Tue 2008/12/09 08:56
Boxes of fresh strawberries have been selling by the bucket load ever since the manufacturers decided to put the illustration of "Ichigo-chan" on the box - 32 tonnes so far. Each box has about 15 - 20 strawberries and costs 1,890 yen for the box. People buying the strawberries are mainly men in the 20 and 30s. One person even ordered 40 kilos of this product. The illustration is by Aoi Nishimata and folks may remember reading about her illustration on sacks of rice earlier this year. Would be interesting to see more n more food in supermarkets with moe moe characters on the packaging. Via Kahoku News.
- Akihabara News - Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
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Posted on Tue 2008/12/09 08:56 by
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Unemployed Dollfie enthusiast
I'd buy it just to frame the box and out on my wall.
(ID #404196) Posted on 2008/12/09 09:04
Otaku / Student in Computer Science
lol xD
(ID #404219) Posted on 2008/12/09 09:21
Unemployed Dollfie enthusiast
I seriously would.
(ID #404295) Posted on 2008/12/09 10:39
Student & Part time worker in a Day Care
I seriously would too
(ID #404537) Posted on 2008/12/09 14:33
Part trooper, part -timer, 100% loser...
I think I'd do the same or maybe just keep the box samplace safe...
(ID #404472) Posted on 2008/12/09 13:52
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
MmmMmm you know Danny, Japan has the most beautiful looking strawberries I have ever seen in my life :P
(ID #404201) Posted on 2008/12/09 09:07
*LOL*
(ID #404333) Posted on 2008/12/09 11:38
Hotdog Repairman
For some reason, when chun says this it sounds dirty.
(ID #404821) Posted on 2008/12/09 20:27
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
FatB :P I think it's more like when FatB reads it, it sounds dirty yupyup LOL!
(ID #405423) Posted on 2008/12/10 06:29
Yeah. I saw the strawberries in Japan and they looked perfect! Too bad I didn't try it as I wanted to save money for shopping..
(ID #404915) Posted on 2008/12/09 22:41
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
I swear next time if I have a chance to visit Japan, I'll try some :P I tried organic strawberries in canada when they were in season and they were SWEET! O_O I was so shocked cos strawberries in SG or elsewhere always tasted sour or is tasteless ^^;
(ID #405426) Posted on 2008/12/10 06:30
Ya! I don't think I've tasted SWEET strawberries. I heard the ones in Japan are. I'll bring more money to Japan the next time I fly there!
(ID #406376) Posted on 2008/12/10 21:40
4th Year Designer Uni Slave
Strawberries come in boxes now? Heh, kinda interesting the variations between how food is packaged in different countries. Hmm, maybe for cereal and packaged stuff (though I'm having trouble with the concept of a bottle of pasta sauce with a moe character on :P ). Fresh food though I kinda like to be able to see what I'm getting.
(ID #404206) Posted on 2008/12/09 09:10
Pretty expensive for strawberries. Just out of curiosity, what fruits are cheap in Japan?
(ID #404209) Posted on 2008/12/09 09:11
Cheap relative to where? ^^;
(ID #404334) Posted on 2008/12/09 11:39
I think relative to fruits available in Japan. For example, mangosteens and durians are pretty cheap in Thailand and Malaysia while as strawberries are relatively expensive. So I was just wondering what fruits are available abundantly in Japan such that the price is relatively cheap compared to others that are really expensive. I hope I am making sense.
(ID #404367) Posted on 2008/12/09 12:22
Engineer-wannabe
its banana
(ID #404898) Posted on 2008/12/09 22:23
Thats insanely expensive for strawberrys!
(ID #404214) Posted on 2008/12/09 09:16
Thank you!
(ID #406137) Posted on 2008/12/10 14:53
Polytechnic Senior, Bronze Lifesaving Trainee, Mech Designer, Pokemon Indexer.
LOL I can't believe a single moe character was all it took. See this and fear, critics and haters. This is the hour of MOE!
