Terry Ito Column Vol.73 Does Kappa Ebisen contain shrimp?

I wonder how many years I've been eating Calbee's Kappa Ebisen. It was first released in 1964, so I've been eating it for nearly 60 years. It's truly "I can't stop, I can't stop." I don't particularly want to eat it all the time, but when it's on the table, I can't help but eat it. The same goes for Hamamatsu's specialty, Unagi Pie. It was released in 1961, so it's also a long-time favorite. This raises a question: Does Kappa Ebisen contain shrimp? Does Unagi Pie contain eel? Both snacks are reasonably priced, so it's hard to imagine them containing very expensive shrimp or eel, but reading the explanation on the back of the bag, it seems to contain wild shrimp and eel extract. I wonder how much is in them... but I decided to stop thinking about it. It's delicious, so that's fine.

So I looked into what other flavors of snacks are available. I'm sure you're all familiar with the hugely popular "Kanikama" or "Crab-flavored Kamaboko." What's amazing is the potato chip series, which includes amazing products like "Juicy Gyoza-like Potato Chips," "Sea Urchin-Covered Potato Chips," and "Salted Squid Potato Chips." These definitely don't contain any extracts. And the best part is, eating potato chips makes you want to drink cola. So Calbee has come up with "Potato Chip Cola," which is amazing.

Fake products don't just apply to food. Bath salts, which allow you to experience the hot spring atmosphere from the comfort of your own home, are a prime example. I personally like Bathclin's "Famous Japanese Hot Springs Series." I've enjoyed Kusatsu Onsen, Hakone Onsen, Dogo Onsen, and Noboribetsu Onsen. I've also enjoyed Nasu Onsen, Kishu Ryujin Onsen, and Nyuto Onsen. I've never actually bathed in Dogo or Noboribetsu, so the scent of the bath salts is all I can say. Fake products are truly frightening. Come to think of it, artificial turf is also a fake product. It was invented in 1960 when the Astrodome, the world's first covered baseball stadium, was completed in the United States. Today, with the evolution of artificial turf, many rooftop areas in urban areas are being installed. Speaking of which, the brick walls of an Italian restaurant I frequent in Ginza are made of paper. They're uneven, so for decades I believed they were real brick walls.

We can predict the following in the future. With rice prices soaring, artificial rice will soon be available. Matsutake mushrooms, which are normally hard to come by, will naturally be made to look like matsutake mushrooms, and Matsusaka beef, first bonito of the season, sea urchin, and salmon roe, which remain at consistently high prices, will all be imitated and appear one after another. Furthermore, as global warming progresses, Japan will become more like Southeast Asia, and snow will no longer fall. If that happens, it is expected that shrimp-flavored snow will fall from the sky. As someone with a sweet tooth, I would like it to be chocolate-flavored snow. Such an era will soon be upon us.

Terry Ito (director)

Born in Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1949. After attending Waseda Jitsugyo Junior and Senior High School, he graduated from Nihon University's School of Economics.
In March 2023, he completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University.
He joined the television production company IVS Television, where he worked on variety shows such as "Tensai Takeshi's Genki ga Deru TV" and "Neruton Benikujidan."
He then went independent and worked on planning and directing a number of television programs, including TV Tokyo's "Asakusabashi Young Clothing Store."
His book "Comedy North Korea" became a bestseller, and he subsequently made numerous media appearances under the name Terry Ito.
In addition to his work as a director, he is also active in a variety of fields as a producer, entertainer, and commentator.
YouTube channelTerry Ito's Comedy Backdrop'
Currently writing a column in LALALA USA
https://lalalausa.com/archives/category/column/terry