Japan is a country of people who never stop working. In fact, people work so much here that there is a specific term for this kind of busy working lifestyle, that being “shuudentsuukin”, meaning “last train commuting” i.e. staying at work until past midnight and catching the very last scheduled train back home.
It comes as so surprise then that for many Tokyo dwellers home is more like bed and things that demand time and attention are often culled from home life - the most obvious one being pets. Indeed, the average salaryman sadly has to do without a pet for purely practical reasons, to prevent occurrences like working round the clock on a demanding project and coming home after a mammoth 3-day back-to-back office stint only to find poor old Benji’s carcass sprawled out on the kitchen floor clutching a packet of dry instant ramen in his paws which he would have been able to cook if he had opposable thumbs. Poor, poor Benji.
However! Where there is a will there is a way and Japan is slowly cornering that niche market for pets that you never actually need to take care of, but ones that still fill you with at least a glimmer of emotional satisfaction.
Of course this all started with the AIBO, that lovable - if slightly unhuggable - robot dog that costs so much that it almost FORCES you to love it, for purely economic reasons. If you end up not loving AIBO, you have a constant, awkwardly-moving, electronic-barking reminder of how frivolous you are with your money. Until you “forget” to charge it’s batteries and shove it underneath the sofa.
AIBO had it all apart from that most important of pet traits - a SOUL. And this is where PingMag’s newest purchase - a tank of Holoholo - fills the gap.
Holoholo is being marketed as a “maintenance-free” pet and is currently being sold online and at branches of Tokyu Hands and Loft. It is a small water tank, decorated with a single stick of vegetation and some coloured sand at the bottom, featuring…tiny little shrimp swimming around inside it. “Sea Monkeys!”, I hear you cry, frothing at the mouth, “I remember those - these are nothing new!”. Ohhh but they are. Holoholo are different to Sea Monkeys in many ways. For a start, they are much BIGGER. Holoholo - which are a vibrant, red colour - have a definite shrimp-shape and the larger ones can grow to over a centimeter in length.
Also, Holoholo are sold “live”, already swimming around in the tank, no need for freeze-dried eggs etc. They survive by feeding off microscopic bacteria that are also living in the water and every now and again you have to squirt some special bacteria-water into their plastic tank for them to feed on.
However apart from that, Holoholo take care of themselves as long as there is enough light and warmth. Welcome to PingMag, little ones. I hope you live long, prosperous and maintenance-free lives in your new home!
Written by Jon
Open the pod bay doors, HAL" "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that". No but seriously, this thing is rather small, at 5.7×5.7×13.5cm.
That one is called Terry.
Charles
Francesca and Hilary.
8 Comments
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As of December 31, 2008, PingMag and sister site PingMag MAKE are both on extended hiatus, and will not be updated for the foreseeable future. We are eternally grateful for your fantastic support over the years.
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it’s a nice idea and it is better than sea monkeys. think that comes in portable, carry-bag-like version? not that i am advocating disrespect for animal rights, but it makes more sense to bring them along to work or something…hehe
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