Haagen-Dazs Japonais Ice Cream

This product was introduced late last year, but is still on sale. Vanilla and matcha ice cream separated by sweet bean paste and topped off with a brown sugar sauce. A work of art called Japonais (French for Japanese). ジャポネ ハーゲンダッツ 黒蜜 抹茶

http://www.haagen-dazs.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Haagen-Dazs Seasonal Fruits Collection

Haagen-Dazs is offering a mixed flavor box of seasonal flavors. The flavors are banana, strawberry and blueberry.

http://www.haagen-dazs.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Koiwai Yogurt Flavored Lactic Acid Bacteria Drink

This is an ad for Koiwai yogurt flavored lactic acid bacteria drink. It is a healthy image to go along with their recommendation to drink one bottle of this a day. They use Lactoccocus lactis JCM5850 and it is part of the Kirin iPlus series of functional foods. (Koiwai is a Kirin group company.) This strain is said to provide enhanced immune function - for which there is not yet a claim category - meaning even if they had all the evidence in the world, they could not get an approved claim.

The product name is Mamoru Chikara no Nyusankin, which means Lactic acid bacteria which protects the body. まもるチカラの乳酸菌小岩井 プラズマ乳酸菌 キリン

http://www.kirin.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Glico Panapp Kumamon Mikan

This is an interesting new flavor for the Glico Panapp - Kumamoto Mikan (mandarin orange). Kumamon is the popular character which Kumamoto created to brand products from that prefecture. Companies can use it for free if at least some of the ingredients are sourced from Kumamoto. Kuma in Kumamoto literally means bear, therefore the character is a bear. Mon means thing, so it is literally bear-thing, which does not translate well, but works in Japanese.

This products is also designed to have the texture and taste of a French mille-feuille dessert, with vanilla ice cream layers separated by white chocolate and mikan sauce. 熊本県 温州みかん くまモン ホワイトチョコ ミルフィーユ パナップ 江崎グリコ

http://www.glico.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

40th Anniversary of Kirin Gotemba Whisky Distillery

Kirin is celebrating 40 years of its Gotemba whisky distillery. One of the special items on sale is this Fuji Gotemba 40th anniversary single grain whiskey.

http://www.kirin.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Kirin Okayama Beer Park Bus Naming Contest

Kirin is holding a contest to name the bus that shuttles people from the train station to their Okayama Beer Park/Factory. You can enter online and the winner will also receive an additional present of some sort (not specified). キリン岡山ビアパーク

http://www.kirin.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie

Here is a Ben & Jerry's flavor that should go over well in almost any country - Chocolate Fudge Brownie. ベン＆ジェリーズ チョコレートファッジブラウニー

http://www.benjerry.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Meiji VAAM Comparison

Here is a comparison of the new VAAM sports drink line-up in jelly form. From right to left you have Diet VAAM which contains the new amino acid mixture (D-V.A.A.M.), with implied slimming effects, the original VAAM in the middle with added citric acid, and Super VAAM on the left with added L-carnitine and CoQ10. The amounts of added amino acid mixture also increases from left to right: 1,500 mg, 1,800 mg and 3,000 mg. The two to the right sell for competitive prices (about 200 yen per can), but Super VAAM goes for a nice premium of about 300 yen per can or a bit more for the jelly pack. スーパーヴァーム ヴァームダイエット L-カルニチン コエンザイムQ10 明治

http://www.meiji.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia

Ben & Jerry is extending some of the same brands popular in the US to Japan. Cherry Garcia is one of those flavors, even though I think the recognition of Jerry Garcia is much less here. This image shows Cherry Garcia in a Hina Matsuri or Girls' Day setting. ベン＆ジェリーズ チェリーガルシア

http://www.benjerry.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Meiji Singapore's 40th Anniversary

Meiji is celebrating 40 years in Singapore.

http://www.meiji.com.sg

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Pronto Suntory Hakushu Green Glasses

