Anyone who grew up in Osaka will instantly recognize these pineapple flavored candies. And when you look closely at the shape of these bright yellow candies, they will instantly remind you of pineapple slices. Right down to the ridges, they are so realistic-looking and cute. <\/p>\n
![\"pine](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pine-ame-img01.jpg\")
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[CONTENTS]<\/h2>\n\n- Candy communication<\/a><\/li>\n
- Osaka ladies\u2014the obachan<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n
- Let me introduce you to Pine Ame-kun! <\/a><\/li>\n
- Over-performing on social media<\/a><\/li>\n
- And that\u2019s not all!<\/a><\/li>\n
- August 8th is Pine Ame Day!<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u25ceCandy communication<\/h2>\n
The origins of candy, run pretty deep, with evidence that it already existed during the Nara period (710\u2013794). In the Edo period (1603\u20131868), Osaka became known as the Nation\u2019s Kitchen<\/em> because so much foodstuff, including sugar, was traded through Osaka. Therefore candy manufacturers here were able to procure the raw materials they needed quickly and candy-making flourished. <\/p>\nIt\u2019s also interesting to note that candy is called ame-chan<\/em> in Osaka. That endearing \u201cchan\u201d suffix makes it sound like candy is a near and dear close friend. It\u2019s great for striking up a conversation, restaurants offer them at the end of a meal to freshen up your mouth, and taxi drivers pass them out to customers. It goes without saying that chatty Osaka people love to use it as a communication tool. <\/p>\n\u25ceOsaka ladies\u2014the obachan<\/em><\/h2>\nThere\u2019s a well-known stereotype about older women, also called obachan<\/em>, in Osaka\u2014and really Kansai as a whole\u2014that they carry candy around with them. And they frequently offer it to strangers. Some people say they always have candy to use it as a lozenge, others say it’s a valuable communication tool because they like chatting up people in the park and at the station. <\/p>\nEither way, it\u2019s true. One survey conducted in Osaka found that about 60 of 100 women were carrying candy with them. You can buy a whole bag at the \u00a5100 store so they\u2019re pretty ubiquitous and easy to carry in your bag or pocket. <\/p>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pine-ame-img02.jpg\")
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And among all the different candies and flavors, Pine Ame remains a crowd favorite. Not just the ladies, but young people all across Japan love Pine Ame. They\u2019re sweet, but tart, and oh so delicious!<\/p>\n
\u25ceLet me introduce you to Pine Ame-kun! <\/h2>\n
![\"Osaka](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pine-ame-img03.jpg\")
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This cute character is one of Osaka Bob\u2019s friends and another local mascot. He\u2019s been featured on our social media accounts before. But he\u2019s been around much longer than Osaka Bob.
\nPine Ame has actually been on the market for over 70 years! The packaging design has changed over time. It\u2019s pretty interesting to see the evolution of this famous candy.<\/p>\n
![\"History](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pine-ame-img04.jpg\")
The evolution of Pine Ame candy<\/p><\/div>\n
Pine Ame is made by a company right here in Osaka. Their corporate headquarters are in Tennoji and the company name is actually Pine Co., LTD. How cute!<\/p>\n
\u25ceOver-performing on social media <\/h2>\n
![\"Pine](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2021\/06\/pine-ame-img05.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Pine Ame-kun has a strong presence on social media and sends out interesting posts on a daily basis. Just look at their twitter profile. This candy maker has over 150,000 followers. <\/p>\n
Don\u2019t let the spelling fool you… Their handle really is @pain_ame, not because it\u2019s a painful candy, but phonetically transcribing the Japanese characters turns pine into pain. This is not a typo!<\/p>\n
\u25ceCandy communication<\/h2>\n
The origins of candy, run pretty deep, with evidence that it already existed during the Nara period (710\u2013794). In the Edo period (1603\u20131868), Osaka became known as the Nation\u2019s Kitchen<\/em> because so much foodstuff, including sugar, was traded through Osaka. Therefore candy manufacturers here were able to procure the raw materials they needed quickly and candy-making flourished. <\/p>\n It\u2019s also interesting to note that candy is called ame-chan<\/em> in Osaka. That endearing \u201cchan\u201d suffix makes it sound like candy is a near and dear close friend. It\u2019s great for striking up a conversation, restaurants offer them at the end of a meal to freshen up your mouth, and taxi drivers pass them out to customers. It goes without saying that chatty Osaka people love to use it as a communication tool. <\/p>\n There\u2019s a well-known stereotype about older women, also called obachan<\/em>, in Osaka\u2014and really Kansai as a whole\u2014that they carry candy around with them. And they frequently offer it to strangers. Some people say they always have candy to use it as a lozenge, others say it’s a valuable communication tool because they like chatting up people in the park and at the station. <\/p>\n Either way, it\u2019s true. One survey conducted in Osaka found that about 60 of 100 women were carrying candy with them. You can buy a whole bag at the \u00a5100 store so they\u2019re pretty ubiquitous and easy to carry in your bag or pocket. <\/p>\n And among all the different candies and flavors, Pine Ame remains a crowd favorite. Not just the ladies, but young people all across Japan love Pine Ame. They\u2019re sweet, but tart, and oh so delicious!<\/p>\n This cute character is one of Osaka Bob\u2019s friends and another local mascot. He\u2019s been featured on our social media accounts before. But he\u2019s been around much longer than Osaka Bob. The evolution of Pine Ame candy<\/p><\/div>\n Pine Ame is made by a company right here in Osaka. Their corporate headquarters are in Tennoji and the company name is actually Pine Co., LTD. How cute!<\/p>\n Pine Ame-kun has a strong presence on social media and sends out interesting posts on a daily basis. Just look at their twitter profile. This candy maker has over 150,000 followers. <\/p>\n Don\u2019t let the spelling fool you… Their handle really is @pain_ame, not because it\u2019s a painful candy, but phonetically transcribing the Japanese characters turns pine into pain. This is not a typo!<\/p>\n\u25ceOsaka ladies\u2014the obachan<\/em><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n\u25ceLet me introduce you to Pine Ame-kun! <\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
\nPine Ame has actually been on the market for over 70 years! The packaging design has changed over time. It\u2019s pretty interesting to see the evolution of this famous candy.<\/p>\n\u25ceOver-performing on social media <\/h2>\n
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