How many of these iconic Japanese chocolates can we grab for 40 yen?

Black Thunder is one of Japan’s most famous chocolates, winning fans around the country for its cheap 40-yen (US$0.26) price point and the chunks of cookie pieces it contains, which deliver a thunderous crunch.

▼ Black Thunder is available in a variety of flavours, but its original bar (pictured front, below) remains a top seller.

With this year being the chocolate’s 30th anniversary, its makers, Yuraku Confectionery, are going big with the celebrations, offering people the chance to grab as many Black Thunders as they can at a special “Tsukami Dream” (“Grab Dream“) event currently taking place in Harajuku in Tokyo.

▼ The event is being held at “COVER” on the second floor of Tokyu Plaza Harajuku (Harakado).

Our reporter P.K. Sanjun headed down to the event to see how many chocolates he could grab, and after paying the obligatory 40-yen participation fee, he headed over to the giant box of Black Thunders.

This is a dream sight for any chocolate fan, and with 14 varieties of Black Thunder inside, P.K. began to wonder what treasures he might be able to unearth.

▼ This huge container measures 5.1 metres (16.7 feet) in length and 2.4 metres in height.

P.K. resisted the urge to climb up and dive into the Black Thunder mountain, instead following instructions from staff to insert his hand into one of the holes and grab as many chocolates as possible.

▼ How many Black Thunders will this palm be able to retrieve?

▼ “Don’t let me down, iron fist!”

▼ Reaching into the hole, P.K. stretched his fingers wide to grab as many bars as possible…

▼ …how many would he pull out?

▼ Success!

P.K. grabbed on tight to the chocolates, as the rules state that any dropped chocolates are invalidated and will not be returned to you.

So what did he go home with?

▼ 13 Black Thunders!

In addition to the original variety, P.K. also scored white chocolate, bitter, rich and pink versions, as well as some unusual flavours like Okinawan brown sugar and Osaka caramel.

With each chocolate priced from 40 yen, as the regional-exclusive varieties tend to cost more, the total value of P.K.’s haul came to at least 520 yen, which meant he walked away with roughly 480-yen worth of free chocolate at the end of the day. This was a result he was extremely happy with, but after speaking to staff, he learned he was far off the record-holding chocolate grab, which, when he visited, was 22 chocolates!

P.K. couldn’t fathom holding that many chocolates in one hand, so he figured the record holder must have a hand like a catcher’s mitt. The Black Thunder president, who was there when P.K. visited, could only retrieve 13 chocolates himself, which made P.K. feel a little better about his own haul.

P.K. gleaned a hack from staff while he was there, as they say the trick is to move your hand in a downward scooping motion once it’s inside the hole, instead of lifting it upwards. This helps you to grip the chocolates in your palm more securely, and it’s actually easier to do than it sounds, because once you’re scooping, you’ll be surprised at how many chocolates your hand can naturally hold.

It’s an incredibly fun event, but there are two things to note if you want to take part — the site only accepts electronic payments, the experience is limited to one go per person, and, most importantly, it’s only being held for five short days, from 10-14 February.

So flex your hand muscles, strengthen your fist and get down there while you can, because Black Thunder is a must-try chocolate when you’re in Japan. There’s no better way to get a taste of it right now…unless you’re prepared to eat it as deep-fried tempura at this noodle restaurant chain.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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