Best Lunch Ever!

For a limited time only, 7-Eleven (Japan) is offering a special bento box commemorating the 20th anniversary of Chibi Maruko, Japan’s animated sweetheart.

The $11 meal includes a two-tiered plastic container, a mini fork and a mini tote bag. Inside the box you’ll find an assortment of tasty morsels like bacon-wrapped asparagus, a grilled meat patty, seasoned vegetables, cheesy potatoes and a rice ball. Best lunch ever! \(^o^)/

Bento boxes are what I love about Japan’s 7-Eleven. They’re quick, cute, nutritious and affordable. And from time to time you’ll come across one of these synergistic meal deals that also make a great collector’s item.

Chibi Maruko is one of the most-watched animated series in Japan, airing Sunday evenings just before dinnertime. It’s a wholesome show depicting the often comical idiosyncrasies of Japanese family life. With the show’s mass-appeal, I’m sure the bento box will be sold out before it even hits shelves.

It’s just too bad that nothing as fun as this comes to 7-Eleven in the U.S. Though when I think about it, those Simpson’s Movie and Domo-kun collectibles from the past couple years were pretty cool. Maybe there’s more to come? Family Guy bento box, perhaps!?

Himawari

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Cute Beans

Are they beans? Are they dogs?

They’re a hybrid of both… and they’re 100% wacky! They’re Mameshiba (mame = bean; shiba = dog breed), colorful little characters too cute to throw into a bowl of chili. Japan’s premier advertising company, Dentsu, is the brain behind them, promoting these adorable rugrats through animated TV spots across the country. We all know that cuteness is the ruler of Japan, so it’s not surprising to hear that Mameshiba made over $30 million in licensed goods back in 2008.

And now, Dentsu hopes to make Mameshiba big in the U.S. Luckily for us, they have an English-translated website where you can watch an assortment of their cute-but-strange video clips. This one is my favorite:

Even in the U.S., there’s a steady fan-base for oddball character goods like Afro-ken, Domo Kun and of course, Ugly Dolls! And personality goes a long way in charming their way into cute girls’ bedrooms. ‘Edamame’ is full of curiosity and travels the world in his furry, green pod. ‘Soy Bean’ is a worrywart who likes giving unsolicited advice. ‘Jelly Beans’ are a band of brothers from the USA. They don’t speak Japanese very well. Oddball characters, indeed.

You can buy Mameshiba goods online for anywhere between $5 and $30. Or you can just oggle them on You Tube. That’s what I plan to do. Dog-beans… Who woulda thought?!

Himawari

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7-Eleven Loves Domo-Kun

7-Eleven has gotten so much cooler in my book. For a limited time, they’re offering a product line of cups, straws, comic books, plushies and T-shirts for a funny-looking Japanese monster called Domo-kun.

Most Japanese people would agree that seeing Domo-kun in the U.S. is really strange cause he’s a mascot character of NHK, the PBS of TV stations in Japan (keywords: conservative, wholesome, family-fun time). First appearing in station-identification spots in 1998, Domo-kun went on to star in his own animated show for children. He’s fairly popular among people in diapers, but hardly the hipster sensation he’s become in the U.S. If you wore a Domo-kun beanie in Japan, people would question your affection for children. Wearing Domo-kun would be like a Japanese guy wearing a purple Barney beanie.

Thanks to You Tube and other viral sites, a groundswell of enthusiasm has developed in the U.S. for the alien creature hatched from an egg, and enough to rise above the radar. Last Halloween, Domo-kun merchandise surfaced at Target stores. Not sure how it did, but considering he’s not back on shelves this year, maybe not well.

Now this year, Big Tent Entertainment, Domo’s licensing company has struck a deal with 7-Eleven for a six-week campaign. My favorite merchandise is their cups, one which has the cuddly monster getting a brain-freeze cause he just had a big Slurpee. The original goods are pretty well thought out; much nicer than what was selling at Target.

A friend came to visit this week from Japan, so I took her to 7-Eleven to check out the stuff. She left with an armful of cups and spoon-straws to give to friends back home. Who knows, maybe this will start a reverse trend?

Himawari

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Thinking of doing business in Japan? We can make it easy for you!
japanizmo, a Los Angeles based company, provides practical solutions for U.S. ? Japan business projects. Our experienced Japanese staff will support all phases of your business project to seize business opportunities and turn your vision into a reality. >> Learn more