Japanese Kit Kat : What, Where, and How
An inevitable part of a trip in Japan for my family was the hunt for flavoured Kit Kats, one of many things that Japan is famous for. Within a few discussions we were already planning strategies on searching for, buying, and splitting the sweet treats in such a way where we could maximise the number of flavours we tried while bringing home only the best to hoard and last us to the next trip to Japan. It seemed simple enough - the internet had already given an insight of the sheer number of flavours available in the country, and we were prepared to miss a few flavours from seasonal and regional restrictions, but the search for the elusive exotic-flavoured Kit Kats did not exactly go as planned.
The first thing we quickly learned is that the chocolate bars are not readily stocked in every food store on the street. Convenience stores only held the typical flavours - original, occasionally dark, and only one of two green tea flavours. Granted, a few convenience stores held a couple of different flavours but the scavenger hunt was no easy feat - it was necessary to enter many of the convenience stores, super markets, and gifts shops we came across to find one new flavour, and the result is a very impressive fourteen flavours in nine full days.
(Reminder that the cities I visited were Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Osaka.)
1. GREEN TEA
LOCATION: Generally everwhere.
COMMENTS: One of two green tea Kit Kats, this one is the one available in a lot of places, including drug stores. Presumably a common flavour, they're also one of the cheaper Kit Kats (depending where you go) and range from ¥275-500 for bags of 6-12. With regards to the taste, it's very subtle in the green tea department but with the familiar flavour and a slight bitter aftertaste common with matcha powder - it's nice for a bulk gift as the flavour is associated with Japan.
2-4. FEUILLANTINE - ORIGINAL, ALMOND, AND HAZELNUT
LOCATION: Spotted in Tokyo, in a few convenience stores such as the 7-11 near Toyoko Inn Hotel, and in Shinjuku area.
COMMENTS: We were relatively disappointed in regards to the Feuillantine flavours. We tried the Hazelnut Feullantine, and found that its taste was so similar to the original Kit Kat we decided it wasn't worth trying the others. This was a major regret, later - if there's ever a moment to try any, I'll be sure to jump at the chance now.
5. STRAWBERRY
LOCATION: Tokyo, as seen behind the Feuillantine flavours in previous picture.
COMMENTS: The flavour was akin to strawberry-flavoured frostings as is found in other snacks like strawberry Pocky or Oreos. While it's not impressive or entirely unique, it was nice enough to eat.
6. STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
LOCATION: Many places, including Tokyo (we bought it in the Seibu department store in Shibuya), Kansai Airport, and Hakone (Gora Station). As the box is shaped like Mt. Fuji, it's iconic and found all over the place.
COMMENTS: Nice enough. The shape of the box is novel, but the flavour isn't as strong as expected. There is the faint strawberry flavour with a subtlety common to Japanese flavouring but the cheesecake aspect isn't strong enough.
7. WASABI
LOCATION: Tokyo, specifically in Seibu department store in Shibuya, as well as the Kansai Airport.
COMMENTS: WOW. The Wasabi Kit Kat is a must-try. I wasn't particularly keen on trying the Wasabi Kit Kat as I'm not fond of the taste of horseradish or mustard, but in the case of this, the flavour is generally sweet (but not overly so), with a delicate wasabi flavour that hits the spot. If not for the taste, it could be consumed for the novelty, promptly followed by boasting to friends of the daredevils you call your tastebuds.
8. RUM AND RAISIN
LOCATION: Tokyo, specifically in Seibu department store in Shibuya.
COMMENTS: I wasn't too thrilled at the thought of Rum and Raisin. Not a big fan of either alcohol or raisins, it was a fine moment to actually eat it - though I can't say I've ever had rum I would say the flavour of the Rum and Raisin Kit Kat is a PG version of the drink. Reminding me of the shot of alcohol added to some desserts, it was sweet and with a flavour that could be described as the gentlest alcohol kick in existence, and my personal favourite from the selection.
9. CITRUS
LOCATION: Hiroshima, in the stations particularly.
COMMENTS: It is slightly sweet, and with a mix of citrus flavours that isn't overpoweringly tangy. It's unanimously decided within my family as one of the best flavours. Having bought a pack of three and sharing as we awaited a train in the station, we liked it so much we promptly bought a couple more larger boxes to take home. The flavour is appears to be restricted to some areas, as shown by the "Limited" upon the side of the box.
10. BLACK TEA
LOCATION: Osaka, Tokyo, Hiroshima
COMMENTS: My parents decided this was their favourite flavour, to the point where a small box intended as a gift was revoked at the last minute and has since disappeared from our pantry. It has the flavour of black tea and roasted grains, and is truly one of the better ones.
11. KOBE PUDDING
LOCATION: Osaka. We specifically bought it from the gift shop outside of Osaka Castle Museum (where access is free). It is likely available in Kobe, but we weren't in the city long enough to search seriously.
