Nissin not only makes delicious noodles, they make the world a better place through innovation.

Cup Noodle is a symbol of Japanese society and an instant food beloved by people transcendent of age or class. It’s to the point where it’d be very hard to imagine a Japan without it.

And its creator Nissin has used their flagship product to expand to other foods, the most famous of which is probably their U.F.O. (Unidentified Frying Object) instant yakisoba (literally “fried buckwheat noodles”, although they’re actually made from wheat flour).

They have also expanded in the field of research. Fueled by well-received PR antics on social media where they imagine a slew of clever items like T-Shirts and bags, in October of last year they launched “Product X” (pronounced “Product Pekeh“).

The mission of Product X was to address various problems encountered when using Nissin products. Their first attempt was a fork that linked with your smartphone to emit a sound to camouflage noodle slurping. Although it was a real product, it never sold because the required number of pre-orders was not met…probably because no one took it seriously.

Undeterred, Product X has moved onto its next venture: The Kyabebanban (Knock Knock Cabbage).

For those unfamiliar with U.F.O., it works much like Cup Noodle, by adding boiling hot water to the package and waiting three minutes for the noodles and other ingredients to soften. Then, the hot water is removed via holes on the other side of the lid.

Image: SoraNews24

An unfortunate side effect of this is that sometimes the cabbage gets stuck to the lid. Nissin (very roughly) estimates that 4.17 tons of cabbage is wasted per year because of this.

▼ A PSA reminding everyone to knock before you eat

▼ A follow-up video showing everyone the proper knocking technique

However, even armed with this knowledge, in this fast-paced workaday life we don’t always have the time or energy to properly knock the cabbage off our U.F.O. lids.

So, Product X has developed the Kyabebanban to shake of those sticky leaves and ensure the optimum cabbage-noodle ratio. Nissin studies show that the Kyabebanban is effective at removing up to 81 percent of lid-cabbage with its powerful vibrations.

The way it works is simple: Prior to doing anything, you insert the U.F.O. into the Kyabebanban and then prepare as usual. However, after pouring out the water you pull up on the patented Multi-band Head and then release. Harnessing the awesome power of elasticity, vibrations are sent into the lid at such a frequency that the cabbage is freed from its silvery bondage.

With its cutting-edge “direct motion” design, it leaves no carbon footprint and even makes eating easier via its big red handle. With all these features, you’re probably thinking, “Why, I’d pay 100,000 yen (US$900) for that easily!”

Well guess again! The Kyabebanban can be yours for only 4,980 yen ($45) from the Nissin online store. However, again, if their target of 1,000 preorders is not met by 31 May, they will cancel production. So, just to make sure everyone’s on the same page: THIS IS FOR REAL.

Wasted cabbage is no joke – unless its like some kind of really drunk cabbage character. Then it’s a pretty decent joke. Otherwise, it’s harmful to the Earth, and not buying one is tantamount to saying you hate the Earth.

You don’t hate the Earth…do you?

Source: Nissin Kyabebanban, Sankei News, Hachima Kiko
Images: YouTube/Nissin Group Official Channel, PR Times