Pocky Day is the day that Japan – nay, the world – celebrates the iconic chocolate-covered Japanese sweet, Pocky. We have a complete guide to Pocky Day if you don’t know all about the biggest, greatest holiday of all time.

I’m still nursing a hangover from last year’s Mother of All Pocky Days, 11-11-11 (or for you Europeans, 11-11-11), but I thought I could surface out of my Pocky-fueled haze for a while and share with y’all some cool, Pocky-related things.

Unusual Pocky Flavors

Japan loves seasonal, novelty, and local foods. You see this played out in a lot of the candies and sodas sold throughout Japan, and Pocky is no exception. Take a look at some of the strangest, most niche Pocky flavors so far:

Purple Sweet Potato (紫いも)

I don’t know if I love the sound of this flavor because it’s so unusual, or because I love the alliteration of “purple potato,” but the fact is that Japanese purple sweet potato is a pretty rare flavor.

Hokkaido Melon (夕張メロン)

Melon is a notoriously expensive food in Japan, so it’s nice to be able to get this rare (and regional) treat in Pocky form.

Kobe Wine (神戸ワイン)

Ah, Kobe, Japan. A thriving metropolis known for its world-famous beef, the devastating earthquake of 1995, and its . . . vineyards? Despite my ignorance of the Japanese wine market, Glico has capitalized on the apparently famous wine of Kobe with this novelty Pocky. Can you get drunk off of wine Pocky? My extensive testing is thus far inconclusive.

Reverse (リバース)

I hope whichever Glico employee had the brilliant (yet painfully obvious) idea of creating a “reverse” Pocky got a promotion or a raise or something.

Brazilian Pudding (ブラジルプリン)

When I think Brazilian food, pudding isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, but Glico has brought the sweet, milky flavor of Brazilian pudding to Japan, in Pocky form.

Commercials

For the last year or so, pretty boy Kazunari Ninomiya has been the star of Glico’s Pocky commercials. MC Hammer’s U Can’t Touch This has also been strangely prominent in these commercials, but I won’t complain.

Recently though, the ads have shifted from Hammer-based to a angels-and-demons theme. One thing has stayed the same though; there are still strange voiceovers from an English speaker.

How do you celebrate Pocky Day? Have you raided your local Asian market today?

What Is Pocky Day?

First of all, what is Pocky? For those of you who don’t know, Pocky is a popular snack all around the world, but it’s probably most popular in Japan (since that’s where it comes from). When it comes to Japanese treats, though, these are the ones that you’ll see all around the world. Basically, they’re breadish / cookie-ish sticks with chocolate on them. You grab them by the un-chocolatey side and then start dancing.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJVjlQ3BSrM']

There is one special day, though, where Pocky (supposedly) reigns as king of the snack world, and that day is “Pocky Day,” which lands on November 11 (11-11) because that date consists of a bunch of ones, which are, of course, shaped like Pocky. On 11-11 (Pocky Day) you are supposed to buy lots and lots of Pocky, or something, because that’s just what people do… or, that’s what the “It’s Pocky Day!” commercials suggest. Don’t even think about not assimilating with the Pocky Borg.

How “Pocky Day” Got Started

Strangely enough, Pocky Day was stolen, in a few different ways.

In Korea there is a snack called “Pepero,” which is basically just Pocky with a Korean name.

Pretty much what happened was that Lotte (who makes Pepero, first sold in 1983) pretty much ripped off Glico (who made Pocky since 1966). At least one thing came from Pepero in Korea, though, and that is “Pepero Day.” Apparently it is similar to Valentines day, and young couples exchange Pepero, candies, and “romantic gifts.”

So, I guess to try and get Pepero back, the girls and gals at Glico said “Hey, Pepero’s making a ton of money in Korea from their Pepero day, let’s teach people to do that in Japan, too!”

As for the origins of “Pepero Day,” Wikipedia says that “Pepero Day was started in 1994 by students at a girls’ middle school in Busan, where they exchanged Pepero sticks as gifts to wish one another to grow “as tall and slender as a Pepero.” If that’s not a romantic start to this holiday, I don’t know what is.

Although “Pocky Day” is a thing in Japan, from what I’ve read it’s not as popular as Pepero day. Still, Glico is spending money on Pocky Day ads in Japan, so there must be something going on.

To Celebrate…

Unfortunately, I don’t have any Pocky to give to you (go to your local grocer and buy a box!). Instead of real Pocky, here are the best Pocky commercials on YouTube for you to enjoy. Although I may not eat Pocky on Pocky Day, I will enjoy these videos of other people eating Pocky for me. Yum.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSDBwPztxZY&NR']

Another YMO video… these one are a bit creepy…

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGEehy_2TrY']

Dance!

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTN03fM1Dzc']

Anata Mo Watashi Mo…

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHsbuQN4lZo']

Pocky makes arranged marriages fun again

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giZtyYGjH1Q']

D’awwww

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdalvWYAv_w']

This one takes a really quick turn… for the better?

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XbzVPmWMHg']

Holy Crap! So Retro!

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBIsFcAtDCU']

Kind of reminds me of those weird Palm Pre commercials…

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwQzsvm9qBw']

Another “Crap I Can’t Belive That Happened” Commercial

|||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||||||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| |||||

|||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| |||||  |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| |||||

||| ||||| || |||||| || |||||||| ||||||

| ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| ||||| |||| |||||| || |||||| | | |||||||||| |||| |||||||||| | || ||||| ||| ||| ||||| || |||||| ||| || ||||||| |||| |||| |||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| | ||||| | ||||||||| | |||| | |||| | ||| |||| |||||!