Chocolate has played major historical roles for thousands of years, but it is often easy to forget that these roles have primarily been confined to Western countries and their cultures. Eastern countries like Japan uphold very different values, traditions, and lifestyles, even when it comes to things like chocolate.
Traditionally, Japanese sweets have been confined to seasonal cakes, jelly varieties, bean and dough dishes, and dried, hard-packed candies. The very first chocolate in Japan was brought by Dutch sailors in 1797, who bestowed it upon prostitutes in Nagasaki as gifts.
However, chocolate was substantially introduced to Japan only recently, during the latter part of WWII when American troops invaded the Japanese islands. The American soldiers carried military chocolate with them as basic field rations, for emergency food and for a “morale boost.” These bars, manufactured by Hershey’s Chocolates, were not normal bars. They were intentionally manufactured to be high in energy value, lightweight and easy to carry, heat-resistant, and not too indulgent for the senses. Physical value aside, the bars represented “home” to the soldiers, as Hershey chocolate bars were a frequently enjoyed treat back in the United States.
Though the chocolate that the Japanese initially encountered was not of the best quality to begin with, interest in chocolate began to grow in Japan. Demand in chocolate has grown substantially within the last few decades, since Japan’s rapid modernization has brought it to par with Western countries. And modernization is linked to Westernization; as it modernizes, a country assimilates to the Western ideals imposed by modern structure. The Japanese have adopted some American materials and ideals as part of their own culture, and chocolate is one of them.
Today, chocolate is wildly popular in Japan and its surrounding regions. Chocolate consumption is increasing at a rate of 25% annually there; the average Japanese citizen eats about 2.2 kilograms of chocolate per year. Though the Japanese have a long way to go compared to the English and Swiss in chocolate consumption, their demand has been remarkable given that chocolate was an unknown substance to many not very long ago. Many originally regarded chocolate as an exotic, expensive food reserved only to the upper class, but increased importation has helped to make the treat available to almost everyone. In fact, the response has been so successful that chocolate makers fear a shortage of cocoa beans in keeping up with demand.
Competition amongst chocolate companies is fierce in Japan. The country’s five largest candy companies—Lotte, Meiji, Morinaga, Ezaki Glico, and Fujiya—control 80% of the total chocolate market. Foreign vendors are also working on adapting their product and packaging to Japanese tastes, as the Nestle company has done with its Kit Kat bar. The Kit Kat bar has taken on flavors like Maccha Milk and Red Azuki Bean. Successful chocolate companies in Japan offer a wide variety of flavors in their chocolate, often including traditional Japanese dessert flavors .
Expansion of the Japanese chocolate industry will continue as new, less-expensive resources are utilized and innovative marketing techniques are developed. The Japanese sweet tooth for chocolate has few signs of disappearing any time soon, as the people adopt more Western chocolate traditions; it isn’t rare anymore for Japanese families to give chocolate to their kids, or for couples to exchange chocolates on Valentine’s Day.