Every so often, KORG throws a Japan exclusive at its home market. And so it is that you’ll only see these Sanrio-themed (Hello Kitty) combo tuner metronomes there. It’s time for a quick Japan update.
I don’t even particularly need a combo tuner metronome, but it’s hard not to want one. (All the little details, like that bow on the clip…)
KORG product page (in Japanese):
TM-70C SCN/SPC/SKT combo tuner/metronome
I imagine at this point, if you don’t know already, you’re thinking, “does Cinnamoroll have a theme song and does it involve Sanrio correcting me on what species of animal Cinnamoroll is?” Yes, of course.
It’s important to release songs with answers like that, because if Sanrio doesn’t explain that in song, someone else will have to write a song with the unanswered questions plaguing them.
KORG has done limited editions like this before, and they can fetch steep prices on the used market for those of us unlucky enough to live in the part of the world that is not Japan. Artemiy from Sinevibes notes these Pokemon-themed items in his collection – so come on, KORG, let’s see a Sinevibes-themed NTS already! (The MA-2-PK/EV was available internationally – here’s the US listing, for instance – but this seems to be licensing-specific. It was a limited edition, so you may have a tough time finding it!)
Via BlueSky, tipped off to the existence of this and – omg, Bandai seems to have capsules with miniature KORG gear in them, for around 3 bucks USD/EUR.
There’s still more exclusive to Japan beyond just this, of course – even without getting to the amazing hardware kits put out by Gakken.
The latest find comes via downpressor – McDonald’s Japan is evidently putting out a toy drive-up sign that contains a tiny spring reverb-ish contraption inside. I don’t want to endorse McDonald’s in any way / on any level, so let’s just leave this at “I endorse tiny things, things from Japan, and springs”:
#Mcスプリングリバーブ
— HAGIWO/ハギヲ👺 (@HAGIWO1) March 10, 2025
マクドナルドのハッピーセットのおもちゃ
分解してみたら、スプリングリバーブでした。
プラスチックの膜で音を受けて、バネで残響を残す古典的な構造。 pic.twitter.com/eXuJmKPiBM
This makes me want to go DIY my own:
Okay, so what else have we missed from Japan? Let us know in comments.