Once its life as a pencil is over, this innovative piece of stationery will colour your garden by blooming into a variety of edible plants.
From Minecraft erasers to iced tea-scented pens and pretty bow-trimmed rubber bands, Japanese stationery has always fascinated us with its unusual, innovative designs. Now it has a creative solution to the problem of pencil ends, which are usually discarded once they become too short to hold and use. Instead of letting them go to waste, there’s now a way to have them breathe life into something that’s both beautiful and edible at the same time.
▼ Called the Blooming Coloured Pencil, the product comes in a pretty package that’s perfect for gift-giving.
While the Blooming Pencil functions as an ordinary pencil, the coloured lead ends at the banded section, with the small remaining portion embedded with plant seeds. Each pencil comes with the name of the plant written on the pencil itself, along with the recommended months for planting.
▼ The red-coloured pencil blooms into lotus flower, or Chinese milk vetch, a perennial herb from the pea family that’s often used in Chinese medicine to boost the immune system. This pencil stub is recommended for planting in September or October.
▼ Simply peel off the coloured band, pop the end into a pot of soil, and with water and sunlight the pencil will send out some beautiful edible shoots.
In addition to the Chinese milk vetch plant, there are four other types of blooms available: mini tomato, aalvia farinacea (mealy sage), white clover; and basil.
Eating something grown from your pencil might be a strange concept, but it reflects an idea that’s close to home for the products’ distributors, who also run the Bunbougu Cafe in Tokyo’s trendy Omotesando district.
The cafe brings the joys of stationery to the world of dining, with paper tablecloths for customers to draw and scribble on, so the addition of pencil-grown herbs to the menu seems an organic next step. The pencils can be purchased from their online store for 340 yen (US$3.10) each.
Source: IT Media
Images: Bunbougu Cafe
Japanese stationery fans go crazy for memo pad that slowly reveals Kyoto temple as you use it
Japanese pen contains miniature coffee siphon that works with the warmth of human touch
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Foreign driver’s license conversion test passes plummet from over 90% to 33% in Japan
Popular Japanese ramen restaurant Ichiran’s lucky bags are great value for money
The deluxe disappointment and basic brilliance of Japan’s oldest standing soba noodle chain
Take a peek behind the scenes of owning your own ramen restaurant【Video】
Nintendo releases Metroid-shaped ice cube/cooking tray and Samus arm cannon pillow【Pics】
Major Japanese noodle chain is closing on Christmas Eve so workers can spend time with families
From protozoa to tapeworms: Visiting the Meguro Parasitological Museum
“Denki Anma”: The Japanese traditional torment that you’ll be glad stays in Japan
Shakey’s is back! All-you-can-eat pizza chain returns to downtown Tokyo’s Shinjuku
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Yoshinoya adds first-ever chain-wide ramen with new beef and pork-broth noodle hot pot meals
Japan considering raising international traveler departure tax even more than previously reported
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Shibuya’s Don Quijote?
Studio Ghibli stamps lift your spirits with motivational phrases from Totoro
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowd sizes in Nara?
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Japanese town suing resident for being a jerk
New fish discovered and named “Vanderhorstia supersaiyan” for obvious reasons
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Unique inclined elevator in Japan leads to a town that inspired Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourism
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Leave a Reply