A new Japanese toothpaste doesn't come in multi-colored stripes or fancy scents, but it will surely jolt users' mouths awake each morning.

Village Vanguard Co., a retailer of books and novelty items based in central Aichi prefecture, has unveiled a wasabi-flavored toothpaste with the intense, horseradish flavor usually used as a condiment for sushi and sashimi.

"The idea for this product came up during an in-house competition at our company," Tadashi Munechika, an employee with the company's product-development division, told Japan Real Time.

"This isn't a joke, though. We developed the product with a toothpaste maker, so it is effective in fighting cavities," he said.

The product isn't recommended for children, since it stimulates the mouth and nasal passage "with a pretty intense taste," Mr. Munechika said.