Not a fan of floral teapots? Well then, this is for you.
There are lots of decorative teapots on the market, but many of them are adorned with motifs and colors that are often considered feminine. Even themed teapots are often catered toward female consumers, with Hello Kitty or Disney designs printed across them. So what is a tea-loving guy to do if he isn’t a fan of any of those things, but still wants to brew a pot of tea for his bros?
Why, bust out this heavy iron teapot shaped like the head of a Zaku, of course. It looks like one of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchises’ most famous mobile suits, and its sleek iron appearance is sure to impress even the most stoic of men.
This teapot will be sold by Premium Bandai, one of the biggest retailers of limited edition anime goods, but it’s made by Nanbu Tekki, an ironware company based in Oushu City, Iwate Prefecture, in Northeast Japan, which was said to have to been founded in the eleventh century. Each Zaku head teapot is carefully crafted out of iron using traditional iron casting techniques, with the careful attention of a professional artisan.
That makes the price of 24,840 yen (US$218.03) well worth it. It’s also made of solid iron, so it’s durable and will last you a long time. You won’t ever have to buy another teapot again! It also comes with a stainless steel mesh strainer, which is also long-lasting, so if you love tea and you love Gundam, this teapot will be a great investment.
Premium Bandai will also be selling lumps of cast iron shaped like Haro, a mascot of the Gundam series, and the Acguay, another type of mobile suit in the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. Putting these iron lumps into an ordinary pot or teapot has been shown to increase the iron content in any liquids being cooked, so these little doodads give you the same health benefits as cooking with cast iron, without the expense.
These two little guys, which only measure 50 millimeters or less in any one dimension, will be sold for 2,160 yen each (US$18.96), or as a set of two for 4,320 yen. You can also bundle them both up with the teapot for a grand price of 29,160 yen, though there doesn’t seem to be any reduced price benefit to buying all three products at once.
Sales of each of these products will start on November 22 at 11 p.m., and will likely continue until the distribution date, which is in April of next year. Overseas customers be warned, however; you may not be able to order these unless you’re in Japan to receive them, as P-Bandai’s selection for international shoppers is quite limited. Check out their website for more information.
Hopefully you’ll be able to get your hands on one, so you can pour tea for your friends in the coolest way imaginable while watching old Mobile Suit Gundam reruns and fan-made, stop-motion Gundam videos.
Source: Premium Bandai via Japaaan
Images: Premium Bandai