Morinaga New Washoku Style

On Morinaga's recipe page, they are featuring some dishes inspired by the New Washoku campaign. The dairy industry in Japan is promoting the combination of dairy and traditional Japanese food for optimal nutrition.

The reasoning goes like this, Japanese cuisine is well known for being not only delicious, but also very healthy. The areas where the traditional menu falls short is in protein and calcium, which happen to be the areas where milk and milk products shine. Therefore, drinking milk or consuming dairy with a traditional Japanese meal should be extremely healthy. 乳和食 森永

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

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

Haagen-Dazs Lemon Ginger Float

Haagen-Dazs will begin offering a new Lemon Ginger Float flavor on July 7th. ハーゲンダッツ

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

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

7-Eleven TV Special

Japanese variety shows go to a number of interesting places, usually squeezing something interesting out of a small budget. This is a 7-Eleven advertisement promoting a segment on a popular variety show. On the show 10 different 7-Eleven food items will be sampled by panelists as if they are restaurant food and not just quick and easy food choices. セブンイレブン

http://www.sej.co.jp/

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

Yamazaki Lunch Pack Cheese Cake

Yamazaki did on online poll of flavors customers would like to see and cheese cake won. These sandwiches contain cheese cake flavored cream and spongecake. This is one event of many in celebration of 30 years of Yamazaki Lunch Packs. I actually had no idea how long this product line has been on the market. I would guess the production method has improved dramatically over that period of time. All products in this line are very processed, but also very neat, clean, cheap, convenient and reasonably good tasting. Very tempting when you are in a hurry to catch a train. ヤマザキ ランチパック

http://www.yamazakipan.co.jp/

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

KFC All You Can Eat

Kentucky Fried Chicken will be conducting an all you can eat event again this year in what has become a yearly event. At select locations, you can eat all the original chicken, red hot chicken, fries and drink for 45 minutes (1,280 yen). Participation is by reservation only. ケンタッキーフライドチキン

http://www.kfc.co.jp/campaign/6-7_newsportal/index.html

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

Fujiya Hamburger Fried Shrimp Plate

Fujiya is a confectionary company now owned by Yamazaki Bakery, which also runs a chain of family restaurants. This offering is a special only available at one location (Sukiyabashi 数寄屋橋), but is very typical of what is considered a Western style dinner plate. This plate consists of a choice of drink, shredded cabbage, potato salad, a slice of tomato, a fried shrimp and hamburger steak. It is priced at about 2,000 yen, which comes to about 20 dollars, which does not look all that cheap to me. You can probably find almost the same thing at lunch for about 1,000 yen. 不二家

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

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

Coca Cola Mate Tea and Meat Day

Several things coming together in this ad, so it takes a little explaining to unwind it. First of all, Coca Cola's Mate Tea (or the Sun's Mate Tea) is a tea drink inspired by the South American drink called Mate, which is made from leaves of the yerba mate bush or tree. This tea uses the same leaves and boasts twice the amount of polyphenol and half the amount of caffeine. They also claim that this tea goes especially well with meat.

Second, there is a little known Meat Day in Japan, when meats are promoted. It is celebrated on June 29th, and is somewhat similar to the more familiar Milk Day which is celebrated worldwide on June 1st.

Third, churrasco food is a style of grilled meat popular across South America.

Forth, the World Cup is currently being held in Brazil.

All of this comes together in this advertisement where Mate Tea seeks out a restaurant serving churrasco food, which not only goes well with Mate Tea, but also creates the right atmosphere for watching games from Brazil. And all of this on or leading up to Meat Day.

コカコーラ 太陽のマテ茶 シュラスコ ワールドカップ

http://www.matetea.jp/

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Jack Daniel's World Cup Photo

This is a very nice image from Jack Daniel's to go with the World Cup, without actually saying so - something a non-sponsor can't do. The ad asks of you are staying up late, or getting up early (to see the games.)

http://japan.jackdaniels.com/

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

Burger King Garlic Stamina Burgers

Burger King is celebrating 60 years, which includes several starts and stops in Japan. As part of the celebration, they are offering two garlic flavored oversized sandwiches: the Garlic Quattro Cheese and the Garlic Meat Beast.

Both are being marketed to enhance physical stamina during the hot summer months. There are a variety of plates offered along these lines in Japan, which include the word "stamina", usually a meal plate of some size which includes garlic and an abundance of meat. So instead of bringing in a totally non-Japanese special, this time they are playing into local traditions, at least a bit.

