Exclusive for the 'Both' Faction! 'AI-Proposed Merger! Kitakita no Konokono Yamazato' Launches Nationwide in Limited Quantities on April 14!
Meiji will launch a new, limited-edition chocolate bar merging 'Kinoko no Yama' and 'Takenoko no Sato', conceived by an AI, starting April 14, 2026.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 17:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 08:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 00:10 (327h 40m after Collected)
Meiji Co., Ltd. (President & Representative Director: Bunjiro Yao) will release a new product, "AI-Proposed Merger! Kitakita no Konokono Yamazato," nationwide at convenience stores and station kiosks in limited quantities and for a limited time starting Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
A long-standing debate over the "Kinoko (Mushroom) Faction" versus the "Takenoko (Bamboo Shoot) Faction" has waged on. However, the introduction last August of "KINOTAKE MOTHER," a state-of-the-art AI that objectively judges latent preferences from facial photos, revealed the existence of a "Both Faction"—people who love both products and fit into neither traditional category. Out of approximately 500,000 people analyzed as of March 2026, 52.4% were the Kinoko faction, 43.1% were the Takenoko faction, and 4.4% were the Both faction. Taking this result seriously, Meiji engaged in numerous dialogues with the AI. The ultimate answer derived was a "complete fusion of the two products" dedicated to the Both faction.
Fifty years have passed since their birth in 1975. Breaking down the walls between "Kinoko no Yama" and "Takenoko no Sato"—considered sacred sanctuaries in their long history—Meiji, together with AI, has developed a new product exclusively for the Both faction, condensing the deliciousness of both into one.
This product is a chocolate snack made by crushing the "crunchy" crackers of Kinoko no Yama and the "crispy" cookies of Takenoko no Sato, molding them into a bar shape along with milk-flavored chocolate and wheat puffs, and finally coating it in bitter chocolate. You can enjoy a crunchy texture and a deep flavor created by the overlapping of different ingredients.
Furthermore, the package design operates on the theme of "Traditional Rural Landscape x Modern AI Civilization," expressing the "World of Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato" as envisioned by AI. Please enjoy the futuristic worldview of "Kinoko no Yama" and "Takenoko no Sato" conceived by AI.
* Which Faction AI 'KINOTAKE MOTHER' Site: https://mother.kinotake.jp/
* Kinoko no Yama/Takenoko no Sato Brand Site: https://www.meiji.co.jp/products/brand/kinotake/
* Kinoko no Yama 50th Anniversary Special Site: https://www.meiji.co.jp/products/brand/kinotake/cmp/50thanniversary/
### New Product "AI-Proposed Merger! Kitakita no Konokono Yamazato"
Based on survey and preference data from hundreds of Meiji employees, over 1.67 million patterns were constructed
A long-standing debate over the "Kinoko (Mushroom) Faction" versus the "Takenoko (Bamboo Shoot) Faction" has waged on. However, the introduction last August of "KINOTAKE MOTHER," a state-of-the-art AI that objectively judges latent preferences from facial photos, revealed the existence of a "Both Faction"—people who love both products and fit into neither traditional category. Out of approximately 500,000 people analyzed as of March 2026, 52.4% were the Kinoko faction, 43.1% were the Takenoko faction, and 4.4% were the Both faction. Taking this result seriously, Meiji engaged in numerous dialogues with the AI. The ultimate answer derived was a "complete fusion of the two products" dedicated to the Both faction.
Fifty years have passed since their birth in 1975. Breaking down the walls between "Kinoko no Yama" and "Takenoko no Sato"—considered sacred sanctuaries in their long history—Meiji, together with AI, has developed a new product exclusively for the Both faction, condensing the deliciousness of both into one.
This product is a chocolate snack made by crushing the "crunchy" crackers of Kinoko no Yama and the "crispy" cookies of Takenoko no Sato, molding them into a bar shape along with milk-flavored chocolate and wheat puffs, and finally coating it in bitter chocolate. You can enjoy a crunchy texture and a deep flavor created by the overlapping of different ingredients.
Furthermore, the package design operates on the theme of "Traditional Rural Landscape x Modern AI Civilization," expressing the "World of Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato" as envisioned by AI. Please enjoy the futuristic worldview of "Kinoko no Yama" and "Takenoko no Sato" conceived by AI.
* Which Faction AI 'KINOTAKE MOTHER' Site: https://mother.kinotake.jp/
* Kinoko no Yama/Takenoko no Sato Brand Site: https://www.meiji.co.jp/products/brand/kinotake/
* Kinoko no Yama 50th Anniversary Special Site: https://www.meiji.co.jp/products/brand/kinotake/cmp/50thanniversary/
### New Product "AI-Proposed Merger! Kitakita no Konokono Yamazato"
Based on survey and preference data from hundreds of Meiji employees, over 1.67 million patterns were constructed