COMMENTS: Relatively disappointing. It tastes of caramel and very vaguely of citrus that is buried under the sweetness, but as it is largely overpowered by a somewhat unimpressive caramel flavour it wasn't one of the favourites of the group
.
12. RED BEAN
LOCATION: Kansai Airport. A lot of flavours are available in the airport in bulk boxes of ten packs-of-three, and I assume other Japanese airports, but the box says it is a speciality of Hokkaido.
COMMENTS: I like red bean, so this was a nice Kit Kat and a flavour I was keen on searching for in Japan. The red bean flavour is subtle as it is a normal Kit Kat with very thin layers of red bean paste between the wafers, but it's recommended for anyone who likes red bean desserts.
13. SAKURA GREEN TEA
LOCATION: Kansai Airport, again in a bulk-pack.
COMMENTS: The colour of the Kit Kat is paler than that of the other Green Tea flavour, yet the flavour is more distinct. Very delicious, and highly recommended.
14. WA-ICHIGO
LOCATION: Kansai Airport, again in a bulk-pack.
COMMENTS: The flavour has a slightly sharper taste than the other strawberry flavours, slightly tangy like the sourness of real strawberries. I have no idea why there are three variations of strawberry Kit Kats when the difference in taste is very subtle, but I regard this to be the best of the three, as the flavour is somewhat less artificial than the Strawberry Kit Kat, and not as disappointing as the Strawberry Cheesecake.
**Prices vary depending on several factors, such as the location, the flavour, and the pack size. Commonly, we found packs of three to be around ¥275-350, packs of twelve to be around ¥800-900, and the bulk box of ten packs-of-three in the airport to be at ¥1,500.
One thing to remember when eating the Kit Kats is that it's often suited for the a more delicate Japanese palate. During many of the taste tests I found that the unique flavour would be disguised by the sweetness of the bar, or overpowered by the chocolate, despite it being only a very thin layer, leading to comments from all of my family that the flavours are quite faint. While this was pleasant in the Wasabi Kit Kat, it made some of the other ones relatively disappointing. However, after a few tastes I had to remember that reticence is a large part of Japanese culture, including, as demonstrated many times dining in the country, in the case of food and flavouring. Recognising this increased my appreciation for the flavours of the Kit Kats, much more so the fact that so many flavours exist at all, and the hunt gave the trip to Japan a lot more direction and added to the excitement. Kit Kats gave my family common interest in a country so broad and diverse in its offerings, and was just one of the many ways that Japan is so interesting.
The first thing we quickly learned is that the chocolate bars are not readily stocked in every food store on the street. Convenience stores only held the typical flavours - original, occasionally dark, and only one of two green tea flavours. Granted, a few convenience stores held a couple of different flavours but the scavenger hunt was no easy feat - it was necessary to enter many of the convenience stores, super markets, and gifts shops we came across to find one new flavour, and the result is a very impressive fourteen flavours in nine full days.
 |
| Part of the take-home Kit Kat stash (though most were for gifts) |
(Reminder that the cities I visited were Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Osaka.)
1. GREEN TEA
LOCATION: Generally everwhere.
COMMENTS: One of two green tea Kit Kats, this one is the one available in a lot of places, including drug stores. Presumably a common flavour, they're also one of the cheaper Kit Kats (depending where you go) and range from ¥275-500 for bags of 6-12. With regards to the taste, it's very subtle in the green tea department but with the familiar flavour and a slight bitter aftertaste common with matcha powder - it's nice for a bulk gift as the flavour is associated with Japan.
 |
| Green Tea |
2-4. FEUILLANTINE - ORIGINAL, ALMOND, AND HAZELNUT
LOCATION: Spotted in Tokyo, in a few convenience stores such as the 7-11 near Toyoko Inn Hotel, and in Shinjuku area.
COMMENTS: We were relatively disappointed in regards to the Feuillantine flavours. We tried the Hazelnut Feullantine, and found that its taste was so similar to the original Kit Kat we decided it wasn't worth trying the others. This was a major regret, later - if there's ever a moment to try any, I'll be sure to jump at the chance now.
 |
| Hazelnut Feuillantine |
 |
| Almond and Original Fueillantines. Strawberry on shelf in background. |
5. STRAWBERRY
LOCATION: Tokyo, as seen behind the Feuillantine flavours in previous picture.
COMMENTS: The flavour was akin to strawberry-flavoured frostings as is found in other snacks like strawberry Pocky or Oreos. While it's not impressive or entirely unique, it was nice enough to eat.
6. STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
LOCATION: Many places, including Tokyo (we bought it in the Seibu department store in Shibuya), Kansai Airport, and Hakone (Gora Station). As the box is shaped like Mt. Fuji, it's iconic and found all over the place.
COMMENTS: Nice enough. The shape of the box is novel, but the flavour isn't as strong as expected. There is the faint strawberry flavour with a subtlety common to Japanese flavouring but the cheesecake aspect isn't strong enough.
 |
| Mt. Fuji-shaped box of Strawberry Cheesecake |
7. WASABI
LOCATION: Tokyo, specifically in Seibu department store in Shibuya, as well as the Kansai Airport.
