Wendy's Foie Gras Rossini

The most recent incarnation of Wendy's in Japan is smaller scale and features higher end sandwiches, which they call Japan Premium (and add that these premium burgers are only available in Japan). They have had a store in the Omotesando area of Tokyo and this week are opening a second store in Roppongi - both fashionable areas frequented by foreigners and people with money.

This Foie Gras Rossini burger with truffle sells for 1,280 yen. Looks delicious, but that price is pretty steep. No detailed product description is given on the pretty, yet Spartan website.

http://wendys.co.jp/wendys/index.php

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

Meiji Salt Support

Meiji sells a candy designed to help maintain a proper mineral balance. This highlights something I failed to mention in the previous post. Salt refers not only to table salt (sodium chloride) but also potassium and even magnesium. These products make a point of keeping a proper sodium/potassium balance (750 mg/170 mg). There are three products in the series: plum flavor with added citric acid, sports drink flavor with added iron, and sports drink flavor with added sugar.

http://www.meiji.co.jp/corporate/pressrelease/2012/detail/20120612_01.html

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

Unagi Pie

Unagi Pie (うなぎパイ) is a famous omiyage present for people visiting Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture. This sweet went on sale in 1961 and is said to have been named by the company president who was searching for a new sweet to represent the area. The unagi (or eel) in the name comes from a conversation he had with someone who had visited the area. That person replied "oh yes, the place with delicious eel". So he designed an sweet that looks and tastes similar to famous French sweets, but looks like an eel. The catch phrase "evening sweet" or "夜のお菓子" came about as a desire to have it become an item for families to eat together at or after the evening meal, which in that boom time was often the only family time most people had.

http://www.shunkado.co.jp/unagipai/

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

Meiji Avengers Energy Yogurt

Meiji has introduced Energy Yogurt with Marvel's Avengers on the label. This energy drink flavored yogurt has added B vitamins and royal jelly.

http://catalog-p.meiji.co.jp/products/dairies/yogurt/020210/49408317.html

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

McDonald's Caramel Pudding McFlurry

Starting tomorrow, McDonald's will start offering a seasonal Caramel Pudding flavored McFlurry, which contains a caramel and custard sauce.

http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/campaign/mcflurry/index.html

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

Pokka Salt Joy

One of the keywords in the food industry this year, especially the summer months, has to be salt. This is especially interesting to me, as I think stories where an ingredient or product to be avoided all the sudden turns desirable are fascinating. Healthy gums and healthy oils have turned the impression of these products on their heads. Benecol has turned around the image of some spreads, and here we have salt. No technological innovation here, just realizing an unmet need and marketing it well.

The background and message are as follows: Japanese summers can be brutal. Not only are the temperatures high, but the humidity can make it hard to breathe. Combine that with lifestyles that keep people outdoors more than countries such as the US, and some days it can be miserable. Relatives from the US visited recently and even those the temperatures in the US are at record highs and higher than temperatures here, they commented that it was worse in Japan. That in large part is due to necessities such as walking to bus stops, to train stations, to work, etc. If your commute is long, you could end up drenched in sweat by the time you reach work.

Add to this the more enviornmentally friendly, but not always as effective, cooling in Japan, which is often via a room cooler and not by a central unit. So you have very hot areas inside each house.

Under these conditions, especially in August, people involved in sports and elderly people are prone to heat stroke. Adequate intake of liquids has been preached for years, but now the importance of electrolyte balance has gained wide recognizion. And here is where salt comes in to play. People realize the need for adequate salt intake in these situations, so salt (or 塩) can be found in large print on products from every manufacturer. This post is much longer than usual, but I plan on posting several examples over the next few days showing products from most of the larger companies which boast added salt.

This Pokka sports drink is one of the most in your face, as it is called "Salt Joy".

http://pokka.jp/enjoysupport/

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

Tokyo Banana 20th Anniversary

As mentioned before, Tokyo Banana has become something of a Tokyo institution. They are celebrating 20 years of the product. I suppose they are emphasizing how long it has been around, but I sort of look at it the opposite way - in only 20 years it as become an institution. That makes it much younger than most other well known regional sweets.

http://www.tokyobanana.jp/

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

KFC HIS Promotion

Kentucky Fried Chicken is collaborating with H.I.S. in a promotion where the grand prize is 1 million yen in travel coupons. This promotion also involves Ponta, the digital money service which both of these companies accept. H.I.S. is the largest Japanese discount ticket travel agency for foreign destinations. Entry requires registering for the email magazine via a mobile phone.

http://www.his-j.com/ponta/kfc/

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

Budweiser Girls Japan‏

Budweiser uses the same "Budweiser Girls" marketing strategy in Japan, but while much may look familiar, the Japanese emphasis on cuteness is also obvious.

http://www.budweiser.jp/main.html

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

McDonald's Golden Masala

As World Mc moves from France to India, McDonald's has introduced two Golden Masala sandwiches.
Hot Golden Masala (left) - which uses curry sauce, spices and grits (or hominy, but the photo looks like regular corn)
Mild Golden Masala (right) - also uses curry sauce and a chutney-mayonnaise sauce.

World Mac moves to Australia at the end of August.

http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/campaign/world_mc/index.html

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