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November 11 (11/11) is "Pocky & Pretz Day" every year in Japan. In 1999, Ezaki Glico Co Ltd decided that November 11 would be "Pocky & Pretz Day" (the shape of the popular stick snacks resembles the number 1) and it was recognized by the Japan Anniversary Association.
Each year on November 11, Ezaki Glico carries out a campaign to thank its customers.
This year, Ezaki Glico has added the Pocky & Pretz Day: Twitter campaign. If you follow pockypretz11 on Twitter and tweet to fill in the ○○ on "○○&PO Pocky do seriously too. #andpo" from 11:11 a.m. to 12:10:59 p.m., you will be eligible to receive various snacks from Ezaki Glico.
In the ○○ in the sentence, you can write what you are doing at that particular time.
Happy snacking.
© Japan Today
17 Comments
jonobugs
I can see Pocky making their own anniversary, but I can't believe it was accepted by the Japanese Anniversary Association.
@Eddisofbextar: I'm still waiting for my copy to arrive!
Mike Walker
In the UK Pocky is called Mikado,because Pocky sounds too much like pokey which means a small and dirty place. We celebrated at 11.11 am and all my students remembered the day.One girl from China told us that in China it was lonely single persons day. A friend met the inventor of Pocky when working for Glico a long time back.The inventor didnt expect anything for his discovery and low and behold got nothing as patent rights belong to the company.He was just doing his job.
NetNinja
I chose Twix cookie bars. That was much tastier
Christian del Castillo
11/11 celebration started in Korea as 'Pepero day' (a Lotte Co. product, Lotte's prez is Korean-ethnic so that Co. has a huge presence here in SK) in 1994, Glico was trying to copy the success of that 'celebration'. Pepero day is very popular here, unlike in Japan where I've never heard of Pocky day until I moved here to SK last year. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepero
smithinjapan
Uzneko: "The article states it was started in 1999"
Missed that, thanks. Clearly it didn't catch on right away.
Anyway, I checked out the home page on this and it says to fill in the "OO" part with 'yaritai koto', not 'what you are doing at that particular time'. So shouldn't you be putting in what you WISH you were doing or want to do instead of what you're actually doing?
palanteboricua
Only in Japan....!!! lmao!! I'm not a Pocky fan eater, but sounds tempting.... My boys can't get enough of this stuff.
seesaw1
I'm just going to have a busy day as usual...
Amai-yuki
Pocky huh? I think i'll try it.
Elbuda Mexicano
J Gal Pokey Choco is good but try Barubon Chocolate!! Yum! Yummy!!
Eddisofbextar
I enjoy Pocky. I will likely enjoy eating Pocky on 11/11/11 while enjoying Skyrim as well =)
Might even be doing so tomorrow, if download goes well overnight =)
soldave
I didn't but I do now. Expecting "Best Anniversaryists" award to be dished out soon.
ratpack
Would have been alot better if they had of used six 1's in the advertisment.....after all thats all you need for 11/11/11.
uzneko
The article states it was started in 1999
smithinjapan
There are some utterly ridiculous 'days' in Japan (like the proposed 'Orange Day' to supplement Valentine's and White Day), but in this case I think it's just clever marketing, and a boon for Glico. I hope whomever thought of it at the company a year or two back got a raise.
nath
You did not know that soldave?
I love frozen dark choco pocky
soldave
There is a Japan Anniversary Association???