You may have heard of たい焼き taiyaki cakes. As seen in the image below, these cakes are shaped like sea breams (鯛 tai), considered an auspicious fish in Japan. They're traditionally served hot and filled with sweet azuki red bean paste. In the last forty years, they've experienced somewhat of a renaissance, and recently, they're sold with various fillings and even non-fish shapes. They've also become somewhat of a phenomenon outside of Japan as well, with some businesses, like Taiyaki NYC, adapting them into ice cream cones.

"Armor thyself, Taiyaki-kun!"

This popular cake was the inspiration for a unique accessory that became a topic on Japanese social media earlier this summer.

Fashioned by 平野祥彦 Yoshihiko Hirano (@YoshHirano), a Japanese jeweler specializing in accessories with weapon and armor motifs, it features a taiyaki wearing a visor the likes of which you would usually see on a knight's helmet in a medieval suit of armor.

Hirano christened his creation 「よろえ！たいやきくん」yoroe! taiyaki-kun, which could be translated as "Armor thyself, Taiyaki-kun!"

The accessory, which can be used both as a charm or a pendant, creates a surprising contrast both visually and conceptually. Not only is it amusing to consider a soft and sweet taiyaki cake acting chivalrous and wearing a suit of armor, but a fish wearing a giant visor half its size also presents a striking image.

The fish's body is made of white brass, while the visor is made of Sterling silver. And if the concept weren't awesome enough, the visor is moveable, so you can lift it up or down as you please.

This is what Taiyaki-kun looks like fully armored. Nobody's eating this taiyaki cake today!

Reaction to the design was very positive, eliciting comments such as "So cool! I want one!" and "Please put these on sale!"

This convinced Hirano to turn it into a commercial product.

Stocks are replenished two to three times a month, with about 30 units going on sale each time. (No reservations taken). The next lot is planned for September 3rd, 2022. Beyond that, Hirano will announce when they're back in stock on his Twitter account.

It costs 5,000 JPY, tax included, and comes with a complimentary brass keychain ring. You can buy it at his online store here.

It's also available in all silver for 12,000 JPY (14,000 JPY with a keychain ring), tax included, on an on-demand basis. You can order this one by contacting him via e-mail (Japanese preferred) at info@yoshfromhavocage.com.

Although Hirano is considering eventually adding international shipping, for the time being, he can only ship to Japanese addresses. Therefore, you'll need to use a forwarding service like Buyee or White Rabbit Express to have it shipped outside of Japan.

Be sure to check out all of Hirano's awesome weapon and armor-themed accessories at his online shop, Weaponica.