Another Bit Of Japan

[infrogmation]

This week's puzzler:



What? Why?
Open to anyone who can provide an explanation or hazzard a guess.



The product marketed by the "Otani Slim Company" is not what's actually in this package!

Comments

[amatrixangel.livejournal.com]

Inside the package? I thought it was a business card or something. Ok now I know it's a package, I may as well give up because my guess was going to be 'number to call to download ringtones to your mobile phone'. OR something to do with Japanese comfort girls.

But a package? Maybe you should give us some extra clues like letting us know the thickness of the package ..from here it looks like a flat piece of paper. Now, I'm not going to say clothespegs ;)

ok, ok, ....you do realise it's 7:30am on a Sunday morning here, right? Yes I started work early today and checked my lj friends and now I have this mind twister thrust in front of me. Yes, you are really mean.

Um, okay. I'll say a - mobile phone?

Is it...

[mshollie.livejournal.com]

...a long-distance phone card? Either that or a phone card which was enclosed in a package of chocolate?

I believe Otani Slim is either a chocolate or a condom; the name sounds vaguely familiar to me.

Another Bit Of Japan

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

Some explanation: I guess there are really 3 parts to this puzzler.

1)What is product in the package?
Hint: Look at the above JPG, and you can see it.

2)What product is marketed by the "Otani Slim Company"?
Hint: The name and illustration give a clue.

3)Why is #1 different from #2?
Hint: It's something to do with advertising practices being different in Japan than in the USA.

I'll give points for answers to any of those questions.

Re: Is it...

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

No, sorry. Nice guesses, but none of them are on the mark. And "Otani Slim" is neither a chocolate nor a condom (nor a chocolate condom, for that matter).
See post below for more clues.

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

Cold mostly... And then:
"from here it looks like a flat piece of paper. "

Warm!

" Yes, you are really mean."

I don't mean to be mean; I'm just trying for fun.

If folks would prefer I just explain right out, y'all tell me.

[amatrixangel.livejournal.com]

Oh froggy I was *kidding* & *joking*(!) You're not being mean :) ..Maybe I should have put a smiley face after that or something. IT IS FUN! It's great ..I am really enjoying the guessing game and wow ...so funny what other people are coming up with.

I think the trick with these is to think of the most unlikely think and that may be or close to it ;)

& NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Don't explain outright, *silly* that would take away the game. Okay, I'm going to take advantage of something here because you haven't said the guesses are limited - like one per user or something ;)

i) A paper sun cap (yes, I'm stuck on caps for some reason :)

ii) A fold out card which sits on your desk

iii) I have absolutely no idea ...I'm hopeless I know :)

i think i got it!

[j-a-m-a.livejournal.com]

bikini's. it hasta be bikini's.

i *think* that makes sense.

my official guess:

bikini's or swimming outfits.

[firegrrl.livejournal.com]

Cell phone!

[bluedragonflye.livejournal.com]

Well, I have an unfair advantage, because I took a few years of Japanese. While I don't remember what the stuff written in hiragana means, the katakana part reads "banana milk" so... Between that, and the palm tree in the background, and knowing that coconuts grow on palm trees... I'm going to guess this is some sort of banana-flavored coconut snack or beverage.

[bluedragonflye.livejournal.com]

Oh, wait... That's probably what's being advertized by Otani, huh?

In which case... Nevermind. It's something flat, right? Like a ticket? To an island? Or maybe a lottery ticket?

[jessepop.livejournal.com]

I must also claim an advantage. I read the Japanese and can understand all of it. However, the funny thing is that it is still somewhat mysterious. I would guess a diet drink? If I'm wrong, can I post what the Japanese means so that others might guess?

-JessePop

[jessepop.livejournal.com]

Oh, my! I just went to the website and realised that I am quite wrong! Japanese marketing is so crazy! I don't think that translating the package would help at all...

Re: Another Bit Of Japan

[pootrootbeer.livejournal.com]

Is it soap that makes you lose weight?

[drfunmd.livejournal.com]

Just because a translation wouldn't make sense doesn't mean you shouldn't write it anyway.

We want answers here.

Translate away!

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

Oh, please do provide translations of the text if you can.

What is it?

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

Nope, you were pretty warm on point 1 before; you're getting cold now.

Cellphone calling card etc

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

Another nice guess that's wrong.
Thanks for trying.

Re: Another Bit Of Japan

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

"Is it soap "

Nope. Cold.

"that makes you lose weight?"

Getting hot!

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

" I would guess a diet drink? "

Close; very warm.

"If I'm wrong, can I post what the Japanese means so that others might guess?"

Please do post what the Japanese says.

And can you offer an explanation as to point 3, why what's in the package is not the same as the producted marketed by Otani Slim Company? My friend says it's a fairly common marketing gimick in Japan.

Re: i think i got it!

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

"bikini's. it hasta be bikini's."

You made me laugh, but no, that's not it.

Another Bit Of Japan

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

"That's probably what's being advertized by Otani, huh?"

Dispite your Japanese abilities, others are closer to point #2 than you are here.

"It's something flat, right? "

On point #1, yes. It's pretty flat, though not completely flat.

