In 1996, Starbucks opened its first Japanese location in Ginza, Tokyo. Now, 25 years later, they are doing something very special to celebrate their continued presence in the country. For each prefecture, they have partnered with locals to develop a special frappuccino featuring local ingredients and flavors for that prefecture. These are the JIMOTO Frappuccinos; “jimoto” meaning “local” in Japanese.
Each drink will be available only in its own region, so if you were looking for a reason to travel around Japan, here is a great one. The drinks feature many very creative local ingredients and are modeled after the landscapes and industries that the regions are known for.
For example, the bright pink Yamanashi frappuccino honors the prefecture’s 1300-year-old grape industry with grape, cream, and white chocolate blended together. Similarly, Hokkaido’s locally-grown exports of Tobiki corn and milk are blended into the flavors of its frappuccino.
Other frappuccinos show off a region’s landscapes rather than its local ingredients. The Iwate drink is inspired by Mt. Iwate’s iconic form, with black sesame sauce, matcha green tea, and caramel sauce representing its many colors.