Pronto is using Pronto Eco Green glasses for some of its highball drinks. They are ecologically friendly because they are made from Suntory recycled whisky bottles. Suntory owns the Pronto chain, thus the connection.

http://www.pronto.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Kirin Chitose Beer Brewery

Beer breweries might not be quite as unique as whisky distilleries, but all the tours I have been on in Japan have been well worth the time. The Kirin Chitose Beer Brewery is located just outside Sapporo in Hokkaido. This is a nice photo of the complementary bus from the train station.

http://www.kirin.co.jp/entertainment/factory/chitose/index.html

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Pokka Sapporo Aromax Can Coffee

Aromax, the can coffee brand for Pokka and now Pokka Sapporo, touts its special wide mouth cans because they let more coffee aroma reach your nose and thus enhances the flavor. This also explains the brand name.

http://www.pokkasapporo-fb.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Suntory Whisky 90 Years

In 1923, Suntory opened Japan's first whisky distillery. I assume they will have a media blitz come 2023, and rightly so. In the mean time, there is a nice history page on Suntory whisky if you follow the link below.

http://www.suntory.com/whisky/en/brandstory/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Color Emotion Guide for Marketing

There is a great post about color and marketing on the Buffer Blog by Leo Widrich. Japanese companies and food companies are part of the mix, but it all comes together in the beautiful graphic here. I highly recommend giving the post a look.

http://blog.bufferapp.com/the-science-of-colors-in-marketing-why-is-facebook-blue

Thanks to D.D. Williamson for pointing out this article.
www.ddwcolor.com
https://plus.google.com/u/1/b/101404330756660729078/112714136131259278157/about

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Ben & Jerry's Coffee Blast

This is a nice image, which was posted during test season a few weeks ago. It not only associates coffee with test taking, if you read what the student is writing, she becomes side tracked from her studies and starts thinking about ice cream instead. This Coffee Blast has chocolate chips in coffee flavored ice cream. ベン＆ジェリーズ コーヒーブラスト

http://www.benjerry.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Morinaga Pino Flavors

Pino is a strong Morinaga ice cream brand - small bite-size ice cream covered in chocolate. This is a nice image showing the varieties available. semi-sweet chocolate, strawberry chocolate, matcha chocolate, white chocolate, custard chocolate, almond chocolate, coffee chocolate, blueberry chocolate, bitter chocolate, caramel chocolate, black tea chocolate, and cheese chocolate.

http://www.morinagamilk.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Hinamatsuri

From earlier this month, this is a cute ad promoting chicken on Girls' Day or Hinamatsuri.

http://www.kfc.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Suntory Premium Malts Giveaway

Suntory is giving away Royal Copenhagen porcelain plates to customers who buy 6 packs of The Premium Malt's and find "winner" printed on the inside of the cardboard wrapping. サントリー ザ・プレミアム・モルツ

http://www.suntory.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake

This is a great image for Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake. ベン＆ジェリーズ

http://www.benjerry.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Calpis Big Size Cans

Calpis offers this "big size" cans in some vending machines and outlets and markets them to males who are very thirsty after a long day at the office. Pictured are the Calpis Water and Calpis Soda versions which are not calorie free, so 500 ml ends up providing a decent sugar infusion. Fun fact, the Calpis Water actually has more calories than the Calpis Soda, 45 kcal/100 ml vs 37 kcal/100 ml.

http://www.calpis.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

KFC Kentucky Fried Fish

This is a nice image of what you could expect with KFC's Kentucky Fried Fish sandwich.

http://www.kfc.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Suntory Hakushu Whisky Distillery

At the end of last year, I made my first trip to Suntory Hakushu Whisky Distillery, with a Scotsman no less, and had a very nice time. Not exactly a convenient location for everyone, but a straight shot out of Tokyo on the Chuo Line for those who are starting there. There is a free bus from the station, as well as a free tour and tasting. The gift shop, museum, woody surroundings and restaurant were all very nicely done, I thought.

http://www.suntory.co.jp/factory/hakushu/access/index.html

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Ben & Jerry's Matcha Made In Japan

