Many of you probably know Japanese actor Tatsuya Fujiwara, famous for his iconic roles as Light Yagami in the movie "Death Note" and Kaiji Itou in "Kaiji." His latest film, "Kaiji 4: Life Revenge Game," is set to premiere in January 2027.
But you won't believe his latest gig! He's teamed up with food giant Ajinomoto and JA Zen-Noh Nagano—a major producer of summer and autumn lettuce in Japan—for a wild new campaign: "Cook Do® Oyster Sauce: Tatsuya Fujiwara's 'Please Buy My Lettuce' (Katteku Retasu)." The highlight? They're releasing a limited run of 10,000 lettuces, each sporting a package with Tatsuya Fujiwara's face! Netizens are absolutely cracking up, wondering where on earth this genius idea came from.
This hilarious campaign actually has a serious goal: tackling food waste from summer lettuce. Surveys show that over 60% of people admit to throwing away lettuce at home because they couldn't finish it.
So, how do you get people to eat their lettuce faster and tastier, instead of tossing it? Simple! By wrapping each head of lettuce in special packaging featuring Tatsuya Fujiwara's face, they're hoping to grab shoppers' attention and boost sales in the produce aisle. Plus, they're pairing it with "Lettuce Instant Disappearance Recipes" to encourage everyone to devour the entire head and cut down on waste.
Starting late July, these limited-edition Tatsuya Fujiwara-faced lettuces will be available at select supermarkets in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kansai region, with only 10,000 units up for grabs.
▼ The official word is that some stores already have them on shelves.
▼ Talk about eye-catching, right? Imagine seeing this at your local supermarket!
What's more, each package has a QR code on the back. Scan it, and you're taken straight to the "Lettuce Instant Disappearance Recipes" website. Leveraging Cook Do® Oyster Sauce's versatility—it's ready to use straight from the bottle, no heating required—the site offers a bunch of quick and easy recipes designed to help you use up a ton of lettuce, aiming to reduce household food waste.
Even Hiroshi Kobayashi, head of JA Zen-Noh Nagano's Production and Sales Department, shared his thoughts:
"When I first saw the finished product, I was blown away by its incredible visual impact—it really turned out fantastic. When I initially heard about this project, my biggest thought was, 'They actually managed to get Tatsuya Fujiwara to collaborate!' It was truly surprising. I hope this eye-catching packaging encourages everyone to try the delicious Nagano-grown lettuce. And I'm really looking forward to this campaign becoming a catalyst for people to happily finish all their lettuce, reducing food waste at home."
Ajinomoto also posted a message from Tatsuya Fujiwara on their official X account:
"Someone came to me and said, 'Lettuce is in crisis right now, could we borrow your face?' And I said, 'Sure, no problem.' Turns out, it really was just a 'face-lending' job. What am I even doing...? Anyway, I'll be waiting for you at the supermarket."
This isn't Ajinomoto's first quirky collaboration with Tatsuya Fujiwara, either! Previously, they ran a campaign in the Shinano Mainichi Shimbun newspaper featuring a "Lettuce Preservation Newspaper." That bizarre design actually sparked a buying frenzy, proving that... well, Tatsuya Fujiwara's face is truly versatile!
