Japanese Kit Kats | Searching for the coolest flavours

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UPDATE – This blog post is now out of date. Please check out our brand new Kit Kat guide over on our new Japan site Plan My Japan >

Kit Kats – a British tea break national treasure. You were probably wowed when they brought out the dark chocolate flavour, or even the cookies and cream. This is tame though…nothing can prepare you though, for what the Japanese have done with them…

Welcome to the world of Japan’s unusual and experimental kit kat flavours! This item of confectionary has reached cult status, possibly to do with the fact it is seen as a good luck charm. The Japanese pronounce it as ‘kitto katto’ which sounds similar to ‘kitto katsu’, which means ‘you will surely win’.

These are photos of the Japanese Kit Kats I could find during my visit in 2016 (and my sister’s visit in 2018). They have released nearly 300 flavours since the year 2000. The most common one you can find all over Japan is Matcha (green tea), but there are some limited editions which are a little harder to find. There are also regional packs that use ingredients and signature flavours linked to the local area, and are only sold in that part of Japan. I had a Japan rail pass during my visit, so was able to travel around several parts of the country and seek out more interesting flavours.

Searching for the coolest japanese kit kats | Travel blog | Kit kats | roasted green tea matcha — *Roasted Green Tea*

Searching for the coolest Kit Kat flavours in Japan | Travel blog | Kit kats | strawberry cheesecake — *Strawberry cheesecake flavour*

Searching for the coolest Kit Kat flavours in Japan | Travel blog | Kit kats | purple sweet potato — *Sweet potato flavour*

Searching for the coolest Kit Kat flavours in Japan | Travel blog | Kit kats | rum and raisin — *Rum and raisin flavour*

Searching for the coolest Kit Kat flavours in Japan | Travel blog | Kit kats | matcha green tea — *Green Tea flavour*

Searching for the coolest Kit Kat flavours in Japan | Travel blog | Kit kats | wasabi — *Wasabi flavour*

Searching for the coolest Kit Kat flavours in Japan | Travel blog | Kit kats | hokkaido red bean — *Hokkaido red bean flavour*

Searching for the coolest Kit Kat flavours in Japan | Travel blog | Kit kats | strawberry — *Strawberry flavour*

Searching for the coolest Kit Kat flavours in Japan | Travel blog | Kit kats | match green tea — *Green tea flavour*

Searching for the coolest Kit Kat flavours in Japan | Travel blog | Kit kats | hazelnut — *Hazelnut flavour*

Searching for the coolest Kit Kat flavours in Japan | Travel blog | Kit kats | orange lemon lime — *Citrus flavour*

Searching for the coolest Kit Kat flavours in Japan | Travel blog | Kit kats | kobe pudding — *Kobe pudding flavour*

These were the ones I could find from Kyoto, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Osaka and Takayama areas. There are many more from the other regions of Japan. Flavours I have yet to find include maccha milk, cherry blossom, apricot seed, choco banana, white peach, fruit parfait, french salt, pumpkin, melon, mango, soybean powder, watermelon, pineapple, kiwi, cappuccino, maple and coca cola. Some of them are pretty crazy eh?

Japanese Kit Kats – the Kit Kat Chocolatory, Tokyo

Kit Kat Chocolatory Is a luxury boutique Kit Kat store found in Tokyo within Seibu department store in Ikebukuro, and in Tokyo Station’s Daimaru. Both opened in 2012 and are aimed at more sophisticated adult tastes. The flavours and luxury packaging sold here are unique to this store and include flavours such as chilli & passionfruit, strawberry maple and orange cocktail. Chocolatory is very popular so expect queues – the 500 kit kats available on opening day sold out in one hour forty minutes.