Sea fight game Kan Colle cooperated with the delivery pizza chain Pizza Hut

I wrote about Japanese sea fight game Kantai Collection -Kan Colle-(艦隊これくしょん -艦これ-) which personified battleships of the Japanese empire navy of WW II to cute girls.

See also:
"Kan Colle" --- simulation game that personified battleships of the Japanese empire navy as girls
Is Japanese sea fight simulation game Kan Colle a militaristic outcome?

Even if it passed more than one year from release, it is still extreme popularity, players continue increasing, and the server reinforcement is not enough. Magazines, comics, various goods, figures, and  TV anime of Kan Colle overflow in Japan now. At last, they started the tie-up with the fast food companies. The first example is delivery pizza Pizza Hut.

Campaign page: https://kancolle.pzh.jp/

During a tie-up period, pizza package of the Kan Colle version and a clear file are presented to customers who ordered a medium size pizza. Furthermore, Pizza Hut Kanda shop and Delivery motorcycles becomes the Kan Colle specifications, and A postcard is presented to takeout customers.

The tie-up campaign is from February 23 - April 5.

Japanese tech news site ITmedia reports Pizza Hut Kanda shop of February 23. It is Awesome!

More photos are here.

Supercell broadcasts new TV CM of Clash of Clans in Japan

Supercell broadcasts original TV CM of Clash of Clans in Japan from May, 2014.

See also:
[From Finland to Japan] Supercell starts advertising Clash of Clans on Japanese TV

Furthermore, they broadcast three new TV CM from February 23. Japanese actress Kō Shibasaki(柴咲コウ) and actor Yūya Yagira(柳楽優弥) appear in these and they are shown earlier in Youtube.




In British residence, downtown of France, office of the United States, Italian cafe, Thai stand, Indian Taj Mahal, players of the world play Clash of Clans, and Kō Shibasaki and Yūya Yagira talk that Clash of Clans is loved all over the world. advertising agency Dentsu and Gunsrock produced these.

In addition, Supercell performs large-scale advertisement development in JR Yamanote Line(Tokyo), Shibuya(Tokyo) and Umeda(Osaka) from March 1.

Japanese artisans made Ingress candy and got permission from Google

Japanese Ingress players do various creative activity.

See also:
The chef of the soba restaurant of Okinawa cooked dessert of Ingress
Ingress players of Hiroshima prayed for peace and drew paper crane on the map
Ingress players draw phoenix on Kobe to celebrate the 20th anniversary of revival from quake

Candy artisans made a cool masterpiece this time. Handmade candy maker Maiame Kōbō(まいあめ工房: mean "My candy studio" in Japanese) from Nagoya, Aichi made Ingress candy. It is made with the manufacturing method of the Japanese traditional candy called Kumiame(組み飴).

今日はGoogle Japanへ行ってエージェントの皆さんが気軽に使えるようお願いしてきます。応援のリツイートよろしくですｗ　#イングレス飴　#Ingress pic.twitter.com/tGzUSeNtVs
— まいあめ工房　中村 (@myame) February 4, 2015

Videos of processes are here and here. (Google+ of Maiame Kōbō CEO Takao Nakamura)

Difficult technique is used for Kumiame, the candy of various colors are put together by hands of artisans, made slender, and cut finely. It is difficult to make a hexagonal design in Kumiame, but Maiame Kōbō accomplished it wonderfully. It was introduced in Ingress official Google+ page.

They distributed this in Ingress events in Japan until now. However, they visited Google Japan to use this more cheerfully and asked for licensing. As a result, they got sale permission of the Ingress candy from Google.

They open EC site at once and accept mail order of Ingress candy. In commemoration of sale permission from Google, they sell it for 50pieces/2,000yen(about 16usd) until February 28. Furthermore, they start the production of the Enlightened version candy.

mixi's popular mobile game Monster Strike makes efforts in localization

mixi performed interesting localization measures this month in their popular mobile game Monster Strike.

At first, they started broadcast of its TV CM in Taiwan. Of course they appointed Taiwanese actors and actresses and were produced in Taiwan.





Furthermore, they started Taiwan's original tie-up with Sanrio.

Until March 3, Sanrio's character Gudetama(ぐでたま) -the character of dull slovenly egg- appears in the Monster Strike Taiwan version as an enemy. This is character born in Japan, but is more popular in Taiwan than Japan for some reason.

In this tie-up, players catch Gudetama, use it as material, and can evolve a monster. mixi and Sanrio drew new artwork for this tie-up.

On the other hand, original measures are performed in the Monster Strike Korean version. mixi added Korea's original character "Ju Mong(朱蒙)" on February 18.

