Frozen confection maker Akagi, which seems to have cornered the market in Japan for popsicle- like variations with their ubiquitous and cheap Gari bars also market the basic fudgesicle found in konbinis throughout the nation - the BLACK Chocolate Ice Bar (ブラックブラックチョコレートアイス). Like Unilever in the USA, they are the main supplier of this particular niche. The BLACK bar is as good or not better than the US version. A refreshing chocolate bar that's not too creamy rich, but tasty in a sweet dark chocolatish sort of way - unlike the more milky taste profile of the American.BLACK seems to be a somewhat favorite way to brand dark chocolate in Japan. One of Meiji's line of chocolate candy bars is called BLACK. Of course "black" in chocolate denotes "not milk" - dark and perhaps a bit more adult. The Akagi ice bar and the Meiji candy even go so far as to use similar serif typefaces. The Times New Roman variation that boldly announces the BLACK ice bar is like an old-fashioned headline, though simplified to a primary adjectival statement. No frill on this bar. You know what you're getting. Black. Chocolate. Ice.