"Like a ticket? To an island? Or maybe a lottery ticket?"

Nope, cold. Thanks for guessing.

Re: Another Bit Of Japan

[bluedragonflye.livejournal.com]

Ok, so Otani is advertizing basically a banana-flavored Slim Fast shake?

And inside the package is a blow up doll! :)

[jessepop.livejournal.com]

Well, okay. Here it is...

The girl on the right is saying, "I've lost weight recently, haven't I?" The girl on the left replies, "Oh, it's true! What did you do?"

Above the phone number it says "Banada DE Milk." Now, I'm not sure if the "DE" is supposed to be French or if it is the Japanese preposition just written out in alphabet characters. At any rate, if it is the Japanese preposition, it could mean something like "Banana and Milk," "Banana with Milk," "Banana for Milk," or something.

I checked out the website and it seems to have mostly to do with a phone dating service, though I think they do sell different health products as well. (Weird combo, huh?) My theory: the sales of health services may be the only way they can actually get women to call. (They don't have much of a problem getting men to call these things. -- Just put a couple of girls in bathing suits on the ad and you got it!)

In Japan, if you go to a big populated area (like a large train station), you will often see people passing out free small packages of tissues. Within each package is a piece of paper advertising for something (usually insurance, phone dating services, phone sex services, or sex services, but it really can be anything). These are better than flyers/brochures, because people actually want the free tissues, especially in cold season, so when they open the tissues, they can't avoid looking at the advertisement.

When I said the marketing is weird, I didn't mean the tissues, but I meant the fact that you can't really tell what they are advertising in this case, even after reading the ad. I guess they just want you to go to their website or call them for more info.

For those of you who weren't able to translate the ad...
If you know Japanese but you didn't get what the girls said, it's probably just because it's written in the Kansai (or Osaka area) dialect -- a little tricky. You could rephrase it to standard Japanese like this:
GIRL ON RIGHT: Saikin, watashi [wa] yaseta deshou?
GIRL ON LEFT: Hontou da! Dou-shita no?
Do you get it now? I wouldn't have gotten it, but I am lucky enough to live near Osaka!

-JessePop

[amatrixangel.livejournal.com]

Chewing Gum! [...er, um ...?]

[jessepop.livejournal.com]

By the way, I think now that the advertisement is referring to a special lotion that makes your fat go away.

-JessePop

For those of you who weren't able to translate the ad...

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

"you will often see people passing out free small packages of tissues. Within each package is a piece of paper advertising for something"

Ding ding ding!! Correct answer!
Although my friend just observed that the advertising was printed on the outside of the packets, not seperately in them. Maybe a change, or differences in regional marketing?


Tricky differences in regional Japanese dialects, eh? That I didn't know. Actually, my friend was given this in Kanazawa.

And the Answers Are...

[infrogmation.livejournal.com]

1) The product in the package is tissues, as in the kleenex type. The blue background behind the cartoon girls is actually clear plastic, and you can see the blue tissue.

* 2 points to jessepop for the correct answer.
* 1/2 point to amatrixangel for saying "flat piece of paper".

2) The product marketed by Otani Slim Company is diet pills. The illustration on the back of the package specificially show pills, but I'll give one point to everyone who guessed any type of diet or weight loss product.

So that's 1 Golden Froggy Point each to:
* pootrootbeer
* bluedragonflye
* jessepop

3)The reason #1 and #2 are not the same:
Whereas in USA, Latin America, and some parts of Europe you often see people handing out pieces of paper advertising products or events, in Japan it is more usual to give out small packets of tissue with the advertising printed on them. These are more likely to be taken and kept for a while by people, since tissues are usefull thing to have. One additional reason that tissues are usefull in Japan is that public restrooms usually don't provide towels or air-dry blowers. Many people therefore carry a small towel with them to use in such situations. But if you don't know where your towel is, hey, free packet of tissues.

* 2 more points to jessepop.

** So our winner is jessepop, who gets 6 Golden Froggy Points -- 5 points out of possible 6 for answers & explanations, plus a bonus point for translating the dialogue of the cartoon girls! Yay!

*I'm also awarding a special bonus point to amatrixangel for bringing in more participants to guess.

Thanks for playing, everybody!

Re: For those of you who weren't able to translate the ad...

[jessepop.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have seen it printed directly on the package and just on a piece of paper in a clear package (so that you can see through to the paper). I suppose both are equally used. It's crazy, but you have to admit it's a good technique -- perhaps even better than coupons. You get an actual physical instant gift for looking at an advertisement. You don't have to send away or go out for anything, and you don't have to purchase anything in order to receive it. Just take the tissues!

Kanazawa is in the region halfway between Osaka and Tokyo on the Japan Sea north of Nagoya. I'm not familiar with Kanazawa dialect, but perhaps it has some similarities to Kansai dialect. Or, the tissue ad might just have been written in the Kansai dialect for some reason.

Crazy stuff.

Re: And the Answers Are...

[jessepop.livejournal.com]

I realize it is forty years after the fact, but..

[hako.livejournal.com]

I would like to point out that Banana De Milk is their phone number.

Because I can.

And because I dont think anyone else did.