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Ransom Riggs
The Late Movies: Weird Japanese Commercials
by Ransom Riggs - July 6, 2009 - 10:00 PM

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I’m not sure if it’s the lost-in-translation factor or if the Japanese are just inherently strange, but a shockingly high proportion of their advertising is just completely off-the-wall. Let’s take a look at some of the weirdest Japanese commercials YouTube has to offer.

High blood pressure tea
I’m not sure how tea is supposed to reduce your blood pressure, but that alone hardly begins to describe what’s so strange about this ad.


Creepy insurance
The text reads “That Japan doesn’t exist anywhere anymore, there is no one you can trust.” Shudder-inducing.

Tentacle healing lotion
I can only assume that’s what they’re selling.

The Governator
Talk about lost in translation. This one makes my brain hurt.

This X-Box ad pits a pretty girl against an evil pie-throwing machine.

Broken finger cream
Did you break all your fingers? This cream should do the trick.

Fish-egg mayo sauce
Featuring the weirdest-looking child ever born.

Pepsi woman!
Pepsi’s new Japanese mascot makes me vaguely uncomfortable.

Duckzilla
Don’t worry, if your crusty old teachers make you drink water, a 100-ton rubber duckie will crush them!

Pretz pretzels
This doesn’t make me want to eat anything, much less pretzels.

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Comments (9)

  1. The second part of the message in the creepy insurance ad is more like, “Don’t trust anyone.” Still creepy.

    posted by Al on 7-6-2009 at 7:58 pm

  2. Indeed weird and a bit creepy.

    posted by Diana on 7-7-2009 at 3:22 am

  3. When I was in Japan, I loved watching their TV just for the commercials (not that I had much time…).

    My favorite while I was there was this commercial for tampons that had a Star Wars opening yellow scroll from the bottom to the top of the screen. At the end of the commercial, they showed the tampons off in front of a star field. Seriously crazy, but awesome!

    Also, salad flavor Pretz are downright delicious. There’s a box in my pantry right now, yum!!

    posted by Amauriel on 7-7-2009 at 3:56 am

  4. Actually, the one titled “Creepy Insurance” is not from an insurance company or the like. It is a public service ad from the Japan Advertising Council (http://www.ad-c.or.jp/eng/), with the purpose to create awareness especially for the children not to be easily fooled by child molesters pretending to be good guys (camera from that perspective, they guy is not shown so not to build a stereotype, I guess). That’s what they mean when they say that old Japan does not exist anymore, today’s Japan is no longer that safe.

    posted by Ro on 7-7-2009 at 9:18 am

  5. Sorry, the closing parentheses got its way into the link in the comment above and takes you nowhere.
    The link for the Japan Advertising Council is:
    http://www.ad-c.or.jp/eng/

    posted by Ro on 7-7-2009 at 9:22 am

  6. The tea one with the water-hating duck had a lesbian undercurrent to it.

    posted by heavens.feel on 7-7-2009 at 11:45 am

  7. How could you forget about the japanese fanta commercials?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2hQGOOR5g0

    This makes me want to go out and buy a whole case… My favorite is Mr. DJ and Shogun.

    posted by Chris on 7-7-2009 at 11:50 am

  8. The Rubberduckzilla one is actually a UK advert, not japanese. ;)

    posted by Ruth on 7-7-2009 at 6:39 pm

  9. The broken finger cream is the best. :) I can’t believe that these commercials work there!

    posted by Alan Parekh on 7-11-2009 at 11:22 am

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