Which came first? Introducing souvenirs from different regions but too similar
2022-10-07
When you are on vacation, you are excited to pick out souvenirs for your acquaintances and family members at the store, thinking of them. However, you may be disappointed when you are told, "It's the same as "________, isn't it? "I'd like to introduce you to some souvenirs that are too similar to the ones you'll find in different regions of the world. Here are some souvenirs that are too similar to those from different regions.
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Table of Contents
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It has also led to litigation issues "white lover "issue
"What is Shiroi Koibito "
"Shiroi Koibito "is a popular western confectionery produced and sold by Ishiya Seika as a representative souvenir of Hokkaido. It is a confectionary with chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of langdosha, and once you start eating it, you will become addicted to it and will not be able to stop. Flavors include "Shiroi Koibito White "with white chocolate sandwiched in between, and "Shiroi Koibito Black "with milk chocolate sandwiched in between, depending on the type of chocolate used to sandwich the chocolate.
The confectionery went on sale in December 1976 (Showa 51). The name "Shiroi Koibito "is said to have been inspired by the 1968 movie "Shiroi Koibito-tachi ", which was made a few years earlier. Due to the unique souvenirs of Hokkaido and the effect of the commercials, Hokkaido has become known as "Shiroi Koibito" and is now one of the top selling souvenirs in Japan.
Spread of similar products and litigation cases
The unique regional characteristics of Hokkaido, the fashionable confectionery called langdosha, and the romantic name "~no Koibito "are all excellent and have a strong impact. So much so that "many souvenirs "were soon produced in homage to this product.
The first of these is "Interesting Lover ", which was released by Yoshimoto Kogyo in 2011. I remember that when I started the story with "Omoshiroi Koibito ", a classmate from Osaka corrected me, saying that it was "Omoshiroi Koibito ". A lawsuit was filed by Ishiya Seika against Yoshimoto Kogyo over this confectionery to stop its sale and to compensate for damages, and a settlement was reached in 2013, but it was a case that made me think about secondary use through parody, which is never "funny ". At that time, there were already many products in Japan that were "imitations "of "Shiroi Koibito ", so the manufacturers must have been very scared.
The "lovers "who exist all over the country.
"Shiroi Koibito "'s "homage "products currently exist in over 40 varieties throughout Japan.
Most of them are named in the pattern "(place name) lover of ".
"Aomori's Lover "puts apples and dialects front and center.
"Ibaraki lovers "have no choice but to prostrate themselves with the hollyhock crest.
"Tokyo, you too? "There are going to be people shouting, "You too!
Kansai, you make too many lovers.
Yamaguchi is a winner with its specialty, blowfish. It is safe, I am sure.
Among the many lovers' series, I felt this was the most likely to be a souvenir.
The impact of this product as a change of pace from the standard "chinsuko" is great.
For elegant and tasteful confections
Next, I will introduce Hagi no Tsuki.
Haginotsuki, which began distribution in September 1979 with Kasho Sanzen as the distributor, is a representative confectionary of Miyagi Prefecture with custard cream wrapped in sponge cake dough.
As awareness of Hagi no Tsuki gradually increased and spread, consumers began to devise their own ways to eat this unusual confectionery in a variety of ways. Some ate it as is at room temperature, while others partook of it after chilling it in the refrigerator. In addition, Yumi Matsutoya said "that it is delicious when eaten like ice cream after being frozen halfway in the freezer ", which led to the spread of this way of eating.
"Miyagi, where it is produced, is famous for its hagi (bush clovers), and the name, which expresses the appearance of a full moon floating in the sky, has been a hit "with the local people.
Souvenirs similar to Hagi no Tsuki
Some say that there is a similar souvenir about Hagi no Tsuki as well. It is characterized by the exact resemblance in the manufacturing process and appearance of the confectionery. Here are some examples of souvenirs that resemble Hagi no Tsuki.
Kastadon (Kagoshima, Satsuma Steam Keeper)
Kastadon is a product of Satsuma Steamed Cracker Shop (established in 1988), which is engaged in the production and sale of confections in Kagoshima. The company's products also include Karukan, another typical Kagoshima confectionery.
The custard, made with fresh eggs from Kagoshima Prefecture, has a thick texture, and the sponge is soft and fluffy, giving the pastry a soft flavor.
Sapporo Times Square (Kakasha, Hokkaido)
Sapporo Times Square is a mouthwatering custard cake produced by Kakasha. Two main flavors are available: "plain "flavor with smooth custard cream, and "azuki "flavor filled with custard and red bean paste made from Hokkaido azuki beans (other flavors include "branched milk & branched milk strawberry "and "Hokkaido pumpkin ").
Kakasha began selling "Sapporo Times Square "in 1990 (Heisei 2). It is now a popular product that is highly regarded as a souvenir.
Efforts of manufacturing companies throughout Japan continue.
