Traditional Japanese New Year’s food now comes in a bright pink limited-edition box, along with a rare Barbie doll!
The end of the year is coming soon, and that means it’s time to decide what kind of Osechi Ryouri, or traditional Japanese New Year’s cuisine, you’re going to eat this year! Though a lot of Japanese young people don’t really like it, or perhaps because of that, there are lots of unique kinds of themed Osechi bento boxes to choose from every year, from Pokémon to Star Wars to Super Mario.
This year we can add Barbie to that list, too! Sogo and Seibu department stores have teamed up with Barbie’s maker Mattel and food company Itochi Shokuhin to make a special limited edition Barbie-themed Osechi bento box.
The box comes with two tiers of 32 kinds of delicious-looking food, enough for three people (or one very hungry person). The first tier is composed of traditional Japanese fare, like black soy beans seasoned with sugar and soy sauce, Japanese fishcakes, and shrimp still in their shells. In keeping with Barbie’s western origins, however, the second tier contains what some may consider Western-style holiday foods, like cranberry pork roast and boiled broccoli. It’s got a ton of desserts, too!
▼ Japanese tier on the left, Western tier on the right.
The bento comes in a special hot-pink box featuring the Barbie logo, which is made of plastic but carefully hand-painted by lacquer artisans in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It’s durable and washable, so can be used for anything once the food has been eaten!
But what makes this osechi bento truly Barbie-tastic is the limited edition Fashion Model Collection Barbie that comes with it. There have been less than 20,000 of these made in the world, so they would be an exclusive and special addition to any collection.
This Barbie is wearing an “elegant rose cocktail dress”, that is really special because it’s made of silk stone, a type of mineral that when treated with a special solution becomes silky and smooth. It feels like porcelain, but is malleable, just like any other fabric. The colors and textures are really stunning, so if you’re a Barbie fan, you’ll probably want this!
The box, food, and Barbie also come with a Barbie stand, but will be limited to just 330 sets. They are on sale now for 34,560 yen (US$310.59) at Sogo and Seibu stores in the Tokyo area, or online at Itochu Shokuhin’s online shop. No overseas delivery is available, since food is involved, but you can always ask a friend to order it for you, and send you the Barbie and box later!
Barbie, one of the most popular dolls in the world, has held a place in many people’s hearts. For some people, its hold on their hearts is a little tighter than for others, but few can doubt the joy that the dress-up dolls bring to people around the world. That’s why you should make sure you buy your Barbie Osechi bento sooner rather than later, before it sells out!
Source: Itochu Shokuhin via Japaaaan
Images: Itochu Shokuhin
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