Ju Mong is the great King who erected Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea in B.C. 37. He is known as King with advanced martial arts skills such as archery(via wikipedia). Three-legged crow(三足烏) which is an important creature in the Korean mythology is drawn in these artwork. mixi will add original characters only for Korea in Monster Strike Korean version from now on. This is a good measure for differentiation.

This mobile battery looks delicious - SOSOGE！TAIYAKIKUN

Do you know Taiyaki, the Japanese fish-shaped cake? It may be said that it is the Japanese ver. waffle. The most common filling is red bean paste "Anko(餡こ)" that is made from sweetened azuki beans "Azuki（小豆)". However, various versions come up now and other common fillings may be custard, chocolate, cheese, sweet potato...etc... It is cheap and very delicious, even Aerosmith was absorbed in this.

NATURAL design from Nagoya-shi, Aichi released the mobile battery of the Taiyaki shape "SOSOGE! TAIYAKIKUN". It is sold for 5,940yen(about 50USD) in Amazon and Rakuten.

High efficiency lithium ion battery is carried in SOSOGE! TAIYAKIKUN and can charge a smartphone in macroscale of 6,000mAh. The USB connection terminal is attached, and supports both Android and iOS. The color of eyes changes by a residual quantity of the battery, and because a mouth is a hub, you may charge mobile for a sense of the fishing. This is the mobile battery which gets used to being fun just to put it by the side.

Specifications:
Size: 123mm×82mm×25mm
Weight: 135g
lithium ion battery: 6,000mAh
input: DC5V 1.0A(microUSB)
output: DC5V 1.3A(USB)

via: http://www.atpress.ne.jp/view/56966

Zombies drive away employees working overtime and promote Work–life balance

CAPCOM provides interesting service as promotion of their latest game Resident Evil: Revelations 2. This is supporting "No overtime work" -zombies dispatch campaign-.

In Japanese companies, there are few employees who do not work overtime. The overtime work becomes common in Japan and is the situation that it is far from realization of Work–life balance. Therefore CAPCOM dispatches zombies to the other companies, and surprise and drive away employees working overtime.

This service is free, but video where zombies attacked offices is shown on web later. This becomes the promotion for both of companies attacked by zombies and CAPCOM. If zombies attacked a working office? In the meantime, it will not be a working feeling anymore.

You can do dōjinshi fair play in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

A certain Japanese game player made interesting MOD in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. This is it.

They are a pipe chair and a simple long table. Even these are considerably funny, furthermore can add a posters to a long table.

This is a scene of dōjinshi fair(同人誌即売会) such as Comiket definitely! Dōjinshi is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga and novels. The fair where amateur creators buy and sell this are held in various parts in Japan(via Wikipedia). You can reproduce this if you use this MOD and place the object of books on long table. The situation that a soldier in armor waits on customers in dōjinshi fair is very funny, but it may be said that it seems to be Otaku event.

In addition, pipe chair and long table are usable as a weapon. Of course it is also funny :)

 via http://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/nl/articles/1502/13/news100.html
      http://dragonporn.ldblog.jp/archives/8046337.html

King showed a snow statue of Candy Crush Soda Saga in Sapporo Snow Festival

King makes efforts in various original marketing and promotion in Japan since they establish a Japanese branch in last April. These are the largest in them. They showed a huge snow statue of Candy Crush Soda Saga in Sapporo Snow Festival held to February 5-11 in Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido.

Sapporo Snow Festival is one of the largest and most distinctive winter events in Japan. Various huge snow statues are made by volunteer citizens and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces every year.
The size of the King's snow statue was 5m(h)×10m(w). They showed snow statue and showed the projection mapping every night. 2,700 audiences gathered here on the first day.

This is a part of the "Soda Planet campaign" that King performs in global. They have already carried out such large-scale promotion in London and New York.

A new theater opens in Yokohama in this spring, but human do not appear at all

The theater where only virtual characters of 3DCG appear opens in Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa in this spring. Human singers and actors do not appear at all. Area is 800 square meters, the capacity are about 400 people. In the theater, the shows of CG characters such as the living theater, concerts, games, traditional arts, company events are held for a medium-and-long term. The theater aims at gathering audiences from not only Japan but also the foreign countries. If Hatsune Miku's show come to be always seen, it will be cool!

via http://www.atpress.ne.jp/view/55981

The relaxation apps that put bath time and a karaoke together

Bath time and the singing are the best methods for relaxation. Music contents company Fuji Pacific Music and Della released karaoke apps for Android "Furooke"(Furo + Karaoke: Furo means a bath in Japanese). The downloading is free, and they release the iOS version in this spring.

Furooke is a support tool to wash away fatigue and stress in bath time. Users can sing with α wave music-box music while watching beautiful video on Furooke. This adds the relaxation effect from eyes and ears to the bath time that simple hygiene. Users can sing three songs for free and add it for 1 song for 100yen.

The baby robot which heals elderly people

Masayoshi Kano, an associate professor of robotics at Chukyo University in Nagoya, and Togo Seisakusyo Corp., a spring manufacturer based in Togo, Aichi Prefecture developed baby robot "Smiby(Smile Baby)" which heals elderly people living alone.

Smiby has an sensor that allows it to react when users cradle it in their arms. When users hug Smiby, it begins to laugh. However, if left alone for a while, it start crying. When users leave it for a long time, it falls asleep.

Smiby has expressions and 500 types of voices, cry with tears being indicated by blue lights and cheeks turn pink and smile when it is happy. 

The height is 44 centimeters, weighs is 1.2 kilograms and Price is 68,000 yen.

via http://www.togoh.co.jp/products/care-smiby.html

Ring type wearable device to operate by writing a letter in the air

Fujitsu Laboratories announced that they developed ring type wearable device.

Ring detects the exercise of finger-tip, so users can choose menus and write memos by writing letters in the air. Furthermore, by the NFC(Near field communication) tag reader that this has built-in, when users touch a tag attached to the object, they can see work contents and instructions on monitor and HMD(Head Mounted Display). Because even a busy state can operate information in minimum movement, they assume use of factory of this, and aim at putting it to practical use by the end of this year.

via http://pr.fujitsu.com/jp/news/2015/01/13.html

Simple mobile that transform into heart-shape

Bandai and Ymobile collaborate with popular anime Sailor Moon and sell mobile that transform into heart-shape. Decorations stickers, a charm and a heart-shaped battery charger included in the set. The color is pearl red, the weight is 54g and the price are 12,600yen. Now, pre-order begins in Bandai's e-shop. The shipment time is the end of March.

This is simple mobile only for calls and intends for fashionable women. Users can transform mobile to Heart-shape by turning one side. When users make a call, they turn one side and transform it straight, liquid crystalline Indication appears on the body. This does not have a physical keyboard, and users call a phone numbers list by a touch sensor and call. phone numbers list is synchronized with a smartphone by apps.

Pre-order page is here (Japanese)
http://p-bandai.jp/kiwamonoweb/kiwamono-chara/sailormoon/heart/?rt=pr

via http://www.atpress.ne.jp/releases/56174/att_56174_1.pdf

Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has a cafe in Shibuya, Tokyo

The situation of Japanese public free wi-fi is really shit. However, the stress may be reduced somewhat if you enter this cafe in Shibuya,  Tokyo.

Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten(楽天) opens an official cafe in Shibuya from May, 2014.

It is their flagship cafe here. Visitors can try their e-book tablet Rakuten Kobo and smartphone Rakuten Mobile free here. Furthermore, those service counters are added to the floor of the cafe. Seats have power supply taps and visitors can use the high-speed free Wi-Fi of 1Gbps. Even if you want to work suddenly, there is no problem.

The menus are slightly cheaper than Starbucks. Drinks, sweets and foods are the products which are popular in their e-commerce shop Rakuten Ichiba(楽天市場). The menus serve as their advertising. Business hours are 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.  Of course even the people who do not have an account of Rakuten can enter.

Rakuten Cafe

Tie-up of Japanese mobile dating sim and fast food chain

Japanese mobile game company Cybird cooperates with LOTTERIA of the fast food chain in their mobile dating sim series "Ikemen series". (Ikemen means hot handsome guys in Japanese slang)

Cybird is one of main dating sim developers of Japan, and releases mobile dating sim of various situation for women in Ikemen series.

In this tie-up, the set menu which cooperated with the Ikemen series in each store of LOTTERIA is sold.

The contents of the set menu are French fries and tea, and the price is 500 yen. You may think this to be very expensive. However...

The game character card is attached to this set menu.

Serial number is placed in the backside of the card and players can get virtual goods by inputting it in a game. In other words, this price includes virtual goods.

By the way, my card was "Ikemen bakumatsu Unmei No Koi(イケメン幕末◆運命の恋)". This is dating sim loving pro-imperial nationalists and revolutionists(維新志士:Ishin shishi) in the Bakumatsu era(幕末時代: The final years of the Edo period See wikipedia). Its times setting is 1853~1867, but my avatar has French fries of LOTTERIA. It's really funny! :)