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If you've ever played Pokémon, you surely know that if you spend enough time and effort training them well, many Pokémon will evolve into more powerful forms. But what if you could instantly evolve them?
In the world of Japanese sweets, Hiyoko cakes are just as famous as Pokémon. Created in Fukuoka over a hundred years ago and now sold all