Famous musicians, actors and idol group members star in these memorable ads that will make you laugh, cry and want to buy what they’re selling.

One of the most memorable things about watching TV in Japan is stumbling upon some of the cutest and weirdest commercials the country has to offer. Here, it’s not unusual to see people dancing onscreen, singing cute jingles and pulling out fancy hand moves in an effort to draw attention to products and services we may otherwise never have known about, and now YouTube Channel JPCMHD ツ has compiled some of the very best ads from 2017 into one video so everyone around the world can enjoy these marketing masterpieces.

At just over 17 minutes long, the clip might seem like a lot to get through, but with each commercial lasting just 15 to 60 seconds, you’ll be hooked right up to the very end!

Take a look at the video here:

That was a 17-minute roller coaster ride of laughs, tears and head-scratching weirdness! Let’s recap with a rundown of what we just witnessed.

1. U.F.O. Yakisoba Instant Noodles from Nissin introduced us to an intense battle between the U.F.O. Kamen “Yakiso-boy” and his foes to advertise their “extreme” sauce.

2. Sugon Chips from Koikeya (0:46) took us to the Ivory Coast with a jingle that’s hard to forget.

3. Pocari Sweat from Otsuka Pharmaceuticals (1:16) was one of 2017’s most epic ads, involving hundreds of people both on screen and behind the scenes.

4. Hi-Chew Premium from Morinaga (2:16) emphasised the plump, chewy texture of their gummy sweets with lots of cheek-squeezing.

5. Sushi Delivery from Gin no Sara (2:31) used the slogan “Wickedly good, wherever you slice” alongside a hilarious series of glitches in a memorable pillow-talk scene.

6. Instant Curry Meshi (Curry Rice) from Nissin (3:01) showed an instant noodle-loving grandpa flying off to the arms of an angel in heaven after discovering the taste sensation of instant rice.

7. Sof Ice Cream from Akagi Nyugyo (3:31) used the image of a dancing woman with an old man’s head to promote the fact that they serve up nothing but the top part of a soft-serve ice cream.

8. Sakeru Gummi (tearable gummy sweets) from UHA Mikakuto (3:46) pushed the boundaries with a girl asking to touch a workman’s “long” sweet, culminating in her facing him with her mouth wide open, begging for a taste.

9. Kiyora Eggs from Akita Tamago (4:16) featured their well-known rice bear wrapped in an egg blanket, heading out for a picnic inside a bento box.

10. Komatta Kamo Handyman Service from Takada Move Centre (4:46) will help you out in all types of situations, even when you’re changing a lightbulb and your towel drops to expose your body on national television.

11. C-HR Crossover from Toyota (5:01) drove through a number of Japanese scenes, including an appearance in the Street Fighter game.

12. Tada Gakuwari (Free Student Discount) Campaign from Y! Mobile (5:30) used the “YMCA” tune in a school environment to encourage students to sign up for their service.

13. Bingo 5 Lottery from Takarakujinet (6:00) showed how the word “Bingo” has the power to stop a riot at a cancelled live concert.

14. Mercari Flea Market App from Mercari (6:30) introduced us to an excited man who purchased a set of nunchucks online…for an unusual purpose.

15. Tyres from Toyo Tires (6:45) combined cars with soccer players in real-life and animated environments to promote their tyres in a variety of driving conditions.

16. Neorest toilets from Toto (7:15) attracted our attention with a couple of anthropomorphised germs lamenting the fact that they have nowhere to hide, thanks to this new toilet’s “tornado flush” and modern cleaning systems.

17. Summoner’s War: Sky Arena RPG from Com2uS (7:45) didn’t need much time to create a memorable ad for their action-packed fantasy RPG.

18. Cup Noodles from Nissin (8:00) made waves around Japan in November with this instalment in the “Hungry Days Sazae-san” series of commercials, which pays homage to Sazae-san, Japan’s longest-running anime.

19. Aqua Crossover from Toyota (8:31) showed us the beauty of night scenes around Tokyo, with Tokyo Skytree as the star of the show.

20. Sasebo Keirin Cycling Race from Saasebo Keirin (9:00) presented a touching scene where an older man is able to enjoy all the excitement of the cycling race from a smartphone.

21. D-Card/Apple Pay Electronic Payment Service from NTT DoCoMo (9:14) used a pair of hilarious puppets to capture the sense of awe that comes with using their service.

22. Rulo Robotic Vacuum Cleaner from Panasonic (9:45) took us into the drama of a miniature world of men running away from the cleaner’s powerful suction.

23. Mouse Laptops from Mouse Computer (10:15) also used mini humans, this time in the form of little mouse girls who run away from a big black cat predator.

24. Onmyoji RPG from NetEase (10:29) introduced us to the beauty of the Heian period, which is the setting for the game.

25. au Star Member Promotional Campaign from KDDI (11:00) used a star called Santaro to promote Santoro no Hi (Santoro Day) on the 3rd, 13th, and 23rd of every month, which also comes with a free gift from the Daiso 100-yen store retail chain for members.

26. Fami Chiki Fried Chicken from Family Mart (11:30) had us laughing out loud as a beauty salon worker spruced up a piece of Family Mart fried chicken piece with a massage and a dash of pepper.

27. Life Insurance from Japan Post Insurance (11:45) used the slogan “Life is Filled With Dreams” to show how one girl might not have existed were it not for the chance meeting of her parents.

28. PS4 from PlayStation (12:45) turned the tables on typical family roles when a father threw a huge tantrum inside a store, only calming down when his young son tells him he can buy the new Dragon Quest XI game.

29. Puzzle & Dragons from GungHo (13:00) showed a young player practicing to defeat an intimidating foe with Combos in the hugely popular puzzle video game.

30. Smartphones from DoCoMo (13:29) were given a boost in sales with the Namie Amuro x DoCoMo ad, which marked the 25th anniversary of their first joint collaboration, with the Japanese pop icon singing and dancing her way through 25 years of fashion and dance trends at the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing. Coinciding with the release of Amuro’s album Finally, customers who purchased the album online were gifted with an original Amuro dPoint card from DoCoMo for a limited time.

31. Bingo 5 Lottery from Takarakujinet (13:59) featured famous doll Rika-chan and her friends out on a drive before getting swept up in the joy of Bingo.

32. Tobacco from Japan Tobacco (14:14) refrained from using the word “tobacco” anywhere in this ad, which features a touching performance from two of the most well-known stars from Japan’s music world: concert pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, who was born blind from birth, and Sayaka Yamamoto, a popular member of the Japanese idol girl group NMB48. 

33. Town Work Job Finding Site from Recruit Jobs (15:44) featured Japanese comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto and Nogizaka46 idol group member Rina Ikoma promoting the Town Work site in an amusing coffee shop scene.

34. PlayStation VR from PlayStation (16:14) created an extravagant song and dance to show that “we can do whatever we really wanna do”.

35. Don Bei Udon Noodles from Nissin (16:42) featured Japanese musician Gen Hoshino (who swept us up in the “Koi” Love Dance craze last year) and Japanese actress Riho Yoshioka in a wintery Christmas scene for the instant noodle brand.

With a total of 35 Japanese commercials in one clip, this video compilation is a great way to get a grasp on the creative methods, and the famous faces, used to market products and services to people in Japan this past year.

 ▼ One of our favourites was the Mouse ad, which featured tiny girls as rodents. Watch out for that big black cat paw behind you, girls!

With so many great commercials on TV last year, we can’t wait to see what the world of Japanese marketing has in store for us this year! Which ad did you like best? Let us know in the comments section below!

Source, images: YouTube/JPCMHD ツ