JPN SNCKS

News:

Today's post in unrelated to Japan, but I would like to introduce, because of all the hype.

Google has announced that the next Android operating system will be called Kit-Kat, the world famous chocolate bar.

Nestle, the owner of the Kit-Kat brand, has collaborated with Google's Android, and will be promoted worldwide, with the iconic name.

This is the first time a trademarked produce has been assigned to the Android operating system, and seeing all the press, it has been widely successful.

They are also collaborating the promotion of their product by giving away Nexus tablets to Kit-Kat purchasers, and making special websites, on both Google and Nestle domains to promote the matter.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect, making it before the iPhone 5S and 5C event, making all the hype a week beforehand.

Japanese Snacks:

News:

From 9/2, Tohato will release "Pai-Cro Almond Choco Flavor".

"Pai-Cro" has been released from the beginning of 2013, and has been popular among Japan that it has been covered in Naver Matome, and has been tweeted.

This snack looks like a small croissant, and has a Pie - like crispiness to it.

Japanese Snacks:

Do you know "Chokobi"?

If you know Crayon Shinchan, then you probably know what "Chokobi" is.

For people who don't know either, Crayon Shinchan is an infamous Japanese Manga and Anime series which casts a child who goes to kindergarten. He has very bad manners and and jokes around towards everyone. It has long been the top 3 anime that parents do not want to show their kids.

The snack "Chokobi" comes out in this manga, and has been a product sold in Japan in real life as well.

Japanese Snacks:

"The trend of Maccha"

Maccha has become the new Japanese favorite.

With snacks being introduced every day boasting their use of the Maccha taste. Recently even tea brands themselves have introduced putting small portions of Maccha to make a deeper taste.

Haagen Daz sells Maccha flavored ice cream exclusively in Japan, and the list goes on and on.

The image is the collaboration between Japanese snack maker Fujiya, and Japanese tea company Ito-en.

Japanese Snacks:

Japan  and its use of famous celebrities in commercials knows no end.

The famous "Tongari Corn" has used "Arashi", the famous Japanese Idol Group in the past.

Japanese Snacks:

News:

Koikeya and its release of interesting snacks continues.

From September 9th, Koikeya will release "The Thickest Potato".

In the package, it states that it is the Thickest chips product boasting to have three times the thickness of a regular potato chip.

Japanese Snacks:

I think most of the people who like Japanese snacks know about "Koala no March".

This is a very popular Japanese snack that is sold throughout Japan, and even in stores worldwide.

But do you know how many different Koala there are?

The answer is 485.

You can check them out from the site below.

Japanese Snacks:

In Japan, anime collaborations aren't a rare sight.

From today, I would like to introduce several anime collaborations with Japanese Snacks.

First up is a collaboration between Glico Guluto and Toriko, a popular manga series on the magazine Shonen Jump.

Japanese Snacks

News:

Recently I have reported on the release of LOOK Hajikeru Chocolat, which was a chocolate covered sparkling candy.

This time, Fujiya will release a chocolate covered gummy called LOOK Jewel. Selling from August 27th, there will be strawberry flavor and orange flavor.

If you imagine the combination of chocolate and gummy to be disgusting, there is a product from Meiji called Gumi-choco which in my opinion tastes good.

Japanese Snacks

News: "Blue light products comes to the snack market"

Anti- Blue light products have been the most recent fad in Japan.

The fad started with JINS-PC, glasses with special lens that cut out blue light. Blue light is emitted from PC screens to smart phone screens, and it is a spectrum in the light that is harmful for your eyes.

It is said that by reducing the entry of blue light inside your eyes, you can reduce eye sores, and tiredness coming from the eyes after a long day of work.

This new product, Lutein PC has taken this hype to its own hands.

Lutein is a carotenoid found in green leafy vegetables. It is used as an antioxidant or for blue light absorption.

Until recently, Japanese consumers tried to protect themselves from blue-light by covering their eyes with glasses, or putting screens on their monitors.

Japanese Snacks

News: "The focus on Vegetables"

There is an increasing trend in Japanese snacks recently.

