Whether you are in a Japanese market or taking a trip to Nara in Japan, the one thing you are going to notice everywhere will be different types of Kit Kats.
Most people won’t understand the obsession with Kit Kats in Japan.
It’s everywhere and people love the chocolate than most other chocolates in the nation. Most people would assume it would be a chocolate from Japan but that’s not the case at all. Instead, it’s Kit Kat!
We are going to dig into this to figure out why that’s the case.
About Kit Kat In Japan
Kit Kat was made in England, so why did it end up being so popular in Japan of all countries?
Well, it starts with Kit Kat being released in Japan during the 70s. The goal at the time was to see whether or not this type of chocolate would do well in the country.
Most brands had tried with their chocolates and not seen good results. However, things started to change when it came to Kit Kat. The change was incredible because it was immediate and a lot of the locals started to enjoy its taste.
Perhaps it was the color of the wrapper or the way it was marketed to the masses but it was a huge hit.
There was a time when buying a Kit Kat in Japan became increasingly popular. This included the younger generation wanting to get their hands on Kit Kats throughout the nation and gifting them to each other. It was seen as a unique chocolate that tasted great and it was easy to pass around. This made it a massive hit instantly.
Another element at play had to do with the name.
Kit Kat sounds Japanese and feels like a local chocolate name. This appeals to the masses because other chocolate names are often foreign to them.
Japanese Kit Kat Flavors
A lot of people don’t realize this but there are unique Kit Kat flavors in Japan.
This is a big market where people look for these chocolate flavors whenever they want to buy a Kit Kat in Japan.
If you are there, you are also going to want to go out to find those flavors because they will be unique compared to what you are going to get in other parts of the world. These flavors are fascinating and you should be able to find them at local candy shops.
Sometimes, they will also create Kit Kats based on the season of the year.
When we were in Japan, we also realized how specific flavors were designed based on the areas they were being sold in.
For example, if you go to Tokyo, you are going to see a Wasabi Kit Kat. This was such a fascinating thing to see and taste because we had never seen something like this in any other part of the world. We won’t lie, the taste was quite different and powerful.
We have also seen specialty Kit Kats being sold in Japan.
These are Kit Kats that are designed with specific ingredients that are unique to the area. They are not going to be sold in all parts of Japan but they are going to be available in the major areas including Tokyo.
We noticed one where they had a plum-flavored Kit Kat and that was such a fascinating taste profile to experience. You can’t imagine tasting plum in chocolate but that is what you are going to find when you go to Japan.
They like mixing things up and that’s what makes it such a unique experience to buy a Kit Kat in Japan compared to other parts of the world.
Collecting Kit Kats In Japan
We have seen people collecting Kit Kats in Japan too.
They tend to eat the chocolate and then collect the wrappers because they are specialty flavors or versions thld during a specific time of the year.
This is local to the area and we have seen collectors show up with their collections over the years whenever we are in Japan.
This is such a popular chocolate that you are also going to see various products being sold around the country. This includes other desserts that are made using Kit Kats.
Final Thoughts
This is why Kit Kats in Japan are a big thing.
Anyone who’s going to be going to Japan needs to buy Kit Kat and looking at the different versions out there. For those who are in Tokyo, this is one of those things you should be able to find quite easily at a local candy shop.
Look out for these unique flavors and give them a try.
They are relatively affordable and you arwillain a new experience out of it too!
Please read more about Japan here – staying in Tokyo, visiting Hakones in Ryokan, and unique Japanese phrases for tourists.
Amanda Harper is a travel enthusiast with 10+ years of traveling experience across the planet. Her passion for writing and travel makes her a walking bibliography on modern-day tourism.