Garlic Quattro Cheese - a beef and a hash brown patty, fried garlic, colby jack cheese, cheddar cheese, cheese sauce and pepper Caesar sauce (which includes cheese) - adding up to 4 types of cheese.

Garlic Meat Beast - lettuce, tomato, mayo, fried garlic, two beef patties, one chicken patty, and a special sauce which contains Burger Kings special sauce which includes miso. Interestingly, in Japanese it is called the Garlic Meat Monster, which sounds appropriate.

バーガーキング ガーリッククアトロチーズ ガーリックミートモンスター

http://www.burgerkingjapan.co.jp/campaign/cp120.html

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

Morinaga Home Delivery Tofu

Morinaga is using its home delivery network to deliver more than milk. For example, they are selling long shelf life tofu and in this photo suggest making tofu meat wraps. Largely due to Japan's aging population, home delivery is becoming increasingly more popular. As an aside, Morinaga also sells similar tofu in US supermarkets through their Morinyu subsidiary. They don't really taste that great, but work in areas where fresh tofu is unavailable. I have tried some chocolate tofu cake recipes using the same tofu which is actually really good. 森永 宅配 豆腐


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

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

Tully's Ball Park Frank

 This is a seasonal item for Tully's - avocado, chili, cheese hot dog on what looks like a baguette bread. Looks great, but I am still not sure how you make a connect between this and coffee. タリーズコーヒー

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

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

Nikukai Chicken Liver Mousse

 Nikukai, a group that follows and promotes meat and meat dishes, recently featured this offering found at a Tokyo restaurant. It looks like soft serve ice cream, but is actually a chicken flavored mousse served in a cone. Not further explanation is provided, but I assume it could be used as a dip. Eating it directly sounds a bit too rich. In any case, pretty interesting. 肉会

http://nikukai.dmm.com/

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

Glico Giant Caplico Melon Flavor

A new flavor for Glico's line of room temperature sweets that mimic ice cream. This aerated, light sweet is surrounded by a cone-like wafer. This variety is melon flavored and is only available through 7-Eleven convenience stores. グリコ ジャイアントカプリコ メロン

http://www.glico.co.jp/caplico/item/index.html

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

Starbucks Coffee Jelly Frappuchino

 Coffee jelly is popular in Japan. Quite often it is considered a somewhat healthy alternative, but as these photos show, coffee jelly can also be part of desert drinks. These are marble caramel coffee jelly frappuchino and double chocolate coffee jelly frappuchino. They look very good, but how how Starbucks has expanded beyond the original image of good, simple cups of coffee. スターバックス

http://www.starbucks.co.jp/

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Budweiser World Cup Great Times Tour

 Budweiser Japan conducted a Great Times Tour campaign and the winners were Aya and Mario. They are now in Brazil and reporting on their adventures from the World Cup. Nice prize and a wonderful experience which has more than a few people feeling jealous.

http://www.budweiser.jp/

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

Ito Ham Father's Day Image

Nice Father's Day image from Ito Ham. Their mascot character is in the shape of a piece of sliced lunchen meat. 伊藤ハム

http://www.itoham.co.jp/

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

Sapporo Yebisu Beer Father's Day Packaging

Sapporo is offering these special packaging on six packs of their Yebisu premium beer. The caption encourages you to give a toast to your father on Father's Day, and includes images of three of Japan's most popular manga father characters.

Ittestu Hoshi of Star of the Giants 「星一徹（巨人の星)
Kazumi Araiwa of Cooking Papa 荒岩一味（クッキングパパ）
Densuke Hamasaki of Fishing Fool's Diary 浜崎伝助（釣りバカ日誌）

http://www.sapporobeer.jp/news_release/0000020781/index.html

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

Pokka Sapporo Nippon Ham Fighters Can Coffee

Only available in Hokkaido, these Pokka Sapporo Beverage can coffee products carry the Nippon Ham Fighters professional baseball team design. Special stickers on the cans provide chances at discounts and free game tickets. ポッカサッポロ

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

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

Coca Cola Brazil World Cup Cans

Colorful Coke cans being sold in Brazil to coincide with the World Cup.

