MOMOYA TV-Ads009-1960-Kanichi and Omiya

Time: 60 sec.

Product Name: EDO-MURASAKI

Description of Product: EDO-MURASAKI is a savory preserve made of seaweed, called “Nori-no-tsukudani” in Japanese. It is made with soy sauce, sugar and mirin (rice wine.) It is preservable, and often eaten with Japanese rice.

Year: 1960

Advertiser: Momoya Co., Ltd.

Advertising Agency: YOMIKO Advertising Inc.

Production Company: Television Corporation of Japan

Description of Title: Kanichi and Omiya is the names of the characters appeared in the famous Japanese novel “Konjiki Yasha,” or “The Usurer,” by Ozaki Koyo.

This piece is a witty parody based on a mixture of 2 popular literatures of the Meiji period. One is the novel of Koyo Ozaki titled “Konjiki Yasha,” or “The Usurer,”andthe other is “Hototogisu,” or “The Cuckoo,” a novel written by Roka Tokutomi. Until now, both these stories have been frequently adapted by play, film and TV drama. In this TV ad, the setting of Atami beach in Shizuoka prefecture, the male character named Kanichi, and the part of narrative that Kanichi kicks a lady strongly are borrowed from Ozaki’s “Konjiki Yasha.” Since Kanichi is described as a student in the original, he puts on classic type of Japanese school uniform such as a jacket called the Gakuran or Tsume-eri that has a standing collar. On the other hand, the female character in Kimono is Namiko, the protagonist of Tokutomi’s “Hototogisu.”

MOMOYA TV-Ads005-1960-Isshin Tasuke

Time: 60 sec.

Product Name: EDO-MURASAKI

Description of Product: EDO-MURASAKI is a savory preserve made of seaweed, called “Nori-no-tsukudani” in Japanese. It is made with soy sauce, sugar and mirin (rice wine.) It is preservable, and often eaten with Japanese rice.

Year: 1960

Advertiser: Momoya Co., Ltd.

Advertising Agency: YOMIKO Advertising Inc.

Production Company: Television Corporation of Japan

Description of Title: Isshin Tasuke is a fictional fishmonger character in Japanese novels, plays, Kodan, TV series and films.

The protagonist of this piece is Isshin Tasuke, a fictional fishmonger of the early Edo period in novel, Kabuki play, TV drama and film. He is often described as a warm-hearted man who lives in Edo, the former name of Tokyo, and in this TV ad, this is why he speaks with strong accent of Edokko, a person born and raised in Edo/Tokyoto a family lineage. Furthermore, he puts a Japanese towel called Tenugui on his forehead, wears a traditional Japanese straight-sleeved jacket Happi, and shoulders an old Japanese carrying pole Tembimbo with wooden tubs on the each ends. They are remarkable as the representation of what Japanese fishmonger of old days looked like.

MOMOYA TV-Ads004-1960-Sarutobi Sasuke

Time: 60 sec.

Product Name: EDO-MURASAKI

Description of Product: EDO-MURASAKI is a savory preserve made of seaweed, called “Nori-no-tsukudani” in Japanese. It is made with soy sauce, sugar and mirin (rice wine.) It is preservable, and often eaten with Japanese rice.

Year: 1960

Advertiser: Momoya Co., Ltd.

Advertising Agency: YOMIKO Advertising Inc.

Production Company: Television Corporation of Japan

Description of Title: Sarutobi Sasuke is a famous ninja character who is said to be modeled after Kozuki Sasuke.

Emitting clouds of smoke, a Ninja appears in the opening scene with the close-up shot. Then, he tries running, rock lifting and some Ninja spells, only to fail and find that he is inexpert. The model of the character is Sarutobi Sasuke, a Ninja of the Sengoku period. It is believed that he is modeled after an actual Ninja called Kozuki Sasuke. His character has been widely adapted by novel, film, TV drama and Anime until now. It is worth focusing on the portrayal of his costume and props such as Nimpocho, means Ninja scroll or spell book, since they can be considered as the representation of Ninja’s style.

MOMOYA TV-Ads003-1960-The Great Swordmen

Time: 60 sec.

Product Name: EDO-MURASAKI

Description of Product: EDO-MURASAKI is a seasoned seaweed paste, “Nori-no-tsukudani” in Japanese, which is made from seaweed, soy sauce, sugar and so on. It is preservable, and often eaten with Japanese rice.

Year: 1960

Advertiser: Momoya Co., Ltd.

Advertising Agency: YOMIKO Advertising Inc.

Production Company: Television Corporation of Japan

Description of Titile: “Kengo”, a great swordsman in English, is a samurai who is highly skilled in the use of the Japanese sword.

This piece is an omnibus composed by the parodies about 3 great swordmen of Japanese legends and history. The one-eyed and one-armed Samurai who appears first resembles Sazen Tange, the protagonist of the novel of Fubo Hayashi. Then, the scene changes with a wipe effect, one of the montage techniques of the movie, and a Sojuro-hooded hero on a white horse turns up. He is a burlesque of Kurama-Tengu that is the title of the novel by Jiro Osaragi and also a nickname for its main character. Finally, Kunisada-Chuji, the righteous character of the late Edo period, is introduced as the third swordman of the omnibus. This 30-second part of Kunisada had been broadcasted since 1958, and selected for one of the “best 100 TV advertisements of the Showa period” in 1991.