Of course I play this, too!
I do not know why this was received by a Japanese. Probably there will not be the people understanding it. Anyway, Cookie Clicker became the topic suddenly in Japan from September 15. Many people talked in Twitter about Cookie Clicker, and it spread explosively. Cookie Clicker broke various common sense of the Japanese gamer. The Japanese plays only Japanese games - This is the game that a French developer made. The Japanese is weak in a foreign language - Texts of this are only English. The Japanese is Otaku loving cute girls - There is not the cute girl in this. Translation, localization, culturerise, etc... those arguments become ridiculous when we watch Cookie Clicker! :)
However, the Japanese shows a quality of the Japanese from here.
At first the Japanese named "Cookie Babaa(クッキーババア)" for nickname to Granma. Babaa(ババア) means an elderly woman in Japanese slang. She has already become an idol at the Japanese social media several hours after Cookie Clicker became the topic in Japan.
Then, the Japanese drew her illustrations. A lot of illustrations of Granma are posted in Japanese illustration Social Networking Service pixiv.
Next, the Japanese has begun to draw a comic.
Furthermore, the Japanese has begun to write a sensuality novel of the Granma in Twitter. Tag #クッキーババア官能小説 which expressed it became the topic in Japanese Twitter world. I want to translate these into English, but I do not have enough English ability. I am really sorry for this! :D
And at last, Japanese major figure maker Kaiyodo made figure of the Granma for only few days. This is not sold, but it is displayed in a shop of Kaiyodo now.
噂のクッキーババアを秋葉原ホビーロビーに置いて来た!w 海洋堂クッキーババァ公開。#クッキークリッカー #CookieClicker pic.twitter.com/YN5mUt9h6q
— 株式会社海洋堂(広報担) (@kaiyodo_PR) September 22, 2013
Furthermore, Dōjinshi(self-published works) fair of Cookie Clicker is held on November 4.
http://oba-q-honpo.net/qt/ccbba/
Why did Cookie Clicker make a hit in Japan? This is my opinion, originally, The Japanese like making something and gathering steadily. The system of Cookie Clicke matched character of the Japanese.
I think that if a developer of Cookie Clicker exhibits in indies game area of Tokyo Game Show 2013, he became a popular person. It's regrettable timing.
There is regrettable thing more. The Japanese can't donate to abroad PayPal(The overseas remittances are really fuckin' difficult in Japan!). I wish popularity of Cookie Clicker in Japan is returned to a developer by some kind of methods.