http://www.cocacola.co.jp/

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

Nikukai Chicken Waffle with Syrup

How about this, Nikukai (a Facebook meat lover's information and event group) suggests karaage (boneless fried chicken balls) on waffles with syrup. Have to admit I am a bit curious. 肉会

https://nikukai.dmm.com/

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

Yamazaki Crown Melon Cream Lunch Pack

A new Yamazaki Lunch Pack variety uses Crown Melons, which is a famous brand of muskmelon from Shizuoka prefecture. I just looked on the internet and they appear to go from 30 to 60 dollars a piece, but I think they can probably be found for much more. In any case, this set contains one Crown Melon cream sandwich and one whip cream sandwich and is categorized as part of their sweet series. ヤマザキ クラウンメロンクリーム

http://www.yamazakipan.co.jp/

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

Calpis Mango Flavored Tapioca Pearl Drink

This is a variant on what is known as pearl milk tea, bubble tea or boba milk tea in the US, and which originated in Taiwan. This product is a mango Calpis drink line extension, packaged and distributed under the Elbee brand, the Asahi company which handles paper packaging. The "bubbles" are tapioca flavored konjac balls which are chewy, fun to eat and provide a certain sense of fullness. エルビー アサヒ タピオカ カルピス

http://elbee.asahishop.net/

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

McDonald's World Cup Series Italian Risotto Balls

As part of their World Cup Brazil series, McDonald's is offering these Italian fried risotto balls. They are made of whole grain rice with a creamy cheese center. One variety is tomato flavor and the other squid ink flavor (one of my favorite flavors actually). Look really good, but haven't tried them yet. マクドナルド

http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/campaign/worldcup/taste/index.html#italy

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

MOS Burger Mister Donut French Cruller Sandwich

How about this sandwich? That would have been an interesting development meeting to be part of. This really is a cross between the offerings of both chains, with a pastry like bun and spicy filling. Here are the layers in order: French cruller bun, a spiral-shaped sausage, hot chilli sauce, onion, tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise, lower French cruller bun.

I went by and tried this and have to say it is actually pretty good, much, much better than I thought it would be. The chilli is spicy, but nevertheless goes fine with the cruller bun. Since it needs a little more texture to not fall apart, the cruller reminds me more of a waffle than a delicate pastry. モス ミスタードーナツ フレンチクルーラー

http://mosdo.jp/special/

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

Meiji Savas Protein Supplement

This is an interesting chart, although sort of confusing. It contrasts the merits of 3 different protein types: whey, casein, and soy. It then goes on to ignore casein and introduce products that contain either whey protein only, soy protein only, or a 50/50 mixture. This is also interesting coming from a dairy company which, most of which usually only praise dairy protein in the ongoing dairy protein vs soy protein debate. With the WHO coming out with a report last year which supports dairy protein as superior, one might have thought that the debate was over. In any case, this is a thumbnail of the points made:

1) whey protein contains branched chain amino acids, which help build muscle and support immune function and are quickly absorbed by the body. Therefore whey protein is good for "junior athletes" who want to get bigger and for recover after sporting events.
and
2) soy protein supports metabolism, does not contain undesirable fats, supports immune function, and contains antioxidants (flavonoids). Therefore soy protein is good for athletes who want to build lean body mass.

One of the pictured products contains 100 percent whey protein, the second 100 percent soy protein, and the third a 50/50 mixture. 明治 ザバス

http://www.meiji.co.jp/sports/savas/index.php

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

Burger King All You Can Eat Challenge

In celebration of Burger King's 60th Anniversary, Burger King Japan is holding an all-you-can-eat whopper competition at the Roppongi location on the 19th. The contest rules state that only people who feel confident that they can eat 7 whoppers in 30 minutes should enter. The winner gets a month of free whoppers starting on the 20th. I'm not sure gorging or living on fast food for a month are things to be encouraged, but it is an interesting promotion. バーガーキング

http://www.burgerkingjapan.co.jp/campaign/biking_invitation/

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

Suntory Hakushu Whisky International Spirits Challenge Winners

These 3 Hakushu Whisky varieties are all International Spirits Challenge 2014 winners. I recently visited the Hakushu distillery, so it is nice to see Hakushu Whisky win some awards, but if you look up the award website, there is a sizable number of winners each year. The varieties are Hakushu Single Malt Whisky 18 Years, Hakushu Single Malt Whisky 25 Years, and Hakushu Single Malt Whisky Sherry Cask. サントリー 白州

