Trends in Japan - CScout Japan Blog » Dairy comes in surprising places

Dairy comes in surprising places

Written by: Rebecca Milner on May 9, 2008 at 3:44 am | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION |

Despite what you may think about the traditional dairy-free Japanese diet, milk continues to make steady inroads, most recently showing up in a number of FMCG food products that have proved surprising hits.

The latest is this questionable Milk Curry cup noodles from Nissin, which joins Milk Seafood and Cheese Curry in the pro-dairy instant soup line-up.

Milk isn’t just an ingredient, but a draw on its own at Hokkaido-based Motoyama Milk’s newly opened Motoyama Milk Bar in the Roppongi Hills shopping complex.

The stylish, modern soda fountain features milk shakes served by “milk maids” in somewhat convincing costume, plus an assortment of other milky menu items. Gimmicky and pricey, yes, but sure to draw visitors.

Meanwhile, industry giant Meiji Dairy, announced plans to open a simulated cheese factory this month, called Tokachi Cheese Plaza in Hokkaido. Tourists who flock to Hokkaido in the summer to escape the heat can watch a simulated process of natural cheese production, have their questions answered at the PR corner, and dine in the restaurant.

Since Hokkaido is well-known to be the dairy producing region in Japan, manufacturers who want a piece of the current appetite for local foods are playing up their Hokkaido connections. TV talent Tanaka Yoshitake (from the northern region of Japan, just shy of Hokkaido), has produced a series of Hokkaido Fresh Caramels that are made from fresh cream and New Zealand white honey. They also come in rustic cheese wheel packaging to highlight the dairy connection.

Judging by the amount of press these little sweets (¥850 for 12) have gotten since they debuted at the beginning of this month, visitors to Hokkaido this summer will no doubt be scooping them up by the bagful as souvenirs.

Tags: beverages, FMCG, food, Hokkaido
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives license

6 Comments »

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But aren’t a majority of Oriental people sufferers from Lactose Intolerance? Wouldn’t that make consumption of milk-containing products a rather unpleasant experience, even if trendy? Being lactose-intolerant myself, I often wonder about these issues.

Comment by Bob — May 27, 2008 #
[...] combinations have been the theme of more than a few hit items recently. Examples include Nissin’s Milk Seafood Cup Noodles, Lotteria’s gourmet hamburger targeted towards discerning lunching OLs, and last fall’s [...]

Pingback by Trends in Japan » Soy sauce for Ice Cream from Yamato — May 31, 2008 #
I had the Nissin Cup Noodle Cheese Curry in Japan last year and have been trying to purchase them via the internet. Does ANYONE have any ideas about how I might go about finding a place to order them from? I would be so grateful for any suggestions.

Comment by Valorie — June 2, 2008 #
[...] waren das Thema vieler Food-Trends der letzten Zeit. Beispiele hierfür sind Nissin’s Milk Seafood Cup Noodles, Lotteria’s Gourmet Hamburger die speziell die hartarbeitenden Office Lady’s [...]

Pingback by Trends in Japan - Deutsch » Yamato’s brandneue Sojasouce für Eiscreme — June 4, 2008 #
looks really yummy:)

Comment by moroheiya — June 6, 2008 #
[...] interesting to us, mostly due to the rapid product cycle, off-beat marketing campaigns, strange flavor combinations, lots of collaborations, and modern crowdsourcing [...]

Pingback by Trends in Japan - CScout Japan Blog » FMCG Consumption Circle Almost Complete — April 13, 2009 #