Custard cakes that look exactly like Hagi no Tsuki are sold as souvenirs throughout Japan. However, Hagi no Tsuki has a trade secret manufacturing method, and there is a sense that Hagi no Tsuki is in a monopolistic position. However, in order to surpass its taste, manufacturers across the country are constantly striving to improve the quality of their products.
Kamakura vs. Fukuoka Bird Fight without Honor
I noticed this when I traveled to Tokyo and looked around at their souvenirs. When I saw "Dove Sablet ", a souvenir from Kamakura, I thought "Hey, that's the same as Dove Sablet from Fukuoka! This is the same as "Chick Sablet "in Fukuoka! "I thought, "This is the same as Fukuoka's Chickpea Sabley! Now, let me introduce each souvenir.
Kamakura's Historic Hato Sablet
Here is "Dove Sablet "in Kamakura. It is probably familiar to those in the Kanto area. Hato Sablet is a confectionery produced and sold by Toshimaya in Kamakura. The reason for the dove is inspired by the dove facing each other at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine.
In 1897, the founder received a hint of a cookie from a foreigner, which he intuited was a confectionery that would be appreciated by Japanese children. He then devised a form that would be easily accepted by the Japanese. He had a hard time using butter, which was commonly used in other countries, because it did not suit Japanese people.
Along the way, "the Great Kanto Earthquake "and "World War II "and the resulting supply shortages were overcome many times, and today most of the store's sales are made up of these "dove sableys ". It is now one of the representative souvenirs of Kanagawa Prefecture.
Chick sablefish developed by a long-established shop in Fukuoka
And vs.
"Chick Sabley ".
Hiyoko Sablet is a confectionary produced and sold by "Hiyoko Honpo Yoshinodo "in Fukuoka, Japan. The store originally made "Meika Hiyoko ", a moist Japanese confectionery that was the main product of the store. Its production has continued for about 110 years.
Now, in producing "Chick Sablet ", we invited Mr. Ebenauer, an Austrian pastry chef, and through a process of trial and error, we created a sablet that we are very particular about. The ingredients are a blend of flours developed through our own research and incorporation of high-quality 100% Hokkaido butter to create a crispy sablee. Chickpea Sablet went on sale in 1983.
Incidentally, there is also a Tokyo "Tokyo Chick Sablet "in Tokyo. This is the result of the expansion of the Chick Honpo Yoshinodo into Tokyo, where they began manufacturing and selling the new product. The package and contents are the same.
Maybe a new competitor ......
Now, this is not the only souvenir that looks just like Hato Sablet. One of the most famous is Kyoto's "duck sable ".
It's Kyoto, so it's duck.
These sweets are manufactured and sold by Izutsu Yatsuhashi Honpo.
Compared to the dove sable, it has a slimmer form and shows more distinct lines than the dove.
The taste is quite similar. Both have a rich buttery flavor, but the duck sable is more subtle and moist.
Duck Sable was created in 2012.
Why are souvenirs so similar?
If you often shop at souvenir shops, you may feel this way. "The souvenirs they carry are not much different no matter where you go. "
In fact, they are so similar in name, taste, shape, design, etc., between completely different regions, "that you may wonder if this is a rip-off. "Many people must be wondering "Isn't this a crack-up? Besides, I am afraid that there will be a lawsuit problem as in the case of white lovers.
So why do souvenirs tend to overlap in this way?Reason #1: Limited variety of sweets
The number of different types of sweets we carry as souvenirs is much smaller than the number of tourist attractions, which results in duplication. It is not that any kind of confectionery is acceptable. As a requirement for a souvenir, it must last for a long time. If it is damaged within two or three days of production, it cannot be used as a souvenir.
This limits the genres and types of sweets that are suitable as souvenirs. As a result, the number of souvenirs that can be bought at the same time is often the same.
Reason #2: Manufacturers are not concerned about rights.
Souvenir manufacturers and sellers are not likely to consider monopolizing the rights to sell their products or similar products. This is because they judge that the disadvantages of having a monopoly are greater. They think that doing so will tarnish their image with the public, or conversely, they may be sued by companies that commercialized their products earlier than they did. Another reason is that many manufacturers are focused on making people happy to eat their products and do not want to make monopoly profit a supreme priority.
Reason #3: Similar products also contribute to the sales of the company's products.
We see cases in many places where convenience stores from different companies are built close together. But rarely do they tussle with each other about obstructing each other's business. If both parties see that buying and being bought is mutually beneficial, and more importantly, if both parties see it as a good thing that people get into the habit of using the convenience store, then it is not a problem. Some people may think that since they are sold similar to another region, they can try them out and compare them. It is also true that there is such a benefit.
summary
A good way to deal with souvenirs is to think of them as similar, to simply enjoy their taste, to thank the person who bought them for you, and to think about that journey. Even if the souvenir had a short history, there must have been a lot of effort to commercialize it, and there may have been some drama associated with it. Knowing such things and truly savoring the souvenirs is a much richer way to enjoy them. When you receive a souvenir from someone, or when you yourself go on a trip and choose a souvenir, if you look at it from such a perspective, you may discover something you have never seen before.
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