Black Thunder Unveils Gianduja Delight: A Premium Push From Japan’s Accessible Chocolate Icon
Yuraku Confectionery has announced the latest addition to its cult-favourite Black Thunder line: Black Thunder Gianduja Delight, launching in convenience stores nationwide on 2 December 2025 ahead of a wider release on 12 January 2026.
The new bar centres on gianduja – the classic Italian blend of roasted hazelnut paste and chocolate – executed with a meticulously tested “golden ratio” of two distinct hazelnut pastes (one with skin for depth, one without for creaminess). Texture remains core to the Black Thunder identity: the bar layers candy-coated hazelnuts, feuilletine, whole-wheat biscuits, butter-flavoured cookies and cocoa biscuits, while roasted butter and a whisper of coffee powder add savoury complexity. Presented in a calm matte-gold wrapper, the packaging signals a clear step-up in perceived luxury for a brand long positioned as an affordable energy-bar-style treat.
The launch arrives amid an unusually active 2025 for Japan’s chocolate category, where domestic mass-market players and global prestige houses alike have accelerated innovation.
Key Trends Shaping Japan’s Chocolate Market
Elevated everyday indulgence: Mass-market brands traditionally priced under ¥100 are introducing sophisticated flavour profiles and premium ingredients. Black Thunder’s gianduja execution, complete with dual hazelnut pastes and coffee accent, mirrors Meiji’s Almond Chocolate Crunch Okinawa Salt & Milk and Morinaga’s renewed DARS Premium range (Rich Cacao, Rich Strawberry), signalling that convenience-store chocolate is no longer limited to basic milk or crunchy profiles.
Gianduja and roasted-nut depth: Hazelnut-led creations have surged. Beyond Black Thunder Gianduja Delight, Pierre Marcolini offered Yuzu Noisette (Piedmont hazelnut gianduja with caramelised yuzu), Armani/Dolci released a 440 g milk-chocolate egg with crushed hazelnuts, and ROYCE’ launched Nama Chocolate [Gianduja] in autumn 2025, confirming gianduja as a cross-tier hero ingredient.
Multi-texture engineering: Layering remains a Japanese speciality. Black Thunder’s five distinct crunch elements sit alongside ROYCE’ Florentine Sandwich (nuts + cookies + chocolate), Lindt’s Dubai-style bars (pistachio paste + kadayif), Godiva chocolate-coated potato chips, and countless praliné batons from La Maison du Chocolat, reflecting relentless focus on mouthfeel variety.
Cross-pollination of ingredients and techniques: Japanese and European (or global) elements are freely exchanged in both directions. European-origin hazelnut appears in mass-market Black Thunder Gianduja Delight and prestige ROYCE’ Nama Gianduja; conversely, Japanese yuzu, sake, Uji matcha, Tosa bergamot and sakura migrate into Belgian, French and Swiss houses – seen in Pierre Marcolini’s Ganache Pur Pistachio & Sake and yuzu variants, Lindt’s seasonal sakura Lindor, and Godiva’s sakura collections.