Japan: pay for train ride with KitKat chocolate

Train rides in a northern province of Japan can now be paid in chocolate, more precisely, KitKat bars, instead of regular tickets.

This innovative scheme is part of a campaign meant to rejuvenate tourism in the northern province which dropped dramatically after a 2011 devastating earthquake.

Moreover, whoever wants to use chocolate as a payment method can buy them for a smaller price than a KitKat's bar usual value.

This is not the first time the Nestlé company is putting efforts into helping the region develop.

After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, Nestlé began donating 20 yen ( $0.20) foar each bar sold to the reconstruction project. The KitKat was highly popular than in Japan due to the similarity between the name of the chocolate bar and the Japanese phrase 'Kitto-Katsu' which translates into 'you will surely win.'

The KitKat bar quickly became a symbol of encouragement between workers who would exchange it between each others.

Nestlé also re-painted two trains with cherry blossoms design, an image of hope in Japan.