COMMENTS: WOW. The Wasabi Kit Kat is a must-try. I wasn't particularly keen on trying the Wasabi Kit Kat as I'm not fond of the taste of horseradish or mustard, but in the case of this, the flavour is generally sweet (but not overly so), with a delicate wasabi flavour that hits the spot. If not for the taste, it could be consumed for the novelty, promptly followed by boasting to friends of the daredevils you call your tastebuds.
 |
| Wasabi |
8. RUM AND RAISIN
LOCATION: Tokyo, specifically in Seibu department store in Shibuya.
COMMENTS: I wasn't too thrilled at the thought of Rum and Raisin. Not a big fan of either alcohol or raisins, it was a fine moment to actually eat it - though I can't say I've ever had rum I would say the flavour of the Rum and Raisin Kit Kat is a PG version of the drink. Reminding me of the shot of alcohol added to some desserts, it was sweet and with a flavour that could be described as the gentlest alcohol kick in existence, and my personal favourite from the selection.
 |
| Rum and Raisin. The upper left-hand text says Tokyo, presumably indicating location of availability |
9. CITRUS
LOCATION: Hiroshima, in the stations particularly.
COMMENTS: It is slightly sweet, and with a mix of citrus flavours that isn't overpoweringly tangy. It's unanimously decided within my family as one of the best flavours. Having bought a pack of three and sharing as we awaited a train in the station, we liked it so much we promptly bought a couple more larger boxes to take home. The flavour is appears to be restricted to some areas, as shown by the "Limited" upon the side of the box.
 |
| Refreshing package of Citrus - lemon, lime, and orange |
10. BLACK TEA
LOCATION: Osaka, Tokyo, Hiroshima
COMMENTS: My parents decided this was their favourite flavour, to the point where a small box intended as a gift was revoked at the last minute and has since disappeared from our pantry. It has the flavour of black tea and roasted grains, and is truly one of the better ones.
 |
| A box slightly dented from the flight |
11. KOBE PUDDING
LOCATION: Osaka. We specifically bought it from the gift shop outside of Osaka Castle Museum (where access is free). It is likely available in Kobe, but we weren't in the city long enough to search seriously.
COMMENTS: Relatively disappointing. It tastes of caramel and very vaguely of citrus that is buried under the sweetness, but as it is largely overpowered by a somewhat unimpressive caramel flavour it wasn't one of the favourites of the group
12. RED BEAN
LOCATION: Kansai Airport. A lot of flavours are available in the airport in bulk boxes of ten packs-of-three, and I assume other Japanese airports, but the box says it is a speciality of Hokkaido.
COMMENTS: I like red bean, so this was a nice Kit Kat and a flavour I was keen on searching for in Japan. The red bean flavour is subtle as it is a normal Kit Kat with very thin layers of red bean paste between the wafers, but it's recommended for anyone who likes red bean desserts.
 |
| A smaller three-pack box within the bulk pack |
13. SAKURA GREEN TEA
LOCATION: Kansai Airport, again in a bulk-pack.
COMMENTS: The colour of the Kit Kat is paler than that of the other Green Tea flavour, yet the flavour is more distinct. Very delicious, and highly recommended.
 |
| The bulk box |
14. WA-ICHIGO
LOCATION: Kansai Airport, again in a bulk-pack.
COMMENTS: The flavour has a slightly sharper taste than the other strawberry flavours, slightly tangy like the sourness of real strawberries. I have no idea why there are three variations of strawberry Kit Kats when the difference in taste is very subtle, but I regard this to be the best of the three, as the flavour is somewhat less artificial than the Strawberry Kit Kat, and not as disappointing as the Strawberry Cheesecake.
**Prices vary depending on several factors, such as the location, the flavour, and the pack size. Commonly, we found packs of three to be around ¥275-350, packs of twelve to be around ¥800-900, and the bulk box of ten packs-of-three in the airport to be at ¥1,500.
One thing to remember when eating the Kit Kats is that it's often suited for the a more delicate Japanese palate. During many of the taste tests I found that the unique flavour would be disguised by the sweetness of the bar, or overpowered by the chocolate, despite it being only a very thin layer, leading to comments from all of my family that the flavours are quite faint. While this was pleasant in the Wasabi Kit Kat, it made some of the other ones relatively disappointing. However, after a few tastes I had to remember that reticence is a large part of Japanese culture, including, as demonstrated many times dining in the country, in the case of food and flavouring. Recognising this increased my appreciation for the flavours of the Kit Kats, much more so the fact that so many flavours exist at all, and the hunt gave the trip to Japan a lot more direction and added to the excitement. Kit Kats gave my family common interest in a country so broad and diverse in its offerings, and was just one of the many ways that Japan is so interesting.
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