Kit-Kat Japan

I don’t eat alot of お菓子 (junkfood), especially milk-chocolate (I think bitter chocolate is better)…so I don’t usually buy Kit-Kat.
But I bought some recently for my daughter’s High School Entrance Exam (Click here to read about that).

I know, though, that there are quite a few flavors of Kit-Kat…but I didn’t know that they are exclusive to Japan. I thought that since Kit-Kat is a Western (English) company, that all these flavors are worldwide.

It seems that the unusual Japanese Kit-Kat chocolates are a popular souvenir with visitors to Japan from overseas.

I see these Kit-Kat chocolates all the time, so I’ve really thought nothing of them. But people who don’t live in Japan find them fascinating, it seems.

I have no idea how many flavors of Kit-Kat there are in Japan, but here are a few:

「柚子こしょう」 ("Yuzu-koshou"..."Kyushu-taste spice")

For Valentines

「キャラメルプリン味」 ("Caramel Pudding flavor") for Halloween

This can be mailed (front view)

(back view)

Another one for students taking their school Entrance Exam is 雪見桜 (Yukimizakura). The name implies cherry-blossoms in the snow, and the chocolate is pink and white swirl:

「雪見桜」 (Yukimizakura)

「大学いも味」 ("College Potato flavor") for College Entrance Exams takers.

This one is 東京限定 (“Tokyo only”):

濃きなこ ("Rich soy powder")

This one is 東京限定 (“Tokyo only”) too:

しょうゆ風味 ("Soy sauce style taste")

「林檎」 (Apple flavor)

Banana

「キャラメルマキアート」 (Cafe Latte with Caramel)

Cookies+

「大納言」 (Sweet bean)

ダブルベリー (Double Berry)

「伊藤久右衛門」 (Japanese green tea)

ほうじ茶 (Roasted Green Tea)

苺味 (Strawberry flavor)

Kit-Kat in a jar

きなこ (Soybean flour)

さくらんぼ味 (Cherry flavor)

みかん (Tangerine)

「白桃＆黄桃」 (White peach & Yellow peach)

Mild Bitter

Muscat grapes

This next one is おしるこ味 ((O)-shiruko flavor)…Click here to read my post about 汁粉 ((O)-shiruko).

「おしるこ味」 (Oshiruko flavor)

プリン (Pudding)

すいか (Watermelon)

White chocolate

ゆず (Japanese citrus fruit)

And then there are the “exotic“-series Kit-Kat chocolates:

"Exotic Tokyo"

"Exotic Tokyo; White"

"Exotic Tokyo; Sakura"

"Exotic Hokkaido"

"Exotic Hokkaido; White"

"Exotic Kyushu"

"Exotic Kansai"

There are alot more Kit-Kat flavors in Japan, too!

I took a few of the photos above with my camera…but most of them are from Kit Kat Japan‘s website.

高校受験

Today my oldest daughter will take her 高校受験 (High School Entrance Examination).

She’s a 中学校三年生 (Ninth grader (last year of Junior High in Japan)).

In Japan, the school year is 四月から三月まで (from April til March).
小学校 (Elementary School) is grades 1-6, 中学校 (Junior High) is three years (grades 中1～中3…(equivalent to grades 7-9 in the U.S.)),  and 高等学校 (High School) in Japan is also three years (the equivalent to grades 10-12 in the U.S.).

Both 高等学校 (High School) and 大学 (College) have Entrance Exams.

My two younger daughters made a card for my oldest to wish her Good Luck on her test today.
I bought her a box of special Kit-Kat chocolates for students taking School Entrance Exams.

Kit-Kat is one of the popular snacks parents give their kids when they’re taking an Entrance Exam. Kit-Kat is popular because it’s name sounds like “I’ll surely pass!” in Japanese.
(Click here to read another post that I mention another flavor of Kit-Kat for High School kids taking the College Entrance Exam.)

The packaging of the Kit-Kat that I bought is like a postcard…and it can actually be mailed.

Well, to my oldest daughter:
ガンバッテね！ (Good luck!)