http://www.suntory.co.jp/news/2014/12084.html

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

Lotteria Tantoori Naan Sandwich

Lotteria started selling special naan bread sandwiches this week. One is a tomato curry chicken sandwich and the other is a tandoori chicken sandwich (which uses a mixture of 14 spices). ロッテリア タンドリーチキン

https://www.lotteria.jp/topics/2014/topics06050001.html

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

Morinaga Doutor Bifidus Yogurt Drink

The coffee shop chain Doutor is collaborating with Morinaga on two yogurt drinks which use Morinaga's probiotic yogurt Bifidus. One flavor is acerola-cranberry (acerola berries from Okinawa, honey from Argentina). and the other flavor is blueberry.

The copy on the advertisement encourages you to start the day with beautiful digestion. Bifidus yogurt contains Bifidobacteria BB536 and carries a FOSHU health claim, but that cannot automatically be extended to a yogurt drink which contains it.

In any case, this looks like it could be a very mutually beneficial promotion. 森永 ビヒダス ドトール

http://bifidus.jp/fun/tieup/

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

Pokka Sapporo Kimchi Yukgaejang Soup

Pokka Sapporo is not just a beverage company, they also sell foods, such as this new product. This soup, called Kantanbimi, is a Kimchi and Yakgaejang instant soup. Kimchi is traditional Korean fermented cabbage and Yakgaejang is a Korean style beef and vegetable stew. Relations between Japan and Korea might have their ups and downs, but Korean food varieties can always be found in every supermarket or convenience store. ポッカサッポロ 韓湯美味 旨×辛×酸 キムチユッケジャン

The pictured advertisement is for a product giveaway (20 total), which requires logging onto the website to enter.

http://www.pokkasapporo-fb.jp/soup/fun/present.html

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

Nissin Cup Noodle and Kei Nishikori

Kei Nishikori appears in Nissin Cup Noodle commercials. He recently won the Barcelona Open tennis tournament, which bumped him up to the top 10 in the world. Since it has been a while for Japan to have someone in the top ten, he is very hot. This is a nice shot of Nishikori with the Nissin patch on his shirt, showing the red clay court he played on. 日清 錦織圭

http://www.nissin.com/jp/

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

Yamazaki Curry Rusk Pack

As a spinoff of their Lunch Pack series, Yamazaki is now offering flavored, hard rusk bread made from bread crust. This variety is a collaboration with a CoCo Ichibaya, a popular chain of curry restaurants, and is not surprisingly curry flavored. The packaging looks similar to that for the Lunch Pack sandwiches. I personally like seeing bread crust being made use of because in Japan crust is typically cut off and presumably wasted. ヤマザキ ちょいパクラスク

http://www.yamazakipan.co.jp/

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

Burger King's BK Acai

Burger King is selling items from a BK Acai series which features acai imported from Brazil. Acai is touted as a superfruit containing fiber, polyphenols, calcium, iron, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. The offerings include the BD Acai Sparkling (carbonated drink), the BK Acai Milk, and the BK Acai Bowl (looks like acai on a granola and yogurt bowl). バーガーキング

http://www.burgerkingjapan.co.jp/campaign/cp118.html

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

Burger King's 4th Okinawa Store

Since reentering Japan in 2007, Burger King has now expanded to 83 locations which now includes 4 stores in Okinawa. バーガーキング

http://www.burgerkingjapan.co.jp/

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

Nissui Imac S Omega-3 Fatty Acid Drink

Nissui, one of the large marine food products companies, is selling an omega-3 fatty acid drink which carries a government approved FOSHU health claim. Naturally, the omega-3 fatty acids are derived from fish, most sardines and other blue skin fish. The 100 ml drink is yogurt flavored and contains 600 mg DHA and 260 mg EPA. The health claim is for reducing neutral fats in the blood. Clinical trials have shown that 12 weeks of daily consumption can reduce the level of neutral fats by 20%. ニッスイ イマーク

https://www.nissui-kenko.com/products/products162.html

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

KitKat Matcha Adult Flavor

Nestle Japan has is offering its KitKat Matcha adult flavor (less sweet) variety in smaller bite size 10 packs. Other Japanese confectionary companies have also started introducing adult varieties in response to Japan's aging population. キットカット ネスレ

http://d.nestle.jp/

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