What is the air in Hiroshima Prefecture like? Does it contain the scent of okonomiyaki sauce or the feverish excitement of Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium in the city of Hiroshima, home to the Hiroshima Carp?
For anyone curious, cans labeled as ¡°Hiroshima Air¡± are available at Shareo, an underground shopping mall in Hiroshima¡¯s central Kamiyacho district.
Fuji Vendor Service, a vending machine maintenance company in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, came up with the idea, rather playfully, of selling the cans filled with air from Hiroshima so that people can ¡°fully enjoy Hiroshima anytime, anywhere,¡± the firm said.
In October, the firm opened Jihanki Base, a section in Shareo with 25 vending machines selling a variety of goods such as local specialty items created in collaboration with companies in Hiroshima Prefecture.
One of the vending machines offers the canned air from Hiroshima. By inserting ?500 into the machine and pushing a button, you can get a silver can measuring 7.5 centimeters in diameter and 3.5 cm tall.
The can is exceptionally light, and, along with the label, has the message, ¡°This can contains the air of Hiroshima. Open it whenever you like and remember Hiroshima.¡±
The firm was looking for a product that would draw attention, particularly from tourists, and fell on the idea of canned air products already being sold as a lighthearted souvenir in Tokyo.
¡°We sold around 40 cans in the three months (since the section opened). Not a lot,¡± said Tetsuo Yamashita, 54, the firm¡¯s senior manager.
One tourist made a bulk purchase of 10 cans.
¡°We hope the canned air will attract customers (to other vending machines) and help raise brand recognition for companies in Hiroshima,¡± Yamashita said.
When opened, the can is odorless, but Yamashita says, ¡°What it contains is undoubtedly air from Hiroshima.¡±
The cans are purchased from an affiliated company in Hyogo Prefecture, but the process of putting air in the cans and sealing them is conducted at Fuji Vendor Service¡¯s headquarters in Fukuyama.
The firm says the product is beginning to go viral on social media and hopes it will become Hiroshima¡¯s new specialty.
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