Meiji Chocolate is Not Empty Calories

Meiji is the iconic chocolate in Japan, similar to Hershey bars in the US. This advertisement reminds customers that chocolate is a source of magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc. Some people might have issues with an advertisement like this. Personally, I don't have a problem. This is another way of saying that chocolate is not empty calories, unlike certain fizzy drinks. This advertisement is not false, but it is up to the consumer to think one step further - if I need one or all these minerals, is chocolate the best way to get it. Probably not, but at least there is something nutritious contained in those addictive black bars. 明治 チョコ

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

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

Kirin 2 Liter Bottles from 1933

Two liter bottles of Kirin Lager were sold from 1933 to 1943 and cost only 1 yen 10 sen per bottle. Oh . . . if that were only the price today. The bottle shown here is a replica produced in 1983 to commemorate the opening of the new Sendai Factory. キリンラガービール

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

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

Morinaga Stronger Body Yogurt

Despite the long and somewhat awkward name, this is an interesting product. Morinaga appears to be rolling most of the functional ingredients it is known for into a single yogurt drink. Sold only by home delivery, something Japanese companies do to help ensure loyalty and regular useage, this one dose a day product includes the following functional ingredients:
1) lactoferrin, an antimicrobial protein found in relatively large quantities in mother's milk
2) BB536, a bifidobacterium that promotes good bacteria in the microbiota
and
3) MoLac, a Lactobacillus paracasei bacterium which even in it killed state, not live, boosts immune function.

Oddly, by some definitions, this would not count as a probiotic, because (2) is not a Lactobacillus strain and (3) used as a killed bacteria. Other definitions include Bifidobacteria, so this would count under those definitions. 森永 カラダ強くするのむヨーグルト

http://takuhaimilk.ne.jp/products/lfdrink/

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

Coca Cola World Cup Giveaway

Coca Cola Japan is conducting a campaign and giveaway to coincide with the World Cup. Special Coke and Coke Zero bottles have Japanese player's names printed on them. At checkout, you receive a code on your receipt, which you use to receive points on your account on the Coca Cola Japan website. Various prizes are offered accumulating points: personalized Coke bottles (your name printed on the label), towels designed by Keisuke Honda (national team member), Sony TVs and Walkmans, etc. コカ・コーラ

https://secure-c.cocacola.co.jp/sealcp/l2014/

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

7-Eleven Glico Giantcone Chocolate Mint

Glico is offering a mint chocolate version of its popular Giantcone ice cream series exclusively through 7-Eleven convenience stores for a limited time. Specials like this are usually a little more unusual, but mint chocolate might be enough to have some people choose 7-Eleven over other stores, I suppose. Other people, myself included, find the mint chocolate flavor combination almost inexplicably repellant. Chocolate is great and mint is fine, but mint chocolate is a completely different animal. グリコ ジャイアントコーン チョコミント

http://www.glico.co.jp/ice/giant/giant.html

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

Suntory The Premium Beer Hills

Suntory is also opening a beer garden location, this one in trendy Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, and only for one month. That is a lot of effort for just one month, but they are likely to get a lot of media coverage to justify the expense. サントリー

http://www.suntory.co.jp/beer/premium/event/hills/

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

Kirin Ichiban Garden Brewery Experience

Kirin is opening special beer gardens again this year, which feature Ichiban Shibori Frozen, which is a draft version of their best selling Ichiban Shibori Beer, topped with frozen foam. Despite calling it a "brewery experience", no beer is produced on-site. Currently there are beer gardens in the Shibuya area of Tokyo and Osaka, with plans to open more locations in Fukuoka and Sendai. The image of the store looks very spacious, which would not be a cheap endeavor in Shibuya. キリン一番搾り 

http://www.kirin.co.jp/products/beer/ichiban/is_garden/

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

Kirin Tropicana Green vs Golden Kiwi

Tropicana, which goes through Kirin in Japan, asks whether you like green or golden (also called gold) kiwi. I don't see either offered currently, so they might be planning on offering one or both in the new future. In preparation, I have provided a link to a comparison of their nutritional properties, which are similar but do differ. キリン クリーンキウイ ゴールデンキウイ

http://www.livestrong.com/article/379079-are-green-kiwi-fruit-gold-kiwi-fruit-nutritionally-the-same/

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

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

Yamazaki Fish Sandwich Lunch Pack

Here is another Yamazaki Lunch Pack, called the fried fish and tartar sauce sandwich and the package stresses that the tartar sauce contains pickles. This is the new flavor of the month requested by customers in an online poll. I cannot find exactly what type of fish is used, but it appears to be mimicking fast food fish sandwiches. McDonald's has used cod, hoki and pollack over the years. ヤマザキ ランチパック フィッシュフライ＆タルタルソース

http://www.yamazakipan.co.jp

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

Yamazaki 3 Varieties of Delicious Lunch Pack

One of Yamazaki's new Lunch Pack offerings is a variety pack including a sausage sandwich, a potato salad sandwich and a bacon and egg sandwich, called "3 varieties of deliciousness". ヤマザキ ランチパック ３種のおいしさ

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

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