Interest
May The Fourth Takes Over Japan With Events, Merch, and More
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
May the Fourth—a day dedicated to the Star Wars fandom— isn't restricted by borders. Sci-fi fans in Japan also showed their love for Han Solo and the gang at an exhibition in Tokyo while other companies took advantage of the holiday to appeal to franchise fans.
The event also 'hijacked' the Yahoo! Japan app, displaying search results in a style similar to the films' opening screen crawl and playing the film's theme song as background music.
Ginza Tanaka, a precious metals retailer famous for establishing a gold standard in Japan, is issuing solid gold Star Wars coins that mimic those used during the Edo period (1603 to 1868). Sales began today, of course, and will last until April 30, 2016.
The sets come in five grams, 10 grams, or 30 grams. The 30 gram coin featuring Darth Vadar costs 387,348 yen (about US$3,225), the 10 gram coin costs 129,116 yen (US$1,075), and the five gram coin costs 64,558 yen (US$537). A Storm Trooper coin set with a 30g Darth Vadar coin and 10 five gram Storm Trooper coins costs 993,200 yen (about US$8,269). Only 54 Storm Trooper sets will be made. The coins prices will fluctuate with gold values.
May the Fourth was certified by Japan Anniversary Association last year.
[Via Anime! Anime!, Hachima Kikou, Gizmodo]
