Kit Kats in Japan

There have been more than 400 limited-edition seasonal and regional flavors of Kit Kat chocolate bars produced in Japan since 2000, many exclusive to the country.[1][2] Nestlé, which operates the Kit Kat brand in Japan, reports that the brand overtook Meiji Chocolate as the top-selling confectionery in Japan from 2012 to 2014.[3] The company's marketing campaign, which partnered with Japan Post to sell the bar in 20,000 post offices, won an award in 2010.[4] The campaign encouraged associations of the product's name with the coincidental cognate Kitto Katsu (きっと勝つ), translated as "You will surely win",[5] and could be mailed as a good luck charm for students ahead of university exams.

History

Kit Kats were introduced to Japan in 1973 when British confectioner Rowntree's made an agreement with Japanese confectioner and restaurant owner Fujiya.[6] In 2014, they were the top-selling confection in the country.[4] The Kit Kat brand took the number one sales position from Meiji chocolate in 2012, though Meiji remains the leading confection company in Japan overall.[3]

In 2004, the green tea flavor was introduced.[7] Since then, the product has been sold in more than 300 seasonal and regional flavors.[1][6] The top-selling flavor of the candy bar in 2010 was

Marketing

Marketing for Kit Kats in Japan is believed to have benefited from the coincidental false cognate with "Kitto Katsu", a phrase meaning "You will surely win" in Japanese.[6] Some market research has shown that the brand is strongly correlated to good luck charms, particularly among students ahead of exams.[6][11][12] Kit Kat's "Lucky Charm" advertising campaign in Japan won the Asian Brand Marketing Effectiveness Award in 2005.[13]

Nestlé and the Japan Post launched a campaign in 2009, allowing people to write messages and mail the chocolate bars from 20,000 post offices.[6] The special packages included a space to write a message of encouragement and affix a stamp. The promotional packages were sold out within a month.

Varieties

The Kit Kat Chocolatory based in Japan, with recipes designed by chef Yasumasa Takagi, opened in 2014, and had expanded to seven branches by 2015. The company claims it has served more than 1 million customers and earned more than 2 billion yen.[6] These shops sell high-end Kit Kat products such as raspberry-infused dark chocolate, orange-chocolate rum, cherry blossom and green tea.[6] A variety of Takagi's flavors have been introduced as seasonal products, including flavors such as plum, passion fruit, chilli, ginger and kinako soybean powder.[6] In 2016, Nestlé introduced a sake Kit Kat, which combines sake powder with white chocolate.[15]

Some varieties are restricted to a specific region associated with that particular bar.[4] Others are limited-run varieties, with excess supply saved for year-end "happy bag" specials.[4]

See also

• Chocolate in Japan
• Meibutsu
• Omiyage

External links

• KitKat official website of Nestlé Japan (Japanese)