Kangaroo meat is selling like hotcakes in Japanese convenience stores. Sales of protein-related products are skyrocketing against a backdrop of growing fascination for weight training.
All protein-related products grew 40% year on year at Natural Lawson convenience stores from fiscal 2018 to fiscal 2019.
And September 2019 sales increased 70% YoY, with kangaroo meat being a prime driver at the chain’s 143 stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Tokyo-based Vasel Inc. sells kangaroo meat under the RooMeat and Paroo brands throughout Japan, including the roo jerky selling strongly at convenience stores.
“Kangaroo meat is the pinnacle of red meats. Its saturated fats are 20 times better for you than beef and kangaroo meat is really popular among women with a strong awareness of beauty,” a Vasel spokesman recently told the Japanese media.
Vasel’s targets are those seeking an athlete’s diet of high-protein, low calorie foods, and women with a strong awareness of beauty and maintaining a healthy weight.
Kangaroo meat is not produced by keeping roos as livestock, but by capturing wild kangaroos and processing the meat. Vasel has imported kangaroo meat into Japan from Australia since the 1980s. Demand has grown significantly in recent years and it now imports 50 tons annually.
“There’s growing interest in red meat. Game is becoming increasingly popular within the dining industry. Women and athletes who are concerned with their health are eating kangaroo. We have focused on branding the meat as RooMeat since 2014, and the robust sales we’re seeing now are probably reflecting that,” the Vasel spokesman said.
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, probably the most-loved Australian children’s TV program in history, has turned 50 years old.
The first episodes screened in Australia in February 1968 and the show remains popular to this day, though only three series comprising 91 episodes were made.
The show premiered outside of Australia. Its run in Japan had effectively ended before Skippy showed in Australia, mainly because the series was made in color, which did not arrive in Australia until 1975. Skippy told the story of a grey kangaroo and her best friend, a young boy named Sonny Hammond, played by Garry Pankhurst in his only role of significance in an acting career that had finished by his teens. Pankhurst grew up to work in the hospitality business and eventually ended up exporting kangaroo meat for consumption in Asian countries.
Sonny’s father, Matt, was the head ranger at the (fictional) Waratah National Park, as depicted by Ed Devereaux. Other cast regulars included Sonny’s brother, Mark, portrayed by Ken James, the park pilot, Jerry King, played by Tony Bonner, and park receptionist, Clancy, performed by Liza Goddard.
Skippy was the marsupial equivalent to the likes of Lassie, Flipper and Rin Tin Tin, to name a few animal sleuths, solving all sorts of problems and achieving all manner of feats worthy of a superhero.
The series was one of Australia’s most heavily exported TV programs. It was broadcast in at least 128 countries. Among its versions are Skippy in Norwegian and Finnish, the French, Skippy le kangourou, the Spanish, Skippy el Canguro, Dutch, Skippy de Boskangoeroe, the Russian, Скиппи (телесериал), German, Skippy, das Buschkänguruh, Persianاسکیپی, Italian, Skippy il canguro and of course, Japan, where it was known as カンガルー・スキッピー(kangaruu sukippii). In Japan, Skippy ran on the NTV network. The show started running in 1966 in a dubbed version, with re-runs playing in an early morning slot into the 1970s.
Skippy was mildly popular. The theme song, 森のスキッピー(Mori no Sukippii) was sung by School Mates, a large group of talented young kids belonging to the Tokyo Music Academy.
The Tokyo Music Academy has schools throughout Japan.
It is closely tied to Watanabe Productions, one of Japan’s biggest talent agencies.
Incredibly, School Mates continues performing to this day, albeit with a complete change of membership.
Moreover, a popular folk band at the time, The Riginnies, also released a song based on the show, called Skippy.
In addition to the TV series, in 1969 there was also the release of a feature-length film called Skippy and the Intruders. See the movie here.
Skippy’s iconic theme also proved to be a winner for transplanted Pom, Eric Jupp, who wrote and performed it. On the back of the successful son, Jupp released a series of Skippy-themed singles, including the main theme.
Skippy remained an integral part of the Australian TV landscape long after its original run.
In 1992, an updated version of the show ran, called The Adventures of Skippy.
In this show, Andrew Clarke played a grown Sonny Hammond, himself now a park ranger, but who retained strong ties to Skippy.
Even this series had a Japanese angle, as you can find out by watching the show below.
And, just as a bonus, here’s the French version of the show’s opening titles. Skippy – générique en français
Punk Doily, a recently opened cafe, offers a heavenly touch of Australia made by a Saint in a small nook in Oyamadai, Setagaya-ku.
最近開店したパンクドイリーがセイントが作るオーストラリア風素晴らしいご馳走を提供している。
Punk Doily’s sausage rolls are authentically Oz, faithfully providing not only the flavor of the tuckshop, but also adding pleasures for the gourmand that the Japanese excel at. パンクドイリーのソーセージロールは本格的なオージー味であり、学校売店の懐かしい料理を誠実に再現する上に日本人の特異な上質なグルメを加える。
Available in sage and fennel flavors, the sausage rolls use pork from exclusively potato-fed pigs, and have a hearty, mouth-watering meat that tastes perfect without the need of excessive herbs, spices or other additives.
