| Caster | |
| Type: | Cigarette |
| Currentowner: | Japan Tobacco |
| Producedby: | Japan Tobacco |
| Origin: | See Markets |
| Discontinued: | November 2016 |
| Markets: | Japan |
| Tagline: | "For an even more Caster-like taste", "Me, I like the taste" |
| Footnotes: | Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1 |
Caster was a Japanese brand of cigarettes that was owned and manufactured by Japan Tobacco.[1]
The first Caster variant was launched on July 1, 1982 by the former "Nippon Monopoly Corporation".
Tobacco used in Caster cigarettes also used vanilla from Madagascar (Caster Frontier used chocolate fragrance). Over time, other variants were also introduced, such as Caster Mild, Caster Super Mild and Caster One.[2]
In 2003, Caster Super Mild was released in Hiroshima prefecture with a limited edition design that emphasized the initial letter "C" of Caster. In the summer of 2004, the 5-packs of Caster cigarettes were renewed, but the Mild and Super Mild packs were not renewed and were still using the old design.
In December 2007, all Caster variants got a new design, and the old logo and emblem were restored.
In early April 2010, "D-spec" (a low-odor cigarette) was introduced.
Caster Mild is the most popular variant, sometimes abbreviated as "Casemai" in Japanese.[3]
After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, Japan Tobacco announced they would stop selling the Caster One, and Caster Menthol variants.[4] [5] However, the original duty-free shop only packs of Caster Classic were renewed and were sold again.
The pack design changed again around the beginning of August 2012, as the emblem designed on the upper left became bigger. In addition, "Frontier Light" was integrated into the Caster brand and renewed to "Caster Frontier One" (here the "D-spec" was not yet introduced, and the filter was also a common charcoal filter. The product was a dual charcoal filter bundle). In addition, it was renamed as "ERR 1" at the time of transition to the Winston brand.
In 2015, all Caster products except one were merged with the Winston brand, leaving only Gold Silk as the only remaining brand of Cigarette with the name Caster on it. Eventually, Gold Silk was also discontinued in November 2016.
In the 1980s, Japan Tobacco created various poster advertisements in which actor Tatsuya Fuji appeared. "I'm me, this tastes like" was a slogan he used in those adverts.[6] [7]
In the 1990s, some television advertisements were also made to promote Caster cigarettes.[8] [9]
Some old telephone cards also had Caster advertisements on them.[10] [11]
Caster cigarettes were mainly sold in Japan, but were also sold in Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea.[12] [13] [14] [15]
Below are all the variants of Caster cigarettes, with the levels of tar and nicotine included.
| Name | Release date | Date of discontinuance | Price in ¥ | Tar | Nicotine | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caster Original | July 1, 1982 | May 2011 (In duty-free shops around July 2012) | 410 Yen | 7 mg | 0,6 mg | |
| Caster Special | April 1, 1984 | July 1992 | 240 Yen | 8 mg | 0,7 mg | Released as a King size version of a Caster that was long size at the time (the tobacco blend is somewhat different). Due to the king size it was later discontinued. |
| Caster Special Box | January 1, 1988 | October 1994 | 240 Yen | 8 mg | 0,8 mg | Released as a King size version of a Caster that was long size at the time (the tobacco blend is somewhat different). Due to the king size it was later discontinued. |
| Caster Mild | October 1, 1988 | November 2015 | 420 Yen | 5 mg | 0,4 mg | Nickname: SYMPHONIC. Changed to "Winston XS Caster 5" |
| Caster Bevel | September 1, 1990 | November 2015 | 250 Yen | 8 mg | 0,7 mg | Since September 1995, it became the Bevel brand. |
| Caster Mild Box | October 1, 1992 | November 2015 | 420 Yen | 5 mg | 0,4 mg | Nickname: SYMPHONIC. Changed to "Winston XS Caster 5" |
| Caster Frontier One Box | February 1, 1993 | November 2015 | 420 Yen | 1 mg | 0,1 mg | In August 2012, it was moved from frontier light box of the frontier brand. The release date is the total from the frontier. Changed to "Winston XS Caster F One Box" |
| Caster Box | January 5, 1995 | October 2003 | 280 Yen | 8 mg | 0,7 mg | In duty-free shops renamed and sold again as "Caster Classic Box" |
| Caster Super Mild Box | December 1, 1995 | November 2015 | 420 Yen | 3 mg | 0,3 mg | Nickname: HARMONIC. Changed to "Winston XS Caster 3 Box" |
| Caster One 100's Box | December 2, 1996 | November 2015 | 420 Yen | 1 mg | 0,1 mg | Nickname: MELODIC. Changed to "Winston XS Caster One 100's Box" |
| Caster Mild Pure Box | October 1, 1997 | June 2002 | 270 Yen | 6 mg | 0,5 mg | Products with less smoke before D-spec |
| Caster One Box | January 11, 1999 | August 2015 | 420 Yen | 1 mg | 0,1 mg | Nickname: MELODIC |
| Caster One | December 1, 2000 | May 2011 | 410 Yen | 1 mg | 0,1 mg | Soft pack |
| Caster Super Mild | September 1, 2003 | November 2015 | 420 Yen | 3 mg | 0,3 mg | Nickname: HARMONIC. Changed to "Winston XS Caster 3" |
| Caster Classic Box | Around August 2012 | November 2015 | 2600 Yen (10 packs) | 7 mg | 0,6 mg | Sold in duty-free shops only. Once sold as "Caster Box". Changed to "Winston XS Caster 7 Box" around the Spring of 2016[16] [17] |
| Caster Gold Silk 6 Box | Early December 2014 | November 2016 | 440 Yen | 6 mg | 0,6 mg | Premium items that emphasize mellowness by microfabrication method |
| Caster Bevel Menthol | June 2, 1992 | September 1995 | 250 Yen | 8 mg | 0,7 mg | Since September 1995, it became Bevelle bever, light and menthol and was sold until June 2003 |
| Caster Menthol Box | July 1, 2004 | May 2011 | 410 Yen | 3 mg | 0,3 mg | Initially called "Caster Cool Vanilla Menthol Box" |