2014-03-02

Sapporo Nippon Lager Premium

Sapporo is selling a Nippon Lager Premium beer exclusively through UNY Group companies, the most familiar of which is the CircleKSunkus convenience store chain. Nippon, as many people may know, is the Japanese name for Japan. The name refers to the largely Japanese ingredients used: 100% of the hops are from the Furano area of Hokkaido and 75% of the malt is from Hokkaido. It also uses the special Sapporo 3 step hops processing method. 富良野 北海道 ニッポンラガープレミアム サッポロ サークルKサンクス ホップ3段仕込み

http://www.circleksunkus.jp/

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

Grand Kirin White Day Campaign

Kirin's premium beer Grand Kirin brand is holding a White Day campaign where a man can give a friend a beer via Facebook or Twitter. You can 1) send a friend a chance to win a bottle of premium beer, 2) try to win one yourself and send anything you win to a friend or 3) buy a bottle and send the coupon to a friend. Either way the coupon you send via Facebook or Twitter is sent with a special "secret" message of your choosing.

You can choose either the original Grand Kirin or the newer Grand Kirin The Aroma, which uses special hops and a proprietary production process. The concept behind Grand Kirin is a beer so good that you can be satisfied with just one bottle (and it is priced accordingly).

The campaign is limited to men, as White Day is a commercially created holiday where men give Valentine's like gifts to women. As many people know, in Japan there is a Valentine's Day, but women give men chocolates. So one month later, confectionary companies get one more opportunity to profit on White Day (March 14th).

Interestingly, it specifies that only men can be on the giving end, but uses the gender neutral "friend" for the receiving end. Not sure if they are trying to be enlightened or not.

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

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

Fujiya Hinamatsuri Strawberry Shortcake

Hinamatsuri or Girls' Day is tomorrow. It is not a work holiday like the former Boys' Day (now Children's Day), but ceremonial dolls are part of this event and cakes and other items that mimic these ceremonial dolls are popular seasonal products. Fujiya, now a subsidiary of Yamazaki Bakery, runs nationwide cake and sweets shops. Pictured is a strawberry shortcake for this event where the traditional Japanese court figures are replaced with the Fujiya store characters - Peko-chan and Poco-chan.

http://www.fujiya-peko.co.jp/

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