Japanese regional Kit-Kat souvenirs

In Japanese culture, when someone goes on a trip or even to a major amusement park, they feel compelled to buy お土産 (souvenirs) for friends and family…and even their co-workers (if they’re aware of the trip).

Normally, they like to give a “regional” souvenir. Something that represents the city or country that they visited…even a “I ♥ NY ” key-chain from a trip to New York could be a gift good enough for a co-worker or such.

When Japanese people go on a domestic trip (visit another town or city within Japan), it’s popular to buy a local food item as a souvenir.

So, currently, Kit-Kat Japan are offering ご当地お土産 (Regional Souvenirs).

Map of Japan showing regional Kit-Kat flavors for various areas.

I’ve written a number of posts about the myriad of Kit-Kat flavors in Japan. (Click here to see my posts about a large variety).

Some of the special Kit-Kat flavors that the map above shows:

• Rum Raisin flavor Kit-Kat for Tokyo
• Strawberry Cheesecake flavor Kit-Kat for all of Japan in a special Mt. Fuji box
• Strawberry Cheesecake flavor Kit-Kat for Yokohama
• Kobe Pudding flavor Kit-Kat for Kobe

What Kit-Kat flavors have you tried? How did you like them?

Customized Kit-Kat

You can design your own original Kit-Kat package with any photograph you like of your family, friends, pet, or whatever, and have that picture on a pack of regular, dark, or green tea Japanese Kit-Kats.

Kit-Kat Japan’s 「チョコラボキットカット」 (“Kit-Kat Chocolate collaboration”) website

Click here to go the Kit-Kat Japan website where you can design and order original Kit-Kat packages (site is in Japanese only).

Gari Gari Kun

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.

Here are a few examples:

Tiramisu (Italian dessert) flavor “Gari-Gari-Kun” ice-pop.

みかん (Tangerine) flavor “Gari-Gari-Kun” ice-pop.

Grapefruit flavor “Gari-Gari-Kun” ice-pop.

Grilled Kit-Kat

Many people now know that Japan has an incredible selection of unique flavors of Kit-Kat.

I wrote a post around five years ago about many of them.

I’ve actually written quite a few posts about Kit-Kat in Japan (click here to see a search of them).

One of the newest, and most unique so far, Kit-Kat flavors in Japan is 焼きキットカット (“Grilled Kit-Kat”) !

These are meant to be put in a toaster-oven for a couple of minutes to make them toasted brown.

What do you think? Would you try them? Have you tried them already?

Kit-Kat Store

In Japan, there are many flavors of Kit-Kat.

I wrote a post about many of them. (Click here to read it.)

Last Friday, the world’s first Kit-Kat Store, a store that sells different flavors of Kit-Kat chocolate bars exclusively, opened in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.

Halloween Kit-Kat

Kit-Kat Japan is famous for their numerous unique flavors.
(Click here to see a post I wrote about some of the many different flavors.)

Right now, Kit-Kat Japan is offering 「パンプキンプリン味」 (“Pumpkin Pudding Flavor”) Kit-Kits for Halloween.

Passion Fruit Kit-Kat

The newest Kit-Kat flavor in Japan is 「オトナの甘さ　パッションフルーツ」 (“Adult-taste sweetness Passion Fruit flavor“)*.

Have you ever tried any of the numerous Kit-Kat flavors in Japan?

* (edit. Maybe this would be a better translation of the name.)

Kit-Kat helped Tohoku

In Japan, Kit-Kat offers many unique only-in-Japan flavors.

( I wrote a post about some of the Kit-Kat Japan flavors.)

But one of their recent products was for a special cause…the “Kit-Kat World Variety” went on sale in Japan last March and ¥20 from each package sold went toward the rebuilding of the Sanriku train line (in Tohoku, Japan) which was destroyed in the 2011 March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

“Kit-Kat World Variety”

What makes Kit-Kat “World Variety” unique is that the package contains thirteen Kit-Kat chocolates…three are from Japan, five are from Australia and the other five are from England…this is because chocolate is made slightly differently in every country around the world and therefore tastes differently.

In addition to donating to the reconstruction of the train line, Kit-Kat also asked people from around the world to visit their Facebook page and leave messages of hope to the people of Tohoku  who were affected by the disaster…and many of those messages were displayed on the body of the new trains for the Sanriku line.

