Umeshu, or plum wine, is made by steeping green ume in sugar and alcohol, producing a sweet, sour and entirely yummy drink, especially when served over lots of ice. This is what Choya, one of the leading producers of umeshu, has to say on the subject:

On those nights you feel a bit tired or after a hot shower.
While eating an elegant meal in a classy restaurant or while you're on an airplane or train during an excursion.
And, of course, for a sweet engagement just the two of you....
It will turn any occasion into a relaxing, soothing moment.

Who can resist that kind of sales pitch? And now, with umeshu in chocolate form, you can also enjoy it while riding your bicycle through a rice paddy, while sitting at your desk at school (hiding the box, which trumpets the candy's alcohol content), while standing in line at the supermarket, and so many more moments when it would be inappropriate to stand there sipping an icy glass of umeshu. Japan, you've done it again.

The alcohol is barely discernible, actually, and just lends a fruity taste, similar to a raspberry chocolate. For an alcoholic Japanese candy, it's pretty great: flavorful dark chocolate, smooth texture, subtle taste. It almost makes me forget the horror of Rummy. Almost.

The last thing I want to talk about is this: why is every new chocolate in Japan calling itself "chocolat"? (The usual way of writing chocolate is "chokoretto" and now it's being written "shokora." Not that either way looks particularly true to its language of origin.) Is France replacing America as the center of cool in Japan? Should we start panicking and dropping DVDs of The OC and Desperate Housewives from planes flying over urban centers? I don't know. All I know is when I asked a student yesterday, "What's your dream for the future?" she said, "I want to marry a Frenchman." Uh oh. We need 600cc of Seth Cohen, STAT!