McDonald's McShake x Doraemon Yogurt Shake: Doraemon is a much beloved Japanese cartoon character, a fixture of children's television and merchandising that is pretty impossible to escape in Japan. This year marks the cartoon's 50th anniversary, which has led to many partnerships and exclusive products. McDonald's in Japan currently has a line of celebratory Happy Meal Doraemon toys, but I opted for their special Doraemon yogurt milkshake; a small drink cost 120¥ or about $1 USD. I can't say I've actually had a shake from McDonald'... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Megmilk Snow Matcha Pudding: This is a delicious green tea pudding with a panna cotta-like texture (that is, much softer and looser than most store-bought pudding). It comes with a brown sugar packet so you can add as much sweetness as you'd like, but I preferred it without any additional flavoring. The matcha flavor is very distinctive, with its characteristic bitterness rounded out by the dessert's creaminess. Will definitely be purchasing again! 4.0/5.0
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Meiji Pucca: Fish-shaped biscuits filled with milk chocolate. The most obvious comparison would be to Lotte's koala cookies, which I find to be better overall; the Pucca cookies don't have much flavor, and they lack the charm of the uniquely printed koala snacks. 2.0/5.0
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Meiji Kyo-matcha chocolates: These thin square chocolates have a light green color and ornate embossed floral design. While it has a concentrated matcha flavor, the chocolate itself has a waxy and dense mouthfeel similar to white chocolate. The ingredient list has sugar followed by cocoa butter, which seems about right. 2.5/5.0
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Meiji Ginger Ale up Gummi: These are similar in shape and texture to Harbibo cola gummies but flavored like ginger ale. It does have a citrus + pear flavor similar to Sprite with a hint of ginger. Overall, I was hoping for more ginger flavor, or for the snack to capture some of the sharp fizziness of a can of ginger ale. But it was just ok. 3.0/5.0
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