It seems that, because of the internet, a number of people know of the myriad of Kit-Kat flavors in Japan. Click here to read of the posts I’ve written about them.
But many other products, both Japanese and foreign, are sold in unique flavors in Japan.
For example, Coca-Cola and Pepsi-cola. (Click here to see the posts I’ve written about them.
Also, potato chips, chocolates and other snacks…as well as sandwiches and beverages (besides the colas I’ve mentioned above) come in a variety of flavors here.
Japanese pizza and crepe have unique “only-in-Japan” toppings sometimes.
Maybe I’ll write a blog post about some of those one day.
But today, since the weather is getting warmer, I decided to write about a Japanese ice-pop (or アイスキャンデー (ice candy) as it’s known in Japan) that is very popular here in the summer.
It’s called 「ガリガリ君」 (“Gari-Gari-kun“)
Japanese 「ガリガリ君」 (“Gari-Gari-kun”) ice-pop. (This one is “Soda flavor”).
In America, the “Popsicle” brand ice-pop (ice candy) is the most popular…in Japan, it’s “Gari-Gari-Kun“.
And, just like a lot of other snacks here (such as “Kit-Kat“), Gari-Gari-Kun is sold in a wide, diverse variety of flavors.
This doesn’t mean much to me personally because I’m not much of a soft-drink fan.
But in the early 1980s, Coca-Cola introduced their drinks “Mello-Yello” and “Sprite” to Japan.
I remember seeing both of these drinks when I first came to Japan in 1990 but a few years later they were both discontinued in Japan.
But now Coca-Cola has brought them both back to Japan. They are being sold in their original early ’80s retro packaging design.
I’ve never tried “Mello-Yello“. Just the name and tacky can design make me sure I wouldn’t like it…but I’ve drunk “Sprite” before—it’s not bad.
Do you like these drinks? Are they available in your country?
Last Friday, McDonald’s in Japan began a campaign for the hot weather of summer.
From now until Thursday, 2011 August 18, all 炭酸ドリンク (carbonated soft drinks) will only cost ¥100 (about US$1.24) for any size (small, medium or large).
So, if you’re in Japan and you like Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Canada Dry, Fanta Grape Soda, or 「Qoo すっきり白ブドウ｣ (“Qoo White Grape Soda” with 20% juice) you can buy any of them at McDonalds for “one coin”.
Personally, I like the ¥120 (about US$1.49) free refill hot coffee at McDonald’s Japan. Actually though, I get the coffee even cheaper! I often pick up some McDonald’s discount coffee tickets for only ¥50 at one of the many “discount ticket shops” in Japan.
The American rock band KISS released a new album last autumn titled “Sonic Boom“.
And every summer for the past ten years or so, there is a rock festival in Japan called “Summer Sonic” (actually this is one of the numerous rock festivals in Japan every year).
Well, my good friend Masa told me today that KISS is planning to play at this year’s “Summer Sonic” festival near Tokyo this August to promote their “Sonic Boom” album.
Maybe they’ll call their shows at the festival the “Summer Sonic Boom Tour“. 😉
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If you like heavy metal music you probably recognize the name Marty Friedman.
He used to be the guitarist for the American heavy metal band “Megadeth“.
Marty played on Megadeth's excellent "Countdown To Extinction" album.
Marty Friedman has a Japanese wife and can speak Japanese. When he was a member of Megadeth, he would do all of the band’s media interviews in Japanese when they toured here in Japan (usually Dave Mustaine, the lead singer, does the interviews).
After he quit Megadeth, he and his wife moved to Tokyo (now, like me, he’s an American KISS fan living in Tokyo with his Japanese wife 😉 ).
Now that he lives in Japan, he makes a living by occasionally co-hosting music shows on TV, writing for music magazines, playing in a variety of Japanese bands, and he has released albums of remakes of Japanese songs.
Most recently, he has recorded TV commercial for the Fanta soft drink with three Japanese musicians and Akenono, the former 横綱 (Sumo Grand Champion).
In these commercials, Marty Friedman and the others (who are all famous in Japan…actually, Marty Friedman is the least famous of the five in Japan) are in a “FANTA” rock band.
Since they are all musicians in real life except Akebono (the former sumo champion)…in the commercials, Akebono plays the drums but always messes up.
The reason that these five celebrities were chosen for the “FANTA band” is that the first initial of each member’s name spells F.A.N.T.A.
They are: Marty Friedman (guitar), Ayanocozey (sometimes called “DJ OZMA”) (bass), Nana Tanimura (vocals), Takamizawa (aka: Takamiy (of the Japanese band “The Alfee“)) (guitar), and Akebono (drums (and “bodyguard” 🙂 )).
These commercials are to promote the new Fanta drink in Japan…”Moo Moo White“.
(Click here to read the post I wrote about this drink.)
Here a video of the TV commercial that Fanta released (it doesn’t show who the band members are…in an attempt to build up anticipation):
And here’s the latest one (Akebono, the sumo wrester / drummer drops his drum sticks):
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Also, in Japan, yesterday was the holiday “White Day“.
Coca-Cola Japan is offering a couple new drinks now.
One is 「ファンタ もぉ～もぉ～ ホワイト」 (“Fanta Moo Moo White“)…which is a white soft-drink “with calcium”.
It went on sale all over Japan beginning yesterday.
The other new drink that Coca-Cola Japan is selling now is a ginger tea for women called 「ラブボディ」 (“Love Body“).
Also, Starbucks Coffee, Japan has recently begun their annual spring time “Sakura” campaign.
I wrote about it last year…(click here to read that post).
