The Japanese long-tailed tit is a wild bird that only lives in Hokkaido in Japan. Its adorable appearance, also known as the "snow fairy," has fascinated many people and has become a fad in recent years. In this article, we will introduce the "Japanese long-tailed tit's white guarana," a fusion of the cute Japanese long-tailed tit and Hokkaido's soul drink, guarana.

An illustration of a long-tailed tit on the packaging

With its round eyes and round shape like a dumpling...it's a label that's so cute you'll want to pick it up without even thinking.

This product was developed by Obara Co., Ltd., headquartered in Nanae, Hokkaido. They manufacture the ever-popular Co-up Guarana. This year marks the 92nd year since the company was founded!

Originally, Co-up Guarana was a drink developed to compete with Coca-Cola, which had just entered the Japanese market, so its color is similar to that of cola. However, this new guarana is called "White Guarana," and its color is reminiscent of the Japanese long-tailed tit.

White and fluffy. The "snow fairy" - the long-tailed tit

According to Obara-san, when they released a limited quantity at the end of last year, they immediately sold out, and the additional production also quickly sold out...the response was greater than expected. Although it was sold only in winter, the stores that stocked it said, "It sells so well that we want it to be available all year round."

Shimae [naga] and [ga]ra [na]...if you look closely, you'll see that there are two overlapping characters, so this may have been a fateful combination!

Where can I buy it?

Since it is a limited edition product, it is not clear exactly when it will be available, but after some research, I found information that it is sold at Hokkaido product fairs, souvenir shops in Hokkaido, roadside stations, supermarkets, etc. (I found it at Sunagawa SA about a month ago!) It is also available for purchase online, so if you are interested, please check it out.

Co-op Guarana in a bottle is also quite rare.

Recent developments in guarana

Obara's attractive guaranas are appearing one after another, such as "Guaranapple," an apple-flavored guarana in collaboration with AEON, and the "Co-up Guarana x Hakodate Keirin 19th Summer Night Festival Commemorative Bottle" (limited time only), in collaboration with Hakodate Keirin Stadium.

The commemorative bottle contained twice the usual amount of guarana extract.

I'm looking forward to seeing what new guarana will come out next.