
It’ll cost you about $10,000, but surely Nirvana is worth it.
2016 is the 50th anniversary of the Ultraman broadcast and a whole host of interesting goods have come out to help celebrate it. Perhaps the most unusual, though, is the Ultra Temple Block.
Temple blocks are used for a variety of reason by Buddhist monks, but they are most commonly employed to help them maintain the rhythm of a chant, and are often used during funeral rites. It is also said that the temple block can symbolize wakeful attention, wealth, or abundance — all of which you clearly will need in order to acquire the Ultra Temple Block.
One of the many thoughts that first came to mind upon finding out about this item was that perhaps it is intended to aid the vast numbers of monsters that experienced annihilation at the hands of Ultraman on their journey to the otherworld, but not so. Dear human, this was made for you. Though, to be frank, it’s kind of unclear why it was made to begin with!
▼The wooden Ultra Temple Block makes that quintessential poku poku sound.
Is the temple block simply meant to be some sort of rare item for a fan to score? With prices ranging from 91,800 yen (~US $898.96) for the small size to 1,080,000 yen (~US $10,576) for the large one, it seems likely that the only people who will buy these are ultra-fans of Ultraman.
Orders are being accepted between August 24, 2016 and September 30, 2016, but the item won’t arrive on your doorstep until around the end of March 2017.

Reference and images: CJMart
[ Read in Japanese ]



New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
7-Eleven Japan joins the craze for Korean Gamja Cheese Balls
East Japan Railway announces plans to abolish magnetic-strip tickets
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain goes upscale with Matsuya Premium, but is it worth the higher price?
Anne Hathaway creates PR frenzy in Japan after mentioning Tottori in Devil Wears Prada interview
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
7-Eleven Japan joins the craze for Korean Gamja Cheese Balls
East Japan Railway announces plans to abolish magnetic-strip tickets
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain goes upscale with Matsuya Premium, but is it worth the higher price?
Anne Hathaway creates PR frenzy in Japan after mentioning Tottori in Devil Wears Prada interview
Shakey’s Japan creates matcha mochi, Kyoto fish, and Kansai Chili Con Carne pizzas
New Square Enix Cafe reveals Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Nier, and Fullmetal Alchemist menu items
Two of Kyoto’s famous temples tackle streetside trash with solar-powered trash cans
Super Mario Galaxy Happy Meal toys now available at McDonald’s Japan
Date handsome cockroaches in a new dating sim from one of Japan’s leading pest control companies
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Body of missing American college student found in Kyoto mountains
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
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】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Shakey’s Japan creates matcha mochi, Kyoto fish, and Kansai Chili Con Carne pizzas
New Square Enix Cafe reveals Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Nier, and Fullmetal Alchemist menu items
Two of Kyoto’s famous temples tackle streetside trash with solar-powered trash cans
Super Mario Galaxy Happy Meal toys now available at McDonald’s Japan
Date handsome cockroaches in a new dating sim from one of Japan’s leading pest control companies
Bears appear at one of Kyoto Prefecture’s most popular tourist spots[Video]
7-Eleven Japan reinvents convenience store fruit sandwiches with new salty pink sakura peach variety
Starbucks adds new Fruit Gummy sweets to stores in Japan
Trigun Legacy Cafe coming to two Japanese cities this summer to salute series’ original form
Starbucks Japan releases special limited-edition summer drinks… at only 30 stores
Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
JR’s new overnight sleeper train will connect Tokyo and northern Japan, is private cabin-only
Burger King Japan offering all-you-can-eat quad-burgers, whoever eats the most gets more in December
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations