 50 tablets!
#1 — Asahi Mintia Dry Hard Breath Mint With Caffeine – Best Japanese Breath Mint
Mintia Dry Hard is the ultimate choice to give you a quick refreshing experience. The flavor of this best Japanese breath mint is minty and you will notice that your mouth tingles for a long time. As you keep breathing in, the flavor gets more intense and works towards waking you up. Also, the caffeine in the mints does its job really well.
I love Asahi Mintia as it helps me work for long hours due to the presence of caffeine. It also freshens my mouth after a good meal which might make my mouth a little dry. I usually buy them in bulk which makes them really affordable. It’s the best Japanese breath mint for sure. Mintia mints are worth buying.
If you always feel groggy in the mornings or hate working during the afternoons, you need a pack of this in your bag. Pop one in your mouth and you are ready to take on the day with full vigor. Also, bad breath is not going to be a problem anymore.
Key Features
- Quick refreshing flavor
- Perfect for a groggy morning
- Intense flavor
- Covers bad breath
Editor’s Ratings:
- Ingredients: 9/10
- Taste: 10/10
- Effectiveness: 10/10
- Affordability: 9/10
#2 — Frisk Clean Breath Mints
Are you somebody who cannot handle a very strong minty flavor lingering in your mouth and making each breath quite minty? This is the one for you. The Frisk Clean Breath mints are more on the sweeter side and you will not get that super strong mint flavor. However, if you are someone who loves breathing mint, this may disappoint you; the flavors are not stimulating enough for your taste buds.
Frisk breath mints are my favorite especially because of their sweet flavor. I keep a pack of it in my handbag especially when I’m meeting someone new and I’m not sure if my mouth is fresh or not. It helps in covering my halitosis that I’ve been suffering from since a while now.

But, despite being weak on the mint flavor, this best Japanese breath mint does its job covering bad mouth odor. So, you can achieve fresh breath without an overpowering flavor.
Key Features
- Mild flavor
- Sweeter taste
- Covers bad odor
Editor’s Ratings:
- Ingredients: 9.5/10
- Taste: 9/10
- Effectiveness: 9/10
- Affordability: 9/10
#3 — Asahi Mintia Mega Hard Mints
Mintia Mega Hard is almost like Dry Hard, but the flavor is more intense. It combines menthol and caffeine beads to give you an out-of-this-world minty experience. The tablets are penny-sized and come in a big dispenser.
The taste is like a rollercoaster ride. You will be rewarded with a sweet flavor for an instant, just as soon as you pop a mint in your mouth. However, the flavor then changes to give you a spicy and soothing minty flavor. And as you keep breathing, the flavor gets intensified.
I like this mint as it’s extremely strong and helps my breath to smell better. It’s really effective in the sense that it’ll linger in your mouth for quite some time which is my favourite part about it. I’m not really a fan of spice that it has but if you’re good with it, you’re gonna love it.

It is one of the best mints to fight those sleepy morning classes or office and boring afternoons or long drives. Just pop in one of these best Japanese breath mints and you will see an instant wake-up punch hitting you. Also, it covers up bad odor extremely well.
Key Features
- Combination of Menthol and Caffeine
- Strong punch of freshness and flavor
- Wakes you up
- Intense flavor that gets stronger with each breath
- Covers bad breath extremely well
Editor’s Ratings:
- Ingredients: 8.5/10
- Taste: 8.5/10
- Effectiveness: 9.5/10
- Affordability: 8.5/10
#4 — Asahi Mintia Cold Smash Mints
Mintia Cold Smash gives you a burst of refreshing minty flavor. These best Japanese breath mints are quite small, but they are full of flavors. You will feel a cool feeling in your throat and nose, which opens you up and gives you an instant boost. You will feel the freshness right from the moment you put one in your mouth. The box is small and so, you can easily fit it in your pocket.
Key Features
- Small with refreshing minty flavor
- Cool feeling in throat and nose
- Small portable box
#5 — Frisk Sugar Free Refreshing Power Mints
This refreshing pack is the perfect on-the-go power mints. It gives you an instant boost of freshness and helps cover up any bad odor. These refreshing sugar-free pastilles are in the traditional peppermint flavor, which gives your mouth a cooling and soothing sensation.
However, this is the best Japanese breath mint for those who do not want strong flavors to shock their taste buds. The flavors are more subtle. If you want something sweet, minty, and easy to eat, these mints are great for you.

