Granola has come a long way in Japan, from a relatively unknown breakfast cereal five years ago to — along with pancakes and popcorn — a full-on fad food.

While granola from Kellogg's and Calbee has been around for years, granola consumption was steadily average up until the recent boom. The market in 2010 was worth ¥4.9 billion, with 6,942 tons of the product sold. In 2013 those numbers exploded to ¥14.6 billion and 18,802 tons, according to research by the Japan Snack Cereal Foods Association.

Famous granola lovers include Ken Takakura, an actor known for his tough-guy persona in yakuza films, who has reportedly been eating granola and muesli with yogurt every morning for the last 10 years. As a result, he has been able to maintain his weight under 70 kg and keep his waist size unchanged from his younger days despite being over 83 years old, according to an article in Sunday Mainichi. Other notable granola fans are TV personality Rola and professional baseball player Yu Darvish, both of whom have spoken of their love for the breakfast dish on social media.