Here is a Ben & Jerry's flavor made in and for Japan - Matcha flavor, made using tea from Uji, Kyoto, with pecan nuts. ベン＆ジェリーズ 抹茶 ピーカン 宇治 京都

http://www.benjerry.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Outback Steakhouse American Beef

Japan eased some restrictions on imported US Beef last year. There are legitimate concerns over how the US has handled beef at times, but I have never seen much reluctance among Japanese people to consume it. Restaurant menus frequently advertise US Beef or Aussie Beef (Japanese beef can frequently go for a premium). Outback might not be the best example, since it is a US chain, but this type of notice can be found on the menus of Japanese family restaurants also.

http://www.outbacksteakhouse.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Glico Panapp Strawberry

This is the last flavor in the Panapp product series. It is also designed to have the texture and taste of a French mille-feuille dessert, with vanilla ice cream layers separated by white chocolate and strawberry sauce. ストロベリー ホワイトチョコ ミルフィーユ パナップ 江崎グリコ

http://www.glico.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Budweiser Great Times Tour

Through its Facebook page, Budweiser is offering a trip for two to the World Cup in Brazil, to see the Japan vs Ivory Coast game. The winner also gets to hand the Man of the Match trophy to the MVP.

http://www.budweiser.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Glico Panapp Grape

This is another flavor of the Panapp product series described a week ago. This is also designed to have the texture and taste of a French mille-feuille dessert, with vanilla ice cream layers separated by white chocolate and grape sauce. グレープ ホワイトチョコ ミルフィーユ パナップ 江崎グリコ

http://www.glico.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Morinaga Weider 20th Anniversary

Weider sports drinks, which go through Morinaga, is celebrating 20 years in Japan. This image is of the half calorie version.

http://www.morinaga.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Calpis Aloe Flavor

Calpis, an Asahi company, is selling an aloe flavored version with real aloe bits through another group company Elbee, which specializes in gable packaging. アサヒ カルピス エルビー アロエ

http://www.elbee.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Suntory Plum Liqueur with Brandy

Suntory is selling a plum liqueur, umeshu in Japanese, with added brandy. On the package, this is said to give the drink extra body. In the advertising shown here, they also imply that a drink before bedtime will help you sleep like a baby. Quite possibly so. The copy says it is a relaxing drink before bed, but the photo obviously implies a good night's sleep is the result.

http://www.suntory.com/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

McDonald's French Fries Promotion

McDonald's is currently offering any size french fries for the same price - 150 yen. They have done this before and if you look in stores, most people are ordering large fries.

http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Boneless Set

Here is an image of a half regular, half boneless set from KFC. Boneless chicken is available here, but it does not appear to have taken off as much as in the US.

http://www.kfc.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Fragrant Pepper

KFC is providing small packs of what they call fragrant pepper to sprinkle on chicken. One pack is enough for two pieces of chicken.

http://www.kfc.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Lawson Rilakkuma Fair

Lawson is holding a Rilakkuma Fair where you collect point stickers off products and trade them in for gifts such as dolls, tableware, etc. Rilakkuma is a very popular character which is a contraction of Relax and Kuma (Japanese for bear), therefore "relax bear" - an appealing image for many people who just want to slow down. リラックマ ローソン

http://www.lawson.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Ben & Jerry's Refrigerators

Ben & Jerry's has introduced some nice looking refrigerators to display Ben & Jerry's in stores, at exhibitions, etc. Pretty nice. ベン＆ジェリーズ

http://www.benjerry.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Meiji VAAM New Packaging

Meiji VAAM shows off its new packaging design in this photo. A little slicker if you ask me. The ingredients get a more prominent place on the label - 3,000 mg of amino acids, and for Super VAAM the addition of Coenzyme Q10 and L-Carnitine. And last but not least, the giant hornet now has flames coming off it, which presumably conjures the image of fat burning. The non-claim claim reads "burn body fat, through exercise", which is of course true.

http://www.meiji.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Morinaga Mt. Rainier Maple & Honey Latte

