What is your favorite Japanese Kit Kat flavor?


Those that grew up eating Kit Kat candy bars in America, one might think there is only one flavor, the regular milk chocolate flavor. You would be quite surprised to hear that in Japan, there is basically a flavor for every taste bud and has become part of the Japanese culture. Japanese love seasonal, regional, and limited edition products. Restaurant menus and convenience stores offer flavors in reflection of the season, offering a range of flavors from roasted corn kit kat to caramel macchiato mcflurry kit kat. Link

Kit Kat varieties:
Orange, Mango, Sakura, Grape, Wasabi, Red Wine, Watermelon and Salt, Yellow Peach, White Peach, Kobe Pudding, Green Tea (Kyoto Specific), Jasmine Tea, Azuki (Sweet Red Bean), Adzuki (Sweet Red Bean) Sandwich (Eastern Sea Reason Limited Edition), Potato, Roasted Corn, Tiramisu, Matcha Tiramisu, Lemon, Shoyu (Only in Tokyo), Matcha, Yuzu, Daigaku Imo (College Potato), Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Oshiruko (Japanese Red Bean Soup), Strawberry Cheesecake, Blueberry Cheesecake, Cookie, Kinako (Soybean Powder), Apple, Tasty Strawberry, Petit Strawberry, White Chocolate, Muscat of Alexandria, Roasted Tea, Caramel Pudding, Caramel Macchiato McFlurry

Cheese Heaven Pizza


Pizza Hut Japan latest creation, the Cheese Harmony Pizza. Featuring pieces of camembert cheese mixed with fried cheese. The crust is a mixture of mozzarella, parmesan and cheddar cheese. Interesting mix of Eastern and Western take on pizza. The distinctly Japanese style of added mayonnaise, corn, and seafood with the American take of  overload of cheese. However Pizza Hut please explain the logic of the label, Harmony Pizza. Seems like there is too much cheese in comparison to the other ingredients.

Source: JapanProbe.com

American Celebrities in Japanese Commercials Pt. 1

Collaboration of foreign celebrities featured in Japanese commercials:

Mariah Cary for Nescafe



Brad Pitt for Softbank


Tommy Lee Jones for Boss Coffee



Nicholas Cage for Fever Pachinko

Sacramento Hmong New Year


Sacramento Hmong New Year, beginning Thanksgiving day and continuing through Sunday November 29, 2009. Hosted at Sacramento Cal Expo, the Sacramento Hmong New Year offering an opportunity to reach out to the Hmong community. The festival showcases various cultural competitions such as California Hmong Beauty Pageant, group dance, qeej, lug txaj, Hmong Idol, and swb pob (ball tossing). Link

Image courtesy of Link 

Art of Exchanging Business Cards in Japan

Japan Travel TV explores the etiquette in exchanging business cards (Meishi) the right and wrong way in Japan.

Hamburger Vending Machine


Located in Tokyo's Katsushika ward, an interesting small restaurant offers hamburgers in vending machines. Upon inserting a 100 yen, the vending machine will quickly offer a hamburger. However, any attempt afterward will fail to produce a hamburger. After a closer look, it turns out the vending machine is operated manually and can only hold a single hamburger at a time by the man running the restaurant. If you would like a second hamburger, you have to go inside the store to order. A second manual vending machine was added selling "royal" hamburgers for 300 yen. These hamburgers come with the addition of tomato and bacon. Link

Alocohol-Free Kirin Beer


Kirin Brewery Company announced an alcohol-free beer, "Kirin Free." This new beer includes no alcohol, but still has the beer taste. There are many beers on the market that are labeled non-alcoholic, however Kirin claims their new product is the world's first "alcohol 0.00%" beer-taste drink. The demand for a soda with a beer-like taste has brought an overwhelming demand. The demand is especially strong among pregnant women and drivers. Kirin Free costs around 150 yen ($1.50), as compared to regular beer priced around 220 yen ($2.20) Link , Link