Popular girl group AKB48 created a new internet phenomenon with their hit single “Koisuru Fortune cookie” (Fortune Cookie in Love) which was released in August 2013. The song sold over one million copies on its release day.
In Japan, children and adults, company employees, officials from local governments, taxi drivers and people from other professions dance to the pop song and upload their videos to Youtube where their popularity spreads like a wildfire.
One video for example was made by Inagawa-city located in Hyogo Prefecture. In order to make their town more popular and attract tourists, around 400 residents of the small rural town appear in the video dancing to AKB48’s music. The video became viral and has been watched more than 400,000 times and has even been featured on Japanese News Programs.
Kikue Kogita, 83, who appeared in the video making the well-known heart-symbol with her hands, said: “I did not know anything about AKB48, but now many people are approaching me calling me ‘Inagawa no obaachan’ [Inagawa-Granny]. I had no idea that the video would become that popular.”
Other prefectures in Japan also try to gain attention by utilizing the “Koisuru Fortune Cookie” craze. The prefectural government in Saga also posted their video which features around 1000 Saga Government officials. Their video has been watched on Youtube almost 2 Million times by now.
One of the middle-aged male officials said that at first he was hesistant to dance but when starting to dance the officials didn’t worry about their age and rank but just felt united.
Currently around 20 entities and groups in Japan have created their own music videos and “Koisuru Fortune Cookie” did not only inspire the Japanese to cover the song and upload their performance on Youtube but also has become a smash hit abroad.
Besides the London version
Vietnam version
Singapore version
and Taiwan version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbgpva54Mp4
the latest addition to the boom is the India version of “Koisuru Fortune Cookie”.
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce based in Kolkata came up with the crazy idea to create this Bollywood meets AKB48 video.
Employees of local Japanese companies like Mitsui & Co. Ltd., Steel Plantech, NRI Fintech and Nomura Research Institute appeared in the first half of the video and local people from India introducing Kolkata-city appear in the second half. Kolkata is well known for its chemical industry where many Japanese companies have their subsidiaries.
Did you also create a “Koisuru Fortune Cookie” video? Please let us know and share the link with us!
Want to buy “Koisuru Fortune Cookie” related goods? Then be sure to check out this link!