(ID #404224) Posted on 2008/12/09 09:27
System Design Engineering (UWaterloo)
Yummy ^_^ *looks @ price* Spits it out and returns box.
(ID #404226) Posted on 2008/12/09 09:29
Student, Otaku, She-Geek(Sheek lol)
If they put cute stuff on food packets in the UK, it would be harder to resist.... I have trouble resisting the disney princess cereal.. it being pink and sparkly packaging.. lol
(ID #404244) Posted on 2008/12/09 09:49
So the strawberries failed to sell prior to the box illustration? Thats kind of sad... but ingenious on the seller's part. I have to admit it does look a lot more appealing than just seeing a boring packaging or no packaging at all.
(ID #404245) Posted on 2008/12/09 09:50
university film student
Hmm. Those are indeed expensive strawberries, but how much do they usually cost Danny? It'd be interesting to see just how much of a premium the moe character added. I mean, it is winter so I wasn't expecting strawberries to be cheap to start with.
(ID #404247) Posted on 2008/12/09 09:50
A box of strawberries costs ~300 yen in Sweden.
(ID #404253) Posted on 2008/12/09 10:01
AdvDip Network Security - CCNA - Ironport - Security+
WHAT THEY'RE LIKE A DOLLAR EACH but funny enough, i would still buy them regardless ^^" But i bet they are of high quality though Strawberries here often sell for AUD$3 for a small 200gm box - and 50% of them would be all crap I guess demand is also different - Tokyo has 20mil ppl while the entire Aus is 20mil ppl
(ID #404256) Posted on 2008/12/09 10:06
Student
Wow, I find that illustration way too cute ^^. Mecha mecha kawaii ~. I wish they would do that on more products, it would definitely make me buy more stuff.
(ID #404257) Posted on 2008/12/09 10:06
Wow, 1890 yen for 15-20 strawberries, that's about a dollar per strawberry, no wonder they need moe characters to sell them.
(ID #404259) Posted on 2008/12/09 10:07
Student
Hmmm ichigo-chan.. Mostly our strawberries doesn't taste sweet. Soury. xD But I guess Japanese strawberries taste sweet and it is beautiful like chun said. -(ID #404201) XD
(ID #404263) Posted on 2008/12/09 10:10
Dropping computers, starting all over again at Journalism
The one who bought 40Kg of it wasn't a "person"... he was a bear. A special breed, known to some people in the internetz. XD
(ID #404264) Posted on 2008/12/09 10:11
Amateur novelist
Somehow I'm not too surprised, Nishimata is an excellent artist.
(ID #404270) Posted on 2008/12/09 10:14
DCX001-Prototype
nice strategic way to push a sales ^_^
(ID #404291) Posted on 2008/12/09 10:37
uncreative (Registered on 2008/08/16 01:50)
Once they stop printing the boxes, these guys will be rich.
(ID #404292) Posted on 2008/12/09 10:37
haha, smart very smart. Honestly they should put anime characters on everything. I know I'd buy it.
(ID #404299) Posted on 2008/12/09 10:44
Student artist
Why are men mostly buying it?
(ID #404308) Posted on 2008/12/09 11:01
NEET (Desktop Support / Admin)
Probably for the same reason why they buy anime figures.
(ID #404321) Posted on 2008/12/09 11:19
Pori Student
Note to self: Put anime characters on anything you sell for HUGE profit. But i guess it only works in Japan though.
(ID #404324) Posted on 2008/12/09 11:23
amatuer bum
looks like thats the way to do it. People here would look at that $20 box, then look over at that $3 basket. Which would they buy I wonder ?
(ID #404348) Posted on 2008/12/09 11:54
I'd buy them... ^_^
(ID #404336) Posted on 2008/12/09 11:40
Kagamin's Waifu
Expensive, but I'd still but it probably orz. They should make mascots for all food items!
