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May 04, 2024
 

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KONBINI WATCH

Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Mar 17, 2018
Ministop's 'Adult Tiramisu' a caffeinated delight unsuitable for kids
Ministop often gets overlooked when discussing convenience store chains in Japan. Due to the sheer number of outlets found across the country, the big three — Lawson, Seven-Eleven and Family Mart — tend to hog the attention (including from this column, which last sampled a Ministop exclusive ... over a year ago). But this less prolific franchise often brings their A-game to original products and a recent dessert reminded me to check them out more frequently.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Mar 3, 2018
Calbee gets beefy with Ikinari Steak flavored potato chips
Japanese restaurant chain Ikinari Steak accomplished two big milestones this past month. First, they opened their fourth store in New York, a big step forward in plans to expand internationally. Perhaps more importantly though, they teamed with snack maker Calbee to produce their own flavor of potato chips.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Feb 17, 2018
Seven-Eleven's latest creation captures the magic of the Winter Olympics
Everyone has Olympic fever thanks to the ongoing Pyeongchang Winter Games. Yet interest in Korean food — especially the popular dish dak-galbi — was on the rise in Japan well before the athletes got going.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Feb 10, 2018
Coca-Cola Peach: A saccharine adventure that isn't as bad as it sounds
For a long time, Pepsi has owned the flavored cola market in Japan. It did so with left-of-center flavors that often tasted bad but, by rolling out curiosities such as cake-flavored soda, got attention, which is sometimes all that's needed. Now, Coca-Cola wants in on the action.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jan 27, 2018
FamilyMart's Japari Man: Kemono Friends' colorful adventure in taste
The chocolate Japari Man is as simple as it gets. Save for the pink color of its exterior, this warm snack offers ample amounts of chocolate in every bite.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jan 13, 2018
Lawson's strawberry and cream cheesecake: 'Tis the season to celebrate the berry
If you only have space for one strawberry-centric treat this month, go for this one.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Dec 30, 2017
Komeda's Coffee ice cream from FamilyMart: Added sweetness makes this blend well worth a try
FamilyMart has paired with popular coffee shop chain Komeda's Coffee for a special ice cream.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Dec 16, 2017
7-Eleven's Mint Crunky: A winning bet on mint working in winter
This take on a classic Japanese confection comprises a fluffy chocolate exterior filled with a whipped mint filling studded with chocolate chips.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Dec 2, 2017
Pepsi Christmas Cola: If you're going to leave a snack out for Santa, stick to milk and cookies
Happy holidays, here's a novelty soda to celebrate! Pepsi Japan trails only KitKat when it comes to out-there flavor ideas for its signature item, with the past few years featuring cucumber and baobab among others. Now comes a slightly sweeter special — Pepsi Christmas Cola, which aims to capture the taste of a Japanese-style Christmas shortcake.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Nov 11, 2017
Lawson's new Karaage-Kun: Miso tops onion in this battle for the buds
There is a lot going on here, and the mix of flavors results in some of them being lost in the shuffle.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 28, 2017
You look like you've seen a Ghost Pumpkin Cream Puff
It's the last weekend to indulge in Halloween-themed sweets from Japan's convenience stores. Fortunately, all of the nation's main konbini players have their limited edition desserts on shelves now. And, given the country's newfound love of Oct. 31, there are plenty of black and orange delights to choose from.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 14, 2017
7-Eleven's Cookies and Cream Puff: A solid improvement to the sweet staple
7-Eleven Japan's cream puff is the ideal convenience store dessert. It's basic but satisfying, offering just the right amount of sweetness. Maybe most importantly, it's also affordable. Few treats balance simplicity and tastiness quite like it, and the konbini chain has wisely experimented with the filling inside over the years.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Sep 30, 2017
Pepsi Halloween Cola: Pink drink may be too sweet for some
Halloween is now an established event here in Japan. While the revelry differs greatly compared to other places (it's less about collecting candy and more about clogging Shibuya crossing), the country has got the marketing part of it down pat. Companies now roll out special items featuring ghosts and skeletons on the packaging well ahead of time.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Sep 16, 2017
Natural Lawson's Pizza Roll tastes almost as good as the real thing
We've all been there — you're hungry, but don't want to cook. The idea of ordering a pizza is initially tempting, but what about all those calories? These are the dilemmas that haunt one's laziest nights.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Sep 2, 2017
7-Eleven's coffee cream treat: Leveraging the success of 'konbini' coffee
Convenience stores in Japan hit on a winner a few years back when they introduced fresh-brewed coffee machines. These chains realized folks want cheap and drinkable caffeine fixes before they begin their day. The next jackpot, however, has proved elusive.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Aug 19, 2017
Citrus KitKat: Latest twist is flavor home run
Japan's array of quirky KitKat flavors has become a cliche, to the point where your aunt can probably tell you about the dozens of unique varieties. But the candy's latest variant offers something new: kindness. Sales of their new citrus-flavored offering will go to support youth baseball and softball organizations across the country.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Aug 5, 2017
Black Seafood Cup Noodle: A cosmetic change at best
Japanese netizens have noticed something strange about Nissin's latest special edition of it's venerable Cup Noodle brand.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jul 22, 2017
Lemon No Baumkuchen: Not all that glitters is snack gold
Family Mart is putting forward some sophisticated sweets for the next few months. The chain recently debuted its new "Jewelry Sweets" line, which are premium items accented by shiny but edible flourishes. The line gets its own special area in the store (at least the one I went to) and an increased price, reflecting its implied luxury.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jul 8, 2017
Okinawa salt beef wasabi chips: For those who like heat in the summer
Sometimes, you have to stack as many signs of summer onto your product as possible. Snack producer Yamayoshi is celebrating the hotter months of the year with a special-edition potato chip tied to Japan's southern islands. Their Okinawa salt wasabi beef offering hit store shelves at the start of last week and, as the name implies, adds a tropical twist to their signature spicy, beef-flavored chip. This limited-run creation (¥220) is only found in convenience stores, and is around for the next two months.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jun 24, 2017
Colorful Shower Pocky: Lemon cream flavor just in time for summer
Pocky has a few approaches to summer 2017. The first is a campaign where the time-honored snack comes in limited-edition wrappers featuring 27 different designs, which can also activate various augmented reality features on a special smartphone app. Sounds complicated! Glico, which makes Pocky, is urging customers to chill these sticks in ice before eating. If that floats your boat, go nuts.
Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with rivals China and Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Syracuse, New York, on April 25.
Yen swings stir talk that Japan is in the FX market once again
An electronic screen in Tokyo displays the yen exchange rate against the U.S. dollar and the graph showing its recent swings, on Thursday.
Harajuku strives to reclaim its former glory — and surpass it
Laforet Harajuku, which celebrated its 45th anniversary last year, has been a witness to the district's evolution over the years.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Japan's May 1 intervention may have cost ¥3.66 trillion, BOJ data suggests
An electronic screen displays a graph showing Japanese yen exchange rates surging against the dollar amid signs of intervention by authorities, in Tokyo on Thursday.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.

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