KitKat Sakura (Exam Hell Edition)

This sakura edition KitKat is available, along with those pink gift boxes (big enough for two KitKats) from ガスト, バーミヤン, Jonathan’s, and other family restaurants in the Skylark group.

It’s for all those poor students currently enduring the bloodthirsty annual ritual of 受験地獄 (’Exam Hell’), a form of nationwide child abuse… err… growing up in Japan.

Of course KitKats are lucky in Japan – KitKat, or “キットカット” (”Kitto Katto”) sounds a bit like “きっとかつ” (”Kitto katsu”) which means ‘You’re sure to win’ roughly.

And as Nestle has very sensitively been cashing in on the annual bloodsport for years, Skylark decided to join in too.

KitKat Yukimizakura

Goodness but the Sakura KitKat seems to come out earlier and earlier each year, doesn’t it. This year they admit it, but making it the ‘winter-blooming’ cherry-blossom.

Er, OK. But given the limited edition nature of these things, does that mean there’ll be another one when spring arrives and the regular sakura starts blooming?

KitKat Exotic Kyushu Sakura

Or Exotic Sakura Assort, to give it its proper title. Each of the four regions now has a Sakura version of the Exotic collection, meaning half the box contains the “caramel white chocolate with orange and mango” that dissolved my teeth before, and the other half is those delicate pink cherry-flavoured ones.

All rather excessive, if you ask me. I’m not quite sure what the idea is behind this version, but when it comes to entirely unsuitable and random flavour combinations that leave us wanting less, it’s what we’ve come to expect from anything with Takagi’s name on it.

KitKat Sakura & Sakuranbo

The Cherry Blossom season’s just around the corner? Who are Nestlé trying to kid? There’s probably a Ministry of the Interior handbook that says when sakura season officially starts, and I’ll bet it doesn’t say January 1st.

Anyway this year’s Sakura Kat is a little different from last year’s. A little. The packet’s got a cherry on it. Didn’t have that last year. And it’s a bit more cherry-y too.

KitKat Sakura

Reckon Nestlé were pretty proud of this one. They got it into the shops long before the cherry trees blossomed and it was available for ages. Had a few of these, but a little too sweet (and let’s face it, unchocolatey) for the full 5 stars.