By TAKASHI YOSHIDA/ Staff Writer
November 13, 2022 at 07:00 JST
An “okonomiyaki” pancake-themed pencil sharpener commercialized by Otafuku Sauce Co. (Takashi Yoshida)
A Hiroshima-based sauce maker is enjoying booming sales with a pencil sharpener themed on “okonomiyaki,” a savory pancake dish whose ingredients include seaood, meat and vegetables.
Generating pencil shavings that resemble dried bonito flakes used as a topping for the local specialty, the sharpener proved so popular, particularly among children, that it sold out one week after its September release.
The round pancake-shaped tool features fake dried seaweed flakes, a streak of Japanese mayonnaise and other features of okonomiyaki.
The shavings pile up on the top of the sharpener when a pencil is inserted into the hole and rotated, creating the effect of a piece of okonomiyaki fresh off the hot plate topped with bonito flakes.
According to Otafuku Sauce Co., the nation’s largest okonomiyaki sauce maker based in the city’s Nishi Ward, the project came to fruition thanks to Twitter user @mitiruxxx, who introduces original product designs on the social media platform.
After the concept created a buzz online, the company decided to promote food culture surrounding okonomiyaki and approached the designer to collaborate on commercialization.
It was an instant hit when sales started in September. The company ran out of stock in a week.
Otafuku Sauce was inundated with inquiries from parents and grandparents who wanted the sharpener as a present for their children and grandchildren. There was also interest from knickknack lovers.
The sauce maker then decided to order a second batch of the product to cater to the demand, which shows no sign of diminishing.
It has decided to order another batch in anticipation of going out of stock again, according to a publicist.
Measuring about 5 centimeters in diameter, the okonomiyaki-shaped sharpener sells for 528 yen ($3.60), including tax.
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