Key Features
- Sugar free tablets
- On-the-go power mints
- Peppermint flavor
- Cooling and soothing sensation
- Mild and less-intense flavor
#6 — Asahi Mintia Grape Flavor Mints
We generally know mints to have the traditional menthol and peppermint flavors, however, these mints have a sweet grape flavor. If you want something milder and not as spicy and strong as traditional mints, you may want to try out these Mintia Grape Flavor Mints. Just pop one in and enjoy the delicious flavor of grapes while also ensuring that you feel the freshness in your mouth. This best Japanese breath mint also helps cover up bad breath.
Key Features
- Grape Flavor
- Sweet in taste
- Provides freshness
- Milder and not spicy
- Covers bad breath
#7 — Frisk Peppermint Breath Mints
Frisk Peppermint is the standard mint we all know about. It has a peppermint flavor, which is spicy, just as it is supposed to be. You will also be able to get a hint of some eucalyptus flavor. However, this mint is not super strong and you will not get that burst of shock in your tastebuds. It’s the best Japanese breath mint for someone who wants something sweet, mild, minty, and easy to eat.
Key Features
- Standard peppermint mints
- Hint of eucalyptus flavor
- Mild flavor
- Sweet and minty
#8 — Frisk Neo Peppermint Breath Mints
These mints are mild and sweet, reminding you of minty candies. The flavor is pretty refreshing, but again, it is not very strong. You will love these as candies, but they will not help you stay awake during a boring afternoon lecture or meeting. If you need something tasty, these are the best Japanese breath mints for you. However, do not expect a wake-up burst from these.
Key Features
- Mild and sweet
- Tastes like candies
- Refreshing but mild flavor
- Tasty
What causes bad breath?
There are three things that cause bad breath – morning breath, decreased saliva production, and food residue.
#1 — Morning Breath
This is one of the most common issues many of us face. You may have brushed your teeth and rinsed your mouth right before going to bed, but despite all of that, chances are you will still wake up with bad breath. This happens because of decreased saliva production in your mouth.
#2 — Decreased Saliva Production
A decrease in the production of saliva in your mouth leads to dry mouth, which in turn, leads to bad breath. Saliva plays a vital role in cleaning the food residues and in washing away bacteria. So, less saliva can lead to the growth of odor-causing bacteria that results in bad breath.
#3 — Food Residue
The next cause of bad breath is the food residue on your tongue. The uncleaned tongue is the breeding ground of bacteria, which can lead to very bad breath. To ensure that this is not a cause of the problem, you should brush, floss, and scrape your tongue.
How to choose the best Japanese breath mint?
If you want to control bad breath, choose mint:
If you are concerned because of bad breath in the morning or after eating, you must choose tablets that are just mint. This is the most effective way to get rid of bad odor from your mouth. The mint spreads in your mouth, giving it is a burst of minty freshness that covers up any foul smell.
Choose the strength of the flavor:
The next thing you need to look for is how strong you want your mints to be. If you need something to wake you up and give you an extra punch, look for flavors that are intense and strong. But if you think they are too strong for you, you can go for milder variants. You can also choose mints that have a fruity flavor to cut down on the intensity.
Quality to components:
Make sure the quality of the components in your breath mints are not harmful. Check the list of ingredients and make sure all of the amounts of each ingredient is not harmful to consume.
Check the expiry date:
Check for the manufacturing and expiry dates of your breath mint. Don’t consume it if it’s expired as it can cause harmful effects on your body.
Check reviews:
Sometimes packages are misleading, it’s better to read reviews of each breath mint before you actually buy them.
Best Japanese Breath Mints: FAQ
How long do breath mints last?
The best breath mints are those that last for a reasonably long period of time. Some mint products are so good they leave a refreshing feeling and taste for a good few hours before you need to pop another one in your mouth. You should look for something that lasts for quite a while so that you do not spend most part of your day chewing mints.
Does Mintia have caffeine?
Some Asahi Mintia Mints do contain caffeine and will freshen your mouth just after you consume it. They’re considered to be one of the best Japanese breath mints.
Are breath mints good for you?
Breath mints are good to prevent foul-smelling mouths. Although they’re not an actual substitute for maintaining oral health, they do help.
Also Read:

Erika is the main author of the website. She is obsessed with Japanese products and always looks for an opportunity to share her love for Japanese products with everybody around her! She combined her love for writing, research and testing products to create Best Japanese Products. When she’s not reviewing latest Japanese products, you’ll find her pampering her cats. Erika is the definition of ‘The Crazy Cat Lady’.