(ID #404346) Posted on 2008/12/09 11:53
amatuer bum
it works, for kids at least. when I was a kid, I dont think I ever accepted a cereal that didn't have a mascot like Capn Crunch, The Trix Rabbit or Tucan Sam.
(ID #404350) Posted on 2008/12/09 11:56
Feels like a way to get kids to eat their fruits and to get otaku to shell out money...killing two birds with one stone...
(ID #404360) Posted on 2008/12/09 12:12
Moe character are good at marketing.
(ID #404361) Posted on 2008/12/09 12:16
It's amazing how packaging affects a product. Moe all the way~ That is some really nice strawberry I would say...
(ID #404362) Posted on 2008/12/09 12:18
Yes, but these fads are temporary and Japan has a lot of them or are people still buying bananas by the bucket load as well?
(ID #404392) Posted on 2008/12/09 12:50
i would buy them...how can you say no?
(ID #404424) Posted on 2008/12/09 13:10
Its easy to see their appeal. Those cute characters are so enticing.
(ID #404440) Posted on 2008/12/09 13:27
I just bought some from Cameron Highlands but no such packaging.. Aww.
(ID #404448) Posted on 2008/12/09 13:35
Btw, take away the twin tails from Ichigo-chan and you get.... Pink Ranka.
(ID #404457) Posted on 2008/12/09 13:38
lol. ichigo has a strawberry on her head. here all fruits are expensive. and all the good quality fruits are exported so whats left is the over ripe fruit that should be eaten in a day or two >o<
(ID #404459) Posted on 2008/12/09 13:39
wow 2000 yen for strawberry.!
(ID #404490) Posted on 2008/12/09 14:05
王オタク ｘ 天才様
Most adorable produce I've ever seen.
(ID #404505) Posted on 2008/12/09 14:16
Daigakusei [Consular and Diplomatic Affairs]
ichigo! yum yum^^
(ID #404534) Posted on 2008/12/09 14:32
Student & Part time worker in a Day Care
better hope the strawberries don't get crushed, its juice will spoil the pretty box.
(ID #404586) Posted on 2008/12/09 15:17
Student & Authorized Chicken Slapper
1890 Yen? Man Converting that to US dollars, thats quite expensive even for strawberries....
(ID #404594) Posted on 2008/12/09 15:31
because they are genetically modified to be the PERFECT strawberry XD
(ID #405547) Posted on 2008/12/10 08:08
JR. College Student
wow that's awesome... can't help but think the more phallic fruit are out of luck though. That would be pretty hard to transform into something feminine.
(ID #404601) Posted on 2008/12/09 15:35
>One person even ordered 40 kilos of this product That's a lot, I wonder if he can eat it all before it get bad. Or maybe he'll make a lot of jam out of it.
(ID #404675) Posted on 2008/12/09 16:59
I wish we had strawberries in winter... especially some with Ichigo-chan ^^
(ID #404678) Posted on 2008/12/09 17:01
Student, Freelance Artist
Waah, so adorable! ;_; That's the first time I've ever seen fresh strawberries in boxes, too.
(ID #404710) Posted on 2008/12/09 17:42
Aeronautical Engineer
Pretty hefty price for strawberries... I would buy it for the box illustration alone though...
(ID #404715) Posted on 2008/12/09 17:47
Nishimata Aoi is a good artist but am I the only one that thinks the characters she draws are a bit wide/fat? Suzuhira Hiro is much better XD They do good colab works!
(ID #404718) Posted on 2008/12/09 17:53
former Emperor of Britannia
ICHIGO DESU~!
(ID #404735) Posted on 2008/12/09 18:17
Strawberries from like... Cameron Highlands are much cheaper... And you can pick them yourself!
(ID #404799) Posted on 2008/12/09 19:58
amatuer bum
When I go to Japan, I am totally smuggling in mass amounts of strawberries.
(ID #404909) Posted on 2008/12/09 22:35
Those are some pricey strawberries! How does that compare to the regular price of strawberries in Japan? We grow strawberries around where I'm from, so I might be used to lower prices. Even with moe, that seems a little high to me.