セージとフェンネル味があり、ジャガイモが飼料の豚から得る豚肉使用によって濃厚な美味しさがあり、余計なハーブやスパイスなどが使用不要。 Wash down the delicious savory snack with one of the selection of Punk Doily’s coffees. The Australian-style, rich brews are sublime, the hand drip providing a strong flavor and delicious aroma.
うまみたっぷりなおやつと共にパンクドイリー作コーヒーを一杯のみと良い。オーストラリア風の濃くある抽出が格別であり、ハンド・ドリップの味が濃厚で香りもよい。
Sweets are another highlight of Punk Doily! On the day of our visit there were delightful salted, triple chocolate cookies, sake-infused cherry tarts and rum raisin brownies. Sublime! The cafe serves up some utterly amazing treats. Check out their Facebook page for some of the other fabulous fare on offer. また、パンクドイリーのもう一つのハイライトが何と言ってもスイーツ！訪問した当日提供したのは日本酒に浸けたチェリータルト、ラム酒漬干しブドウブラウニーと三種類のチョコが入っているトリプルチョコレートクッキー！何と言っても最高にうまかった！その他にもたくさんの美味しいご馳走を提供するので、詳しくは同店のフェースブックページを参照にしてください。
Enjoy Punk Doily’s delicious coffee and culinary delights on site or take out.
パンクドイリーの美味しいコーヒーと料理は店内で楽しんでもテークアウトも出来ます。
Punk Doily is located about the Tamagawa Christ Chuo Church at 3F, 3-28-21 Oyamadai, Setagaya-ku Tokyo 158-0086, Tokyo 158-0086. Tel: 090-4702-7959 Open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. パンクドイリーは玉川キリスト中央教会の上３Fにある、所在地が3ー28ー21尾山台東京都世田谷区。電話が090-4702-7959。営業は土日の11時から5時となっている。
Incidentally, if you’re interested in finding our more about the connection with the saints, go to Punk Doily yourself.
ちなみに、上記のセイントについてもっと詳しく知りたいなら、ぜひ直接お店に足を誇んで自分に聞いて見るといいと思う。
Kangarou Pizzas are a French fast food chain.
The chain appears to be based in Thionville, with outlets in Metz, Nancy and Varangéville.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the chain specializes in deliveries.
It’s logo is a bouncing kangaroo, or kangarou in French! Being from the land of culinary delights, you’d expect Kangarou Pizzas to be a popular choice.
Perhaps because of its origins, customers are more demanding, but the chain gets only average reviews on Trip Advisor, with 60% rating it as either “poor” or “terrible,” though it appears disgruntled users were more miffed by poor service than lousy food.
Still, it’s nice to see kangaroos making their mark in France.
Japanese have been legally eating kangaroo for longer than most Australians. Kangaroo meat was imported to Japan and being served in Tokyo restaurants from 1988, five years before meat from the national symbol was legalized for consumption by Australians in all states other than South Australia, where kangaroo could be eaten legally from 1980. (Indigenous Australians had continued eating kangaroo, a traditional food, regardless of the ban.)
Despite the head start, kangaroo meat never really kicked on in Japan, despite its reputation for being a healthy, high-protein, low-fat alternative to beef or pork. RooMeat was promoted in Japan as being a preferred choice of athletes and models, but the “stars” called upon to plug the meat were not household names. Moreover, the meat was promoted with the somewhat mysterious catch copy of “it’s tasty if you cook it.”
Kangaroo meat can still be purchased in Japan, probably most easily from The Meat Guy, purveyor of fine meats.
Kangaroo meat is also promoted as an environmentally friendly choice as kangaroos produce less methane than cattle.
Some people have also adopted kangatarianism, which is essentially a vegetarian diet that allows for the consumption of kangaroo meat. Japan’s kangaroo business was also involved in the kangaroo industry, which focuses around the marsupial’s leather, which is regarded as the strongest source of leather for shoes and gloves. K-Roo kangaroo meat promotions Premium kangaroo meat promotions
Strewth! It doesn’t get much worse than the latest KitKat concoction to hit Japanese stores, which arguably takes the title of world’s worst chocolate unofficially claimed by Australia when it produced Vegemite chocolate back in June 2015. KitKat Nodoame flavor is now selling at Japanese retail outlets and is the latest in a line of Japanese KitKat flavors that extends well beyond 200.
It should be noted, that ＜i>nodoame is the Japanese word for throat lozenge, and that’s exactly what’s been dished up in the latest KitKat…a throat lozenge flavored-chocolate!!!!
For what it’s worth, throat lozenge-flavored KitKat tastes exactly as it sounds, with your average cough lolly covered by waffle and coated in a layer of chocolate. The Nodoame KitKat is sold in a box adorned by a caricature of soccer commentator Yasutaro Matsuki cheering Japan on to its ultimately successful qualification for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia (which it achieved by defeating Australia’s hapless Socceroos at Saitama Stadium 2002 on August 31, 2017).
The presumed use of Matsuki to promote the flavor is because his shouting for Japan precludes the need for a throat lozenge. Japanese KitKat Flavors (not a complete list…site in Japanese) Japanese KitKat flavors page 1 Japanese KitKat flavors page 2 Japanese KitKat flavors page 3
Vegemite chocolate ad from back in the day
