Golden Bat (Or Kinshi as it was known from 1940 to May 1949) is a Japanese filterless brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Japan Tobacco. History The brand was launched in 1906. The brand has been known by the alias of "Bat" for a long time. After enforcement of the tobacco monopoly system in Japan, in September 1906 (Meiji 39), it was placed on the market by the then-Monopoly Bureau, the Ministry of Finance (the forerunner of "Japan Tobacco and Salt Public Corporation"). In the present cigarette market, Golden Bat is famous for being the oldest brand in Japan as it reached its centennial in 2006. It used to feature a slender roll, and was manufactured for the general public. Although it is not as popular anymore, there are habitually ardent and deep-rooted smokers of it. That can be the reason leading to an exceptional long seller. As of July 2006, a 20-pack cost 140 yen and was known as the cheapest cigarette in Japan. It was taxed low due to using the low grade of tobacco leaves categorized into third class. Incidentally it was 4 sen (0.04 yen) per a 10-pack when it was put on the market in 1906. Since April 2016, however, tax increases were enforced and Golden Bat lost its preferential tax status. The background of using a bat as the brand, at first exported to China, in which a bat symbolized good luck, was being planned. As a product for export, it had been manufactured since 1905 (Meiji 38), a year earlier than domestic sale. The old-fashioned package that shows golden bats on a moss-green background is extensively known, and it is coming to be re-evaluated as a nostalgic design these days. Although the detail of the design was changed several times due to the extremely long history, the original design has been maintained for the most part. A filtered Golden Bat variant was sold nationwide in 1997. The package was redesigned to be modern, and TV commercials and advertisements were frequently shown. The price, quantity of tar and nicotine were almost the same as most other brands, and it was a kind of a new brand of the oldest tobacco brand of Japan; however, it was discontinued in May 2003. After that, in July 2004, although Golden Bat Box (tea flavor) and Golden Bat Menthol Box (cassis flavor) were put on the