The Japanese dedication to marketing Halloween-themed items grow just a little every year. Though they have gotten the superficial aspects down, such as applying an appropriately cuted-up All Hallow's Eve motif, they aren't quite with it on the deeper execution. All of the snacks that I've seen with themed packaging are the same products as are usually on offer with just a different bag. These choco pies (a nice enough treat on their own as a plain chocolate covered soft cookie with vanilla cream filling sweet) are the same old same old. I don't know why they don't release special editions for the season, but I'm guessing it's because they'd rather sink their specialties into seasonal variations which have nothing to do with the usurping of American holidays.
I hardly ever see actual "Halloween" treats in America anymore (aside from candy corn and candy pumpkins, I guess). Most of the Halloween candy people buy is just regular candy in Halloween wrappers. In that respect, it seems the Japanese have got it spot on :)
ReplyDeleteI see some specially shaped Halloween candy: Peanut butter cup pumpkins, marshmallow ghosts and pumpkins in addition to the candy corn. For the most part though, what is sold on Halloween is very large bags of the "fun size" or "mini" single serving size of candies for handing out to Trick or Treaters. I love this time of year because it is easy to get bags of the one or two bite chocolates I like. I toss several in the freezer and have about six months worth of snack stuff.
ReplyDeleteJas: The fact that I haven't been home for awhile is showing. ;-) I was thinking of things like what Sharon mentioned - marshmallow peeps shaped like ghosts, cats, etc., candy corn, or pumpkin-shaped chocolates. Here, what is inside the bag isn't altered much at all, though it's possible that the Koala's March cookies may have a different design stamped on them.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I get too many mailings from See's candy about pumpkin pie truffles and lollipops. ;-)
Sharon: Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your perspective), every product here is close to being presented as "fun size". ;-)
I love the various Halloween themed snacks in Japan around this time of year. We just tried the Koala's March Chocolate and Strawberry Milk Halloween edition and they were so cute :)
ReplyDeleteJapan Australia