Handbags available in your choice of regular, seafood, or chili tomato.

Even though it’s now half a century old, instant ramen brand Cup Noodle hasn’t stopped changing and innovating. This year, they made the somewhat controversial move of removing the little stickers that helped keep the foil lid down during heating.

The loss of stickers is said to reduce 33 tons of plastic waste a year, and in their place, a second foil tab was added that folds over the rim of the cup. However, since the single foil tab was pretty much useless, many are also finding the second tab to be of little help.

▼ “As I thought, the new lids open, so it’s back to the old method.”

Personally, I never even knew those little stickers on the bottom of the cups existed until the announcement, so little has changed for me, proving once again that ignorance is indeed bliss. The other positive is that with two foil tabs, the lids now resemble little cat heads. Cup Noodle capitalized on this by printing little cat faces on the underside.

▼ “The new Cup Noodle lids are indeed hard to keep down and peel off easily, but the worst part is I feel too guilty to throw away such a cutie. I want this improved soon.”

They sure are cute, so cute in fact, that Cup Noodle is also launching a line of accessories based on them: Cup Noodle Pouches!

▼ Cup Noodle Pouch (pictured right) next to a real Cup Noodle and some green things that I’m being told are a kind of food called “vej tables.”

These cup-shaped bags are faithful recreations of the leading instant ramen brand and boast plenty of space for all the pens, scissors, and rulers you’d ever need on the go. And of course, the new Cup Noodle cats are making an appearance.

The lining also has an adorably cheerful pattern of shrimp, mystery meat, and noodles.

They also come in different flavors and sizes, but each are available in different ways as a part of the Cup Noodle 50th Anniversary Book which goes on sale 18 September. The full size regular and seafood flavors that measure 14.5 centimeters (5.7 inches) high and 12.5 centimeters (4.9 inches) across the top will be sold at bookstores for 2,178 yen (US$20) bundled with the commemorative book.

▼ The strap is removable, and the zipper handle is a little fork!

Smaller versions of the regular and seafood pouches, that measure three centimeters (1.2 inches) shorter in both directions, can be found at Lawson convenience stores for the reduced price of 1,850 yen ($17). Those craving the chili tomato flavor Cup Noodle, which is also a smaller size, must purchase their books from the Takarajima Channel online shopping site for 1,850 yen.

▼ The full range of pouches

It’s the perfect gift for those who want to literally wear their love of Cup Noodle on their sleeve, but for the brand’s next trick I think they should sell instant noodles in a cup that looks just like a Gucci leather handbag. Considering the stuff they’ve pulled before, I wouldn’t put something like that past them.

Source: PR Times, Takarajima Channel
Images: PR Times
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