Snowhaus 0 Posted February 3, 2004 Share Posted February 3, 2004 Our office has a lot of visitors from all over. They usually bring cakes, or bikkies, or something just in time for a mid morning snack. Today we got something from the Crown Prince of Japan. He's visiting up this way, and we got a couple of boxes of imperial omiyage. Now what would you expect a prince to give? Maybe some manju, or cookies from the imperial bakehouse. Perhaps a princely cheesecake? Tokyo Banana even. No. We got two boxes of imperial cigarettes with the crysanthumum crest on each ciggie. I dunno, but does it strike anyone else as strange that the future emporer is trying to kill off the toiling masses with cancer sticks? Personally, death by cheesecake overconsumption sounds a far more pleasant way to go... Link to post Share on other sites
veronica 2 Posted February 3, 2004 Share Posted February 3, 2004 Bizarre. Cigarettes? I've never ever seen ciggie omiyage before. Link to post Share on other sites
snobee 0 Posted February 3, 2004 Share Posted February 3, 2004 Reminds me of the recently stopped custom(I think) of prefectural/city govts giving cartons of cigarettes to Old Folks homes to celebrate Keirou no hi (old folks day). And here in Kagawa the culprits couldn't see what the fuss was about, this years old tradition of giving a few simple pleasurable moments to the aged. But Imperial Tobacco 2004 - a la House of Dunhill 1777 - sure gets this troubled head shaking. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Fags to old folks. Very cool. Link to post Share on other sites
rachael 0 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 How come he gave your place omiyage in the first place? Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 It seems like a really strange thing to give anyway, don't you think? Hardly something that everyone does... Link to post Share on other sites
cheeseman 1 Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Cheesecake does sound like a far better idea. As well as being delicius, it will be nutritious and fun for all the family. Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 So what'd your office decide to do with them Snowhaus? See what they'll go for on E-Bay? As you travel around to different hotels, resorts, restaurants or WHEREVER the imperial family travels you will almost always find a little photo gallery of the royals posing at that place and some of the royal cigs proudly on display. It is very odd, isn't it? Just the other day I saw some of the royal cigs at a ski resort in Fukushima (Grandeco). Why cigs? Link to post Share on other sites
Karnidge 2 Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 From the time when 90% of Japan smoked, instead of the 60% now. Link to post Share on other sites
Snowhaus 0 Posted February 5, 2004 Author Share Posted February 5, 2004 The cigs were snaffled by the blokes in the office. It took a little longer for them to disappear than the bikkies usually do - 2 hours as opposed to 20 minutes, but the lads could be seen making off with their booty pronto. I asked a couple of them if imperial ciggies tasted better than regular ones. The verdict is apparently that they don't taste any different. Nice to know the emporer is with the little people in his ciggie choice. Link to post Share on other sites
nagpants 1 Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 I wonder if he smokes. He don't look like a smoker. Er, Link to post Share on other sites
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