Japan always has really clever marketing, but it can sometimes (OK, a lot of times) be borderline racist. Check out this pastry called the black melon pan packaged up to look like some dude’s afro. Pan means bread and Melon pan is a type of bun that’s popular in Japan. It has a very thin layer of cookie dough on top of it with an ooey, gooey custard-like center. Not all melon pan are melon-flavored, although it’s probably the most common kind in Japan. I did some Googling and apparently the bread was sold in convenient stores in 2010, so I’m not sure if it’s still around. It’s funny; the opinions of the bread are mixed. Some commenter thought it was just a fun joke, while others were really insulted by it. What do you think — is it racist or not?
