The town of Ugo in Akita prefecture is wintry, snowy, and hungry for tourists. That's why local retailers solicited help from manga artists in marketing local produce to youngsters and foreigners—by putting images of cute cartoon character girls on packages of rice, one man transformed his dwindling business into an enormous otaku trend. His bags of high-quality Akitakomachi with the naime girl cover costs nearly $30 each, but the entire batch sold out on the day it was released. Prior to packaging it this way, the company was selling only 18 tons of rice a year—with the new marketing plan, he's selling 32 tons a MONTH. Amazing!
via Japan Probe
I remember seeing this around the time it came out! Considered buying, but then sprung for the usual bag of rice which was 1500yen cheaper. Japanese do love their rice though, and this was a good move.
Posted by: nitsujiku | January 27, 2009 at 11:15 AM
genius! sheer genius!
now if only I could get someone to draw me some MUNI-tans, I'd be all set..
Posted by: Greg | January 27, 2009 at 06:35 PM