According to Nestle research, “KITKAT is widely known for being a ‘Good Luck Charm for Students Taking Entrance Exams’. KITKAT naturally became a booster for students taking entrance exams in Kyushu since the name sounds like ‘Kitto katsu to!’, (Win for sure!) in the Kyushu dialect. Around 2002, the practice spread by word-of-mouth among students across the country.”
When it comes to integrating candy and culture, KITKAT Japan is brilliant. Some of the flavors and packaging available only in Japan include:
Rum Raisin
Purple Sweet Potato
Apple
White Chocolate Wasabi
Red Bean and White Chocolate with a Maple Leaf design
Strawberry Cheesecake packaged in a replica of Mt. Fuji
Probably my favorite, however, are these limited edition creations crafted from fruit flavored KITKAT and crispy rice in the form of sushi. These are available at the new KITKAT Chocolatory on the Ginza. Using ingredients like raspberry for maguro (tuna), melon mascarpone cheese for uni (sea urchin) and pumpkin for tamago (egg), the company has created 3 series of replica sushi treats that replaces the rice with a rice crispy treat-like base.
Ref: Spoon & Tamago and the KITKAT Japan sites
“What is it about puddles of water that makes kids want to jump right into them with all their might? It’s no doubt that outdoor play, whatever the weather, is a necessity of childhood. So if there’s any place where kids should be allowed to be kids, without being subject to the cringes and shouts of adults who are overly concerned about wet shoes, socks and pants (don’t even mention the mud), that place is preschool.
January 31 is celebrated as Nauru Independence Day. Nauru is the smallest state in the South Pacific and third smallest state by area in the world, with 10,084 residents in a 21-square-kilometre (8.1 sq mi) area, it is behind only Vatican City and Monaco in size.
Gunsmoke and Knitting 