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Japan’s latest novelty trend — pens that contain real parasites — has unexpectedly become a hit.
On the 8th, a video titled “A unique pen sold in Japan” began circulating across social media. The clip shows long, white worms wriggling inside the pen’s clear chamber.
A seafood company in Kochi Prefecture makes the pens by preserving anisakid (whale) parasites in alcohol or herb oil, then placing them inside the pen’s decorative compartment. The pen sells at a roadside rest stop in Susaki City, Kochi, for about ¥950 (about 8,820 KRW; approximately $6.37).
The maker says the idea came from social media — they tried it out, the response was strong, and they turned it into a product. The pens spread widely online, and listings on Yahoo! Japan’s shopping site reached about ¥2,200 (about 20,400 KRW; approximately $14.74), above the retail price, selling out within four days.
Early batches reportedly used live parasites, but the company now says it uses only dead specimens. Still, controversy flared after a video surfaced showing a live worm surviving for five days inside a pen.
The maker has said it plans to tweak prices and adjust the share of proceeds donated to charity.
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