(ID #404949) Posted on 2008/12/09 23:13
Student during the day, otaku at night, and amateur musician ^_^
Lol, just for the mascot? ^_^
(ID #405000) Posted on 2008/12/10 00:00
Basically they would "Otaku-ize" everything, these are the people with the money and the "unreasonable" drive to buy everything up related to their interest. (As long as there is enough "Love" for it.) Don't look at me differently, I'm quite an example of the above. (except the money part) As for this product, you are not actually paying for the Strawberries, but the entire marketing approach to it. Fruits are expensive in Japan (local or imported).
(ID #405015) Posted on 2008/12/10 00:18
Hmmm. Some consider strawberries an aphrodisiac. I sence a population boom ^_^
(ID #405037) Posted on 2008/12/10 00:35
Oh my those are some expensive strawberries. I love how people in Japan pay outrageous prices for things that are of little notice or value to a rural living person in the States like myself. I'd pay about 3$(US) for around 20 or so, and maybe 5 or 6$ for the genetically altered super strawberries lol. Or just grow them myself before i'd get ripped like that. Same with pumpkins! I don't buy the importing excuse for the high price. Aren't any strawberries grown in Japan? Why not buy some seeds, build a greenhouse and start undercutting these price gougers? Or am i missing some crucial aspect here? We have import fruits of all sorts and nothing is that insanely overpriced unless it is very exotic. And shame on you to all the idiot otaku men who are buying this product . I imagine the market research "people" are laughing all the way to the bank at how easy it is to get an otaku to buy an item with a moe character plastered on it....hahahahaha
(ID #405088) Posted on 2008/12/10 01:18
Executive Seneschal of the Third Ward
Will UNICEF try to put a stop to such prostituting of lolis, I wonder. (⌒▽⌒）
(ID #405182) Posted on 2008/12/10 02:53
Moe characters on containers of food ? Genius . Now When I eat strawberries I can think of her as well . I want a box of that now .
(ID #405233) Posted on 2008/12/10 03:37
Web Designer, Boxer, StreetFighter, Anime Collector and Gamer
I'll scan the box then eat the strawberries.
(ID #405349) Posted on 2008/12/10 05:24
Ninja / Engineer / Sensei / 魔法少女 (What!?! I can't be, I'm a guy...)
It's just interesting that some of you are noticing the "each strawberry is ~1 USD" thing. Those strawberries better be to-die-for. But while I am here, I won't take the strawberries for granted anymore. ^^;
(ID #405477) Posted on 2008/12/10 07:18
Student of Computer Info. & Office Sys.
Otaku marketing tactics seem to be getting a little more clever.
(ID #405551) Posted on 2008/12/10 08:10
I would NOT buy strawberries for 1$ a berry . . . ridiculous! Just grow some on the balcony or in a windowbox during the summer, and made due without in winter. Strawberries are between 3$ and 5$ depending on the season for a plastic carton of about 20 where I live.
(ID #406206) Posted on 2008/12/10 16:35
Graphic Design student | Receptionist | Otaku
Not sure about its longlivety but, yes.. this is why I aim to do package design TTvTT There may not be many people who can appreciate it but, for those who do... *fufufu* The response is always good, enough to turn heads and if the price it right... It'll sell like hotcakes~ ^___^
(ID #406387) Posted on 2008/12/10 22:02
That price is a theft! O_o
(ID #408096) Posted on 2008/12/12 01:32
it makes perfect sense to add a character to a product coz it will get sold a lot faster than without the character i would also frame the box on my wall with a figure inside it.
(ID #546603) Posted on 2009/04/02 21:25
Otaku Programmer/Gamer/Artist/Photographer
Putting anime into you design or cover can boost your sales??!?! lol of course ^_^
(ID #568901) Posted on 2009/04/18 17:43
In Finland there is a bakery called www.eromanga.info.
Apparently sells non ero bread.
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