Stress inducing entrance exam season is just around the corner and it seems that panicked students have become a niche market of their own. Last year we spotted “brain udon” designed to improve memory for the occasion and this we’ve come across these “Ganbare! Students” wonton noodles from Myoujou Foods. “Ganbare” roughly translates to “try your hardest” or “don’t give up.”
These convenience store cup noodles don’t, however, hint at improved test scores; instead they offer luck. With cherry blossom colored mini-wantons and images of the same flower embedded in the soup’s kamaboko, students are invited to ingest these decorative symbols of good fortune. Available from December 8th in tonkatsu and salt broth flavors for ¥170.
Meanwhile Waimack Jewel Cosmetics is releasing a version of their “refreshing lotion” with packaging inspired by those study-weary students. The “refreshing lotion,” designed to stimulate the scalp and clear the mind, is traditionally applied by barbers with the massage that comes as part of a haircut.
The new packaging, however, bills the product as a “student aid” and features caricatures of students preparing to battle oncoming tests. This version of the head massage lotion is available at lifestyle shops like Tokyu Hands and Loft for a rather expensive ¥1890 for 250ml—I guess anything is worth a try, no matter the price, in the name of beating those entrance exams.
