Japanese ad campaign shows how to stop babies crying – by slurping udon noodles

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These crying babies are immediately calmed by the sound of slurping, which is said to sound similar to noises heard in the womb.

Throughout Japan, each prefecture has its own specialty gourmet product that puts it on the map, with tourists travelling around the country in search of authentic regional flavours and stocking up on exclusive souvenirs to recreate the experience back at home. In Kagawa Prefecture, on the southern island of Shikoku, the prized dish is a unique, square-shaped udon called sanuki udon, and while it’s known for its delicious flavour and texture, now the popular noodle is being advertised for a more surprising quality – its ability to soothe crying babies.

▼ For an introduction to Sanuki Udon and the theory that slurping these noodles can calm a crying baby, check out the clip below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78I5VwZcFv8

According to the video, the sound of slurping noodles may work to soothe crying babies as it sounds similar to noises heard in the womb.

The two-part video series is part of a humorous new “Ikuken Kagawa” (“Kagawa, The Prefecture To Go To”) campaign, which is designed to advertise the region as an easy place to bring up children. With such an abundant supply of udon in the area, the noodle-slurping culture is sure to quickly calm crying babies!

▼ The second video in the series puts the theory to the test with an experiment on a number of different crying children.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ-2uqQ2YqQ

According to the findings of the social experiment, conducted by a handsomely serious-faced suited Japanese man, nine out of ten children were calmed by the sound of him slurping noodles.

What starts off as a strange-sounding idea turns out to be surprisingly effective in the end, with child after child getting the “maru” circular tick, indicating a successful result.

The one instance where the experiment was unsuccessul, however, involved a pair of babies who couldn’t see the man slurping the udon, suggesting that the visual aspect of eating noodles might have something to do with distracting the children from their tears.

While the producers of the campaign don’t claim their findings to be anything more than mere speculation, the intriguing ads are a memorable way to entice people to come to Kagawa to raise their families. Or at the very least, pay them a visit to see if slurping their noodles has any effect on their crying babies!

Source: Japaaan
Top Image: YouTube/Ikuken Kagawa
Screenshots: YouTube/Ikuken Kagawa (1, 2)

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