This is a long overdue post as it has been 8 months since my last trip to Japan. I hope to do this as a short series, entitled souvenirs from Japan (the above is pretty much that in nihongo). For this post, I’ll start with the most obvious one – the green tea Kit Kat.

My first ever Kit Kat was a Malaysian one, introduced by my late mom. Unlike the ones in the UK, the choc wafer bars were doubly wrapped – beneath the trademark red paper wrapper, there was a semi-translucent paper (kinda like kertas minyak) before you reach the aluminium foil. At that time, I don’t eat them that much as it was a bit more expensive than the Cadburys or van Houtens. The Kit Kat became one of my favourites when I came to the UK, and before I first traveled to Japan in 2014, I was told to try the green tea Kit Kat that is only available over there. The thing was, I knew what Japanese green tea tasted like, but couldn’t imagine what it’d taste like in Kit Kat form.

This is the Kyōto Edition matcha uji matcha Kit Kat:

I first found this at a kiosk at Kyōto JR station. Fancy finding them there as for some reason, I could never find it at the konbinis[1] I came across. It does taste like green tea but creamier and of course sweet. It wasn’t really out of this world but unique enough for me to miss it once I run out. Luckily, before I left for KL, I found loads at NRT and they come in larger boxes. Heaven!

The green tea Kit Kat isn’t the only unique Kit Kat flavour Japan has to offer. Take a look at this strawberry cheescake version which is apparently sold only in Yokohama[2].

Some of the flavours are indeed uniquely available in certain parts of the country. This Yokohama Edition Kit Kat does taste like strawberry cheesecake bizarrely. I don’t read kanji at all, but apparently the box contains a description that ever since Commodore Matthew Perry[3] landed in Yokohama all manner of foreign food began to reach the shores of Japan. Perry bringing in strawberry cheesecake? Nah…

On my subsequent Japan trips, I began trying other flavours for size.

The pink one on the top right is the Sakura matcha green tea flavour which tastes a little bit different to the regular uji matcha. The box says that the green tea used in the Sakura matcha is of a better quality. It does taste a tad sweeter than the regular one. As for the one on the top left, I wasn’t really sure what flavour that was. It did taste like a bog standard regular Kit Kat. Apparently this was the err… exam season edition[4] where the Kit Kat was meant to be given to friends with a message written on the box, although all the Kit Kat boxes actually have a little message box at the back. The middle left was the otona no amasa 「オトナの甘さ」[5] dark chocolate flavour which was quite nice and mellower on the sugar. The bottom left is a strawberry Kit Kat (also from the otona no amasa range) which reminded me of those awful Pink Panther chocs I had as a kid.

Of all the ones I’ve tried, I love the Sakura matcha one best, and I wouldn’t mind the cheesecake version from Yokohama. Looking forward to try the crème brûlée one – which requires heating in an oven!

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[1]Convenience stores, eg 7-Eleven.
[2]I bought these in NRT anyway.
[3]I’ll be there for yoooo… never mind.
[4]おいしい応援メッセージ 「Oishī ōen messējitransl. Cheering message Kit Kat.
[5]Adult sweetness. Oo-er.