research and lifestyle insight from a Tokyo art director
Found these signs posted along Nanjing Road in Shanghai, China. Activating Bluetooth near these signs gives your mobile phone access to discounts and special offers at the surrounding shops and restaurants. The signs are managed by NCN Media.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Pacman, Namco and the convenience store chain Sunkus tie up with a release of a Pacman shaped steamed bun. The bun itself is filled with cookie and custard cream. The custard cream is a typical Japanese dessert filling, but the inclusion of the cookie element is a new thing. The bun is about $1.25USD~(120 yen) and is available for a limited time only. Beneath the bun is a custom designed wrapper with information about Pacman’s 30th anniversary.
Tie-ups like this are not uncommon in Japan, but this product is very unique and an intelligent pairing of concepts. I can’t vouch for the flavor of the product though, even for the Japanese market, the flavor was a little exotic.
Gamers gather to play co-op in the new Dragon Quest game for the Nintendo DS. The game is wildly popular in Japan with groups like this all over Tokyo. This group was in front of the mega electronics store Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara.