Well, they do.
One of the cool things about going to another country is seeing the local “interpretations” of products you’re familiar with from your home country. It’s even cooler when you come across a product you haven’t seen for a long time – and that may not even exist in your own country anymore.
Like this:
I went into 7-Eleven yesterday afternoon, looking for a nice, tall Twist Pepsi to quench my thirst when I spotted this in the cooler. “No way!” I says to myself, but there it was, plain as day.
What is this mystery drink?
See?!?
Do they even make this stuff in the US anymore? I can’t even remember the last time I saw it in America. Hell, I can’t even remember how it’s supposed to taste! (It tasted pretty good yesterday, though.)
In keeping with Japanese soda marketing traditions, there was a little foil back with a collectable goody stuck around the neck of the bottle. In the past I’ve gotten plastic caps with sneakers on them, Snoopy branded hacky-sacks, and buttons for various soccer teams. So what are the giving away these days?
Masked Rider collectable caps!
Okay, not really something to get all that excited about, but still kind of odd. I think MR got imported to the US by Saban (the same company that unleashed the Power Rangers on an unsuspecting nation), but the show never took off as far as I know.It must be huge in Japan though, since there are 24 different caps to collect:
I have no idea why you’d even want 24 Masked Rider bottlecaps, but if you do, they’re out there for the collecting.
Anybody want mine?