That is the focus on healthy ingredients.

A recent release of the two products gives insight into the Japanese consumer, and how they are becoming conscious about what they eat.

The new releases are Glico Pretz "Tsubu Vegi", and Tohato "Mix Vegi Poteko".

There has been increasing numbers of vegetable drinks that are shelved in convenience stores, showing the interest from consumers on consuming vegetables.

The number of double income families are increasing in Japan, and families are increasingly lacking the time to get enough nutrition from their daily diet. Consuming vegetables on the go, or with very little ample time has been an issue from the past.

Food makers have been trying to tackle this problem with vegetable drinks, or supplements, and finally this has overflown to the snacks industry.

Japanese Snacks

News:

Nissin and Koikeya are showing their friendship with continued product releases under "The Unique Project".

Under this project, Koikeya releases snacks that collaborate with Nissin brands, and Nissin releases cup noodles that collaborate with brands from Koikeya.

Several articles before, I reported on the release of Chicken Noodle Potato Chips. Chicken Noodle being the first Instant noodle to be produced in the world, is a famous and popular noodle brand in Japan.

Other than this, Koikeya also released Potato Chips collaborated with U.F.O, which is a yakisoba brand, and Demae Iccho which is another long selling instant ramen brand from Nissin.

Also,  I have reported on "Potenon" a non-fry Potato snack boasting its low calories of 105kcal.

On the other hand Nissin has also released products with Koikeya brand such as U.F.O Karamucho flavor as you can see from the picture.

The "Unique Project" has started from 2010, and recently their close relationships has been fired up with "Potenon", a completely new approach by not only mixing their brands to make a new product, but mixing their own technologies to bring a completely new genre of snacks.

Japanese Snacks

News:

The Japanese snack market is full of competition.

Last week I reported on Potenon, a potato snack produced from Koikeya and the collaboration with Nissin.

From September 9th, Tohato will sell "No Potato" which is another non fried potato snack boasting its low calories of 198kcals.

Japanese Snacks

News:

On 7/22, Oyatsu Company announced they released "Baby Star Gekikara Yakisoba".

Gekikara means super spicy.

The interesting part about this release is that this product was made possible with the collaboration with "Peyang", which is a famous Yakisoba Cup Noodle brand in Japan.

Peyang has a loyal customer base that are in love with their Cup Yakisoba. By collaborating with such a brand, Oyatsu Company hopes to increase its sales and customer base.

Japanese Snacks Taste: 2.1/5 Product Name: Teppan Yakitori Potato Chips Company: Calbee

Price: 100 Yen Comment: Calbee released a new potato chip flavor called "Teppan Yakitori".

"Teppan" is a metal pan, and "Yakitori" is fried chicken on a stick.

To be completely honest, this potato chip wasn't bad, but it really wasn't good either. I was eating this with a friend, but we weren't able to finish it.

Japanese Snacks

News:

I've introduced several Koikeya Potato chips snacks on our Tumblr, but this will be a first of its kind.

Potato chips with low calories.

"Potenon" is a potato chip snack having only 105 calories is very low, and this was made possible with cooperation from another major company.

Nissin Food is famous for making the well-known Nissin Cup Noodle. They have mastered the technique of making non-friend noodles to decrease the calories of cup noodle meals.

By applying this technique to potato chips, Koikeya was able to produce a potato chip snack that is not fried with oil, and contains low calories.

As, the consumers focus moves towards healthy and low calorie snacks, snack makers are finding solutions to keep customers to purchase their products.

Japanese Snacks

News:

Apparently the Japanese think that you need to make everything refreshing in the summer.

Even chocolate.

Fujiya, the company known for the character "Peko-chan" has announced the sale of a new chocolate under the brand "LOOK".

The chocolate is called, "Hajikeru Chocolat" which means fizzy chocolate.

There is a fizzy candy that tastes like Lemon soda inside the chocolate coating.

I wonder why there are so many snacks released in Japan that seem gross from just the thought of it, but at the same time, it makes you want to try.