Unveiling the Sweet Romance: KitKat’s 1st Love Affair with Japan

Kitkat is not just a chocolate but an obsession for every person who has ever had their hands on it. The creamy wafers loaded with appetizing chocolate syrup are one of the most delectable pieces of savor. One of the finest creations of Nestle is a fascination amongst the people of Japan. Kitkat is pronounced “Kitto-Katto” in Japan which basically means “Good Luck”. It seems like the love affair between Japan and Kitkat has deeper roots.

Why is Kitkat in Japan an obsession?

The cocoa-enriched, creamy, and delicious wafer-delicacy, is a love for the people of Japan. Surprisingly there are over 300 variations of chocolate in Japan. It’s the only country to have such a varied variety of chocolate. The people of Japan, consider eating a KitKat before leaving for some important meeting, as an ideogram of good luck and a definite win. Whoa! That’s completely amazing and astonishing as well, how chocolate, is such an admiration by the people of Japan.

It was first launched in 1973 in Japan after an agreement between the Japanese and the British confectioners.  The year 2004 saw a huge spike in sales of the chocolate making it the top-selling chocolate in Japan. The green tea flavor was a truly authentic flavor invented in 2004, and since then, there have been over 300 variations and flavors introduced in Japan.

People in Japan admire chocolate as their “Lucky Charm”. Whenever looking for the perfect gift for perfect occasions, people tend to just pick up a sweet savior packing of it.

How the love affair between Japan and Kitkat grew so immensely famous, is evident from a test survey conducted by Nestle in association with the  Japan Post in which a Kitkat special gift package was sold which had a special column to write a message for loved ones and could be sent via post from 20,000 post offices in the country. Surprisingly, all the packs went sold out in a month. The advertisement campaign went so well that it won the ” Media Grand Prix Award” in 2010 at the Cannes Lion International Advertising Festival.

Kitkat Flavors in Japan

Japan is known to have the greatest variations of chocolate worldwide. Commencing the variations from 2004, when the green tea flavor was introduced and hit the marketplace as a well-preferred one, Nestle decided to launch additional flavors in the chocolate.

Japan is the only country to have over 300 variations of chocolate available. The sole reason why Nestle is highly experimenting with flavors only in Japan is that the country is not charging a “first listing fee” for it.

The most eminent flavors which were totally loved by people out there included purple sweet potato, creamy wasabi, miso, cherry blossom, Japanese plum, pistachio, raspberry, yuzu, and many more.

The most highly-rated savoring flavors in Japan are easily shipped and sold worldwide by grocery stores out there. So, anytime you want to grab your hands on these relish candies, just check out this amazing website.

Difference between KitKat and Kit Kat

Nestle, is a worldwide producer of the famous chocolate, except in the United States of America. The exceptional country has KitKat production controlled by Hershey’s Company. This was a result of the introduction of the “Chocolate Crisp” flavor given by Rowntree from New York in association with Hershey’s Company in 1935. Since then, the manufacturer has been using Kit Kat instead of Kitkat to differentiate between the sources of production. 

Regardless of the producer, the taste of the chocolate remains amazing and is the cherry on the cake.

There are some differences in its ingredients as well. Where Nestle uses “whole milk” for its making whereas Hershey’s uses “non-fat milk”. The flavor ranges are also distinct in the two companies. Hershey’s has been famous for its Milk chocolate wafer and fruity cereal. Whereas, the flavor game by Nestle is next-level giving an amazing boost in the market of Japan and even popular for its contemporary savor worldwide. Nestle is ruling the KitKat game in every way possible.

Sales  in Japan and the rest of the world

The Japanese market has been the widest sale marker for Kitkat. Starting its journey in the early 19th century, the chocolate brand is known to be famous from the very first day. Chocolate is easily available at the supermarket or any drugstore in Japan. The Japanese edition costs about ¥198- ¥400 for a pack which contains near about 9-12 pieces in all.

Reports suggest that a total of 4 million KitKat are sold each day in Japan. In 2022, the production by Hershey’s and Nestle had a total brand value of 2.12 billion U.S. dollars.

Summing Up

The chocolate brand, wherever it goes, is becoming a premium taste in a nominal price range with the best performance in quality, quantity, and safety standards.

The “lucky charm” of Japan is a definite win for the country where it tends to be loved and admired by a little kid, a youngster, or an elder person equally. It has completely won the fan base in the entire marketplace of Japan making it the most sold and eminent chocolate in the country. The love affair between the two is seen to have long-term connections.

Wherever you go, breaking a stick of KitKat definitely gives a “break” to the mind offering a totally distinct experience of premium melted chocolate rich butter chocolate. The tagline of the brand also encourages its consumers to

“Have a break, Have a KitKat”.

Does Kitkat come to your mind when looking for a break? Undoubtedly, it’s on every person’s mind in Japan most importantly, and the rest of the world as well. So next time, you eat a KitKat make sure you also put your hands on the Japanese edition.

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