During Starbucks Japan‘s “Sakura” campaign, they sell pink “Sakura coffee”, pink “Sakura desserts” and pink coffee mugs with Sakura flower designs.
They also have gift cards with the Sakura design.
As I’ve mentioned on my blog before, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth….so none of these drinks appeal me (I like beer!).
How about you? Would you try these?
I remember when she debuted in the early 1990’s at the age of about 14…now she’s already about 31! Time flies!
She’s from Okinawa and she originally debuted in a band called “Super Monkey“. They weren’t so popular though, and she went solo.
The rest of the Super Monkey band remained together and changed their name to “MAX“.
The band MAX was moderately successful…but 安室奈美恵 (Amuro Namie) became extremely popular in Japan in the 1990s.
Many Japanese girls copied her style of clothes and hair. Many people think that 安室奈美恵 (Amuro Namie) started the style that became popular in the mid-1990s in Japan of having bleached hair.
At the height of her popularity, 安室奈美恵 (Amuro Namie) got married to a member of the Japanese pop band TRF and they had a son together.
But their marriage didn’t last long and they were divorced.
And then, news was reported that her mother was violently murdered in Okinawa by her step-father’s brother…who then killed himself.
I’m not particularly a fan of 安室奈美恵 (Amuro Namie). I don’t listen to that type of music.
But I remember her being on television here in Japan all of the time in the early to mid 1990s. And I remember how many young Japanese girls copied her style back then too.
And I remember when the news of her mother’s news was on TV too. (Her mother was half-Italian, by the way).
Then I forgot all about her when her popularity diminished.
But recently, she’s making a bit of a come-back.
She’s started showing up on the music shows on TV a few years ago. And she has a few fairly new tattoos that she shows off alot.
One tattoo is a bar-code with the date-of-birth on it.
Another is the name of her son, Haruto.
And the one above her son’s name is a “R.I.P.” tattoo dedicated to her late mother.
And now, 安室奈美恵 (Amuro Namie) is the current campaign model for both Coca-Cola Japan‘s “Zero” cola.
Her campaign ad for Coca-Cola Zero says “Wild Health”.
(Click here to read my other blog post about Coke (and Pepsi) in Japan.)
And she’s also the current campaign model for McDonalds Japan‘s “Quarter Pounder” burger ads.
(Click here to read my earlier post about the Quarter Pounder in Japan.)
The Quarter Pounder in Japan had been using the colors black and red in their ads…but for some reason they’ve changed the color to what their calling 「バラ色」 (“Rose color”)…(it’s actually pink, though).
And if you buy a Quarter Pounder set meal in Japan now, you can get a pink (sorry, “Rose color”) pin with one of a choice of strange designs…and you’ll also get a scratch-card that gives you a chance to win a pink T-shirt with the same choices of designs.
Personally, I would never wear a pink T-shirt…especially one from a fast-food restaurant. The designs offered are like this one:
If you don’t understand Japanese, a T-shirt that says “Don’t Read Air” must seem strange. But it’s obviously meant to be a literal English translation of 空気が読めない (“Can’t read between the lines”).
A better literal translation would be “Can’t read the air”. But what it means is “Can’t read between the lines”…which is important in Japanese culture.
I was thinking about the fact that in America many products are referred to by the most popular brand name of that product.
For example, “Post-It“. It’s a brand-name…not actually the name for the adhesive memo paper. But nearly everyone in America uses the name “Post-It” as the generic name for this product.
I’m not even sure what the correct name of the product is in English!
In Japan, referring to a product by a brand-name is almost never done. How about in your country?
Here in Japan, those adhesive memo papers that are called 「タックメモ」 (tack-memo)…not “Post-It“.
In America, many products are referred to by a company’s name.
The correct names for those products in English are:
“cola”, “convenience store”, “cotton swabs”, “gelatin dessert”, “copy machine”, “hook-and-loop tape”, “insulated beverage container”, “cellophane tape”, “portable music player”, and “portable game player”.
Coca-Cola ® (“Coke“) and Pepsi-Cola ® (“Pepsi“) in Japan often sell flavors of their colas that are unique to Japan.
Maybe they offer unique cola flavors in your country, too. (Please tell me about them in the comments section.)
For example, stores in Japan have sold: “Coca-Cola Zero“, “Cherry Coke“, “Pepsi Blue Hawaii“, “Pepsi NEX“, “Pepsi Red“, “Pepsi White“…and “Pepsi Ice Cucumber“!
"Pepsi Ice Cucumber"
Well, on Monday (2009 June 8), Coca-Cola Japan will begin selling their newest flavor in Japan:
“Green Tea flavor Coca-Cola Plus“. The bottle says that it contains 「カテキン」 (“Catechins”…which are a compound of tea that is good for people’s health).
Green Tea Coke
To compete with this, later this month on ６月２３日（火） (Tuesday, June 23) Pepsi Japan will be selling:
「ペプシしそ」 (“Pepsi Shiso“).
"Pepsi Shiso (Japanese refreshing flavor) goes on sale all over Japan on Tuesday, 2009 June 23."
「シソ」 (Shiso) is a Japanese herb. I eat Shiso in many foods…but I never imagined a Shiso-flavored cola!
シソ (Shiso)...the Japanese herb.
Pepsi Shiso
I don’t drink cola very often…occasionally I’ll be in the mood to drink a cola—and then I normally buy a normal Coke ®. I did buy the Green Tea Coke just to try it…I wasn’t impressed—it just tasted like Diet Coke (which I dislike).
I’ll probably try the Pepsi Shiso too…just for the novelty value.
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