Lid Comes Off Toilet-Shaped Japanese Sweet

AICHI, Mar 16 (News On Japan) - A Japanese sweet shaped like a toilet has customers licking the bowl for more.

Okura Mochi, Representative Director, Kentatsu Inaba: "It's called 'Toilet Monaka.'"

You take off the lid, which resembles a toilet seat, fill it with smooth red bean paste, and then cover it again. This playful way of eating can really tickle your fancy. The price is 345 yen per piece.

The monaka, a type of sweet usually served with tea, is a collaboration between the long-established Japanese confectionery store and the housing equipment manufacturer LIXIL.

Inaba: "Initially, it was just made as a souvenir for factory tours of LIXIL, but it went viral on the internet, and I'm surprised at how much it has taken off."

Two years ago, when it was sold online, 200 boxes sold out in just five minutes. It has now become a return gift for furusato nozei (hometown tax donations) in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture.

Thanks to the big hit of "Toilet Monaka," Okura Mochi raised the base salary of its full-time employees by an impressive 15% the year before last.

Full-time employee: "With the increase in wages, our motivation goes up."

Inaba: "We are trying to eliminate waste and maximize the profit margin. We have a system where what we create goes to everyone."

The company is united in its efforts to raise wages again this year.

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