Dried fish, as a snack? Yes, in Japan it is very common and there are a large variety of fish snacks in Japan. While beef jerky is common in the Western world, there are dried seafood snacks available in Japan. Squid jerky is one of the most common ones. Normal flavour is salty but other flavours such as sweet or spicy exist as well. Himono is a quite smelly snack.
A different type of dried fish snack is Niboshi. These are tiny dried sardines which normally come without any additional flavor, so it is just the fish taste. Besides being eaten as snacks, they are often used for seasoning or ingredient to real dishes. A variant on the Niboshi is Almond-Fish, which is a mix of almonds and these small dried sardines. It is a good snack to be enjoyed together with an alcoholic drink.
Shrimp crackers (senbei) are also a common snack. Often these are given as a souvenir. Let’s say someone went on a business trip to a different part of Japan, then they often bring back shrimp crackers.
And what do you think about dried seaweed as a snack? It is also common available in Japan. One positive thing about this snack is that they are very low in calorie. The normal flavor is a bit salty which also makes it a good addition to many meals.
