Japan’s Best April Fools Jokes of 2016

Today is April 1st. Know what that means? Internet hijinks everywhere online, including in Japan.

For the past few years, the country has done a solid job with April Fools (you can see previous coverage here and here), and this year is no exception. Here’s a roundup of some of this year’s standout gags.

Drone Taxis

Japanese taxi company Sanwa Koutsu rolls out the first drone taxi service in the world.

Pink Bear Meat

Momo, the mascot for PostPet email program, sure looks cute enough to eat.

Sony Is Making a Real Proton Pack

Basically, an ad for the new Ghostbusters film.

Audi’s Kaomoji Lights

The German carmaker is back with yet another solid April Fools’ gag for Japan. This year, its kaomoji (those little faces you can make with text and punctuation) headlights and tail lights.

Coca-Cola Batteries

Because carbonated drinks are a good source of energy?

A Real Flick Japanese Keyboard

Not content with the flick-touch interface for typing in Japanese, Google made an analog device for greater tactile flick feel.

Pet Bull

You know, Red Bull for pets. Heh.

The Latest Tekken Collaboration

Tekken versus Square Enix card game Lord of Vermillion, letting players choose between popular Tekken and seemingly endless LoV characters for a roster of 745 fighters!

The Nendrone

Those big-headed Nendoroid figures, but now in drone form.

Witch Delivery Service

Online shop Interiorez launches a real Kiki’s style delivery service.

Chicken-Head Selfie Contraption

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWv0zXmwY7o

Lawson convenience store, famous for its Kara-age Kun fried chicken bites, rolled out this selfie set-up (this is a pun, because in Japanese “selfie” or “jidori” can sound like the word for “free range chicken”).

Wasabi Water

From the country that gave us yogurt water, here is wasabi water. Which sounds so very cruel.

The Dreamcast Reborn

…as a beer tap for Asahi’s “The Dream” Beer. If this were real, I’d want one!

KitKat Sushi

According to KitKat Japan, these are great with sake-flavored KitKats

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