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Another new only-in-Japan “junkfood” product will be by Pepsi Japan soon.

Last December, Pepsi Japan offered “Pepsi Pink“.  And, next month, they will begin selling “Pepsi Black“.

This drink will contain 50% less sugar and will have a “lemon flavor”.

Some photos

Here are a few photos I took around Tokyo yesterday.

Public mailboxes in Japan are orange and have two slots. One for domestic mail and one for international.
But in late December, they’re changed…they become one slot for 「年賀状」 (New Years Postcards) and the other slot for all other mail.

Click here to read a post I wrote that explains a lot about New Years in Japan…including 「年賀状」 (New Years Postcards).

 

Until early January, the left slot is for 「年賀状」 (New Years Postcards) and the one on the right is for other mail.

 

「年賀郵便」 (New Year's mail)

Yesterday was 「天皇誕生日」 (the Emperor of Japan’s birthday). It’s a national holiday in Japan.
On Japanese national holidays many buildings such as post offices and 交番 (Police Boxes) display the 「日の丸」 (Japanese flag). It can also be seen on the front of city buses and along streets.

 

Putting the flag away in the evening.

 

「パンダ・クロース」 ("Panda Claus")

This panda reminded me of a sign I saw last March in Ueno about the panda that the zoo will be getting.
Click here to read my post about it.

Also, I have a few posts about the many different flavors of Kit-Kat in Japan.
Click here to see the most extensive post.

Well, I saw a store in 東京駅 (Tokyo train station) that sold many of the flavors.

This store sold many flavors, including 「わさび」 (Wasabi), 「いちみ」 (Chili), Strawberry Cheesecake, and the store's recommendation: Blueberry Cheesecake.

Chocolate for “adults”

I was going to write a post about U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Japan for the APEC Summit that was held in Yokohama, Japan last week.
This summit was for world leaders to discuss free-trade in the Asia / Pacific region.

President Obama made a speech when he visited Japan shortly after his election in which he mentioned that he had visited 鎌倉 (Kamakura, Japan) near Tokyo on a trip with his mother when he was six years old.
On that trip, he remembered, he visited the 大仏 (Great Buddah) and enjoyed “Green Tea Ice Cream”.

In that speech, President Obama said that he hoped to visit Kamakura again one day soon and eat Green Tea Ice Cream again.

His wish came true on his last day in Japan of this recent trip (well, he actually ate a “Green Tea Popsicle” rather than ice cream this time).

U.S. President Obama eating a Green Tea Popsicle in Kamakura, Japan on 2010 Nov 14.

U.S. President Obama in front of the 大仏 (Great Buddah) statue in Kamakura, Japan on 2010 Nov 14.

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I also wanted to write about the 2010 Asian Games which are currently being played in Guangzhou, China.
Forty-five countries are participating in these games which began on 2010 November 12 and will end with the closing ceremony on November 27th.
Japan is doing pretty good in these games…but China, the host country, has the highest number of gold medals so far.

Japan is upset though by the results of the women’s Judo matches. Judo is a Japanese martial art and Japanese athletes consistently excel in international Judo competitions…but in the women’s Judo match Tomoko Fukumi of Japan lost in her match against Wu Shegen of China.
Although it appeared to most people watching that Japan was winning, the judges awarded the victory to China.

Hopefully this doesn’t add more tension to the relationship between Japan and China.
In both Japan and China recently there have been protests against the other country due to Japan’s arrest (and eventual release) of a Chinese fisherman who entered disputed waters that are claimed as territory by both China and Japan.
And in the same waters, on two separate occasions a Chinese boat intentionally rammed a Japanese Coast Guard vessel that was patrolling the area.

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But I titled this blog post 「Chocolate for “adults”」 because I saw the Kit-Kat 「オトナの甘さ」 (“(Level of) Sweetness for Adults”).

I don’t eat junk-food often but two types of chocolate that I like are whiskey chocolate and dark / bitter chocolate.
This Kit-Kat is a bitter / semi-sweet chocolate so I decided to try it. It was pretty good.

The Japanese actress / singer 「黒木めいさ」 (Meisa Kuroki) is the promotion model for both the “regular” Kit-Kat (dressed in red) and the Kit-Kat 「オトナの甘さ」 “Sweetness for Adults” (dressed in black).

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Have you heard any of these news stories before?