Gummies for good skin!

Today, and April 18th annually, is Good Skin Day よいお肌の日 in Japan. However, contrary to what you might think, the anniversary was created by a company - Meiji - to promote their already much beloved "Kaju" gummies! But it also serves to remind people to care for their skin with small, enjoyable habits.

The date for the anniversary comes from goroawase: the art of Japanese wordplay using numbers. The date April 18th, 4/18, can be read as "yo (4) i (1) ha (8) da," which means "good skin". Meiji created the anniversary in the hope that it would encourage people to enjoy their collagen-rich gummy candy as part of a fun and approachable beauty and wellness routine. 

Meiji fruit gummies have a long history. As you can see in the photo, that I took at a Meiji factory tour, the company launched the gummies in 1987.  The gummies boast 100% fruit juice and it quickly captured 90% of the market. Today, the lineup includes classics like grape, mikan, strawberry, as well as functional varieties such as Iron Grapefruit and Collagen Muscat.