Awwwww... Shit!!! Free Bruce Lee Figures; Aeon, Tokyo Area

While searching for a Sunday night dinner, I came along these treasures.  I wasn't able to "figure" out what they were from this view:

I picked up a can and thought maybe I was looking at some wrestling or soccer figures.  To my delight, they were of the man himself, Bruce Lee.  As a result, I snatched three cans, each costing me 89 yen or roughly a dollar.  This is where the marketing at Dydo coffee paid off.  There is no way I would have bought the can coffee w/o Bruce.  In this regard, Japan is still like how breakfast cereals used to be in the U.S.  Remember that sticky octopus that rolled down the walls, the baking soda submarine and the dinosaur that grows when you put it in the water?  Sure you do if you grew up in the U.S. in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.  Those were the premiums that helped you select Frankenberry, Corn Pops or Fruity Pebbles from the rest of the bunch.  Well sure enough all those crybabies decided to pass legislation that limited premiums (so that kids actually picked healthier choices) and poof the promotions were either gone or not as good.

I actually never wasted my cereal.  Half of the time, I poured it out into a bowl and took the prize (putting the cereal back in the box afterwards of course) and half of the time I patiently finished my cereal to get my treasure.  

Well, this type of marketing transcends children here in Japan.  I've seen One Piece figures with shaving cream and razors, AKB48 mugs with ramen noodles and even some anime figures with condoms here as promotional goods aimed toward adults.  So, back to the figure, the actual cans look like this:

I drank the coffee and here is the figure in its packaging:

Here is the advert that comes with the figure:

And here is the figure after I built it, ready to collect dust and be given to another lawyer here or a secretary when I get tired of it:

Us Chinese Americans all know the importance Bruce has.  There have never been any Chinese heroes that have replaced Bruce in America, or even Asian heroes for that matter.   Jackie Chan and Jet Li are possibly a distant second and third as Asian heroes in America.  Does Keanu Reaves count?

Since my Dad and uncle grew up in the 60s and 70s, Bruce is even more important to their generation and as a result, the other 2 Bruce figures above will be packaged and shipped to them in Chicago.

The Bruce Lee figure with coffee is one more reason I like living here.