I had no idea, but apparently today is Honey Bee Day in Japan. As a nice tie-in, Morinaga's Mt. Rainier has this photo of their Maple & Honey Latte on their social outlets. ミツバチの日 森永 マウントレーニア

http://www.morinagamilk.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Morinaga Mt. Rainier Production Method

On Facebook, Morinaga touts its Mt. Rainier production method, which includes UHT sterilization and use of sterile cups. This makes sense if the point is to show how safe the products are, but they claim it to be the secret behind the chilled milk-coffee's good taste. Mt. Rainier coffee does taste good, but I assume there are other production secrets. UHT is standard and is thought of as a the method which has the least practical negative effect on taste. Premium milks use more expensive low temperature pasteurization methods to achieve what they consider to be a superior taste. Nothing wrong with this product, but this explanation sounds a bit off. 森永 マウントレーニア

http://www.morinagamilk.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Lotteria Extra Patty Special Month

Lotteria is bringing back a popular promotion from last year. During March, on every Saturday, Sunday and holiday, you can get a free extra patty when you order a cheeseburger or an ebi (shrimp) burger. And on the 29th and 30th, you can order the pictured monster burgers (5 patties) for 500 yen each. Certainly a bargain, but sort of disgusting at the same time. American style over indulgence makes its way to Japan.

http://www.lotteria.jp

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Pokka Sapporo Aromax Rich and Luxurious

Pokka Sapporo Aromax has introduced a Rich and Luxurious addition to its line of wide opening canned coffees. They claim a special process resulting in superior aroma and a special blend that balances the initial slightly bitter taste with the richness of milk. ポッカサッポロコーヒーアロマックス

http://www.pokkasapporo-fb.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Sapporo 100 Percent Japanese Beer

Sapporo is selling a limited edition beer over its internet sales site, which it touts as a 100 percent Japanese beer, "from planting the seeds, entirely produced by Sapporo employees". The hops are from Saitama and the hops from the Furano area of Hokkaido. The Japanese name is Marugoto Kokusan and sets of 12 cans go for 3,700 yen on the internet site. サッポロビール 富良野 北海道 埼玉 まるごと国産

http://www.sp-mall.jp/shop/g/gS2-sb004003501200/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Ben & Jerry's Cookie Carnival

Ben & Jerry's new flavor is Cookie Carnival, vanilla ice cream with two types of cookie crumbs (chocolate and vanilla wafer from the what is pictured). Unilever continues to find a place in the Japanese premium ice cream market, where Haagen Dazs (which goes through Suntory in Japan) currently holds the top position.

http://www.benjerry.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Tully's Macadamia Latte

Tully's seasonal latte variety in Japan is Macadamia and comes in honey milk or mocha.
タリーズ マカダミア ラテ

http://www.tullys.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Tully's Ball Park Hot Dog with Avocado

Here is a current Ball Park Hot Dog with Avocado offering from Tully's Japan.

http://www.tullys.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Glico Panapp Ganache

This is a very interesting product. At first glance it looks like a chilled cup of coffee, but upon further inspection it is a dessert to be eaten with a spoon. It is designed to have the texture and taste of a French mille-feuille dessert. However this dessert has vanilla ice cream layers separated by hard chocolate and topped with a layer of ganache, and is therefore on the frozen isle. 生チョコ ミルフィーユ パナップ 江崎グリコ

http://www.glico.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Kirin Tropicana Season's Best Berry Mix

Tropicana goes through Kirin in Japan and they are offering the Season's Best berry mix, including strawberry, raspberry and acai berries. キリン トロピカーナ ストロベリー ラズベリー アサイー

http://www.k-tropicana.com/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Kirin Tanrei Beer Featuring National Soccer Team

This is a preview of special Kirin Tanrei Green Label 2nd category beer cans which will go on sale April 22nd in the run-up to the World Cup. Nicely done, in my opinion. キリン 淡麗 グリーンラベル サッカー日本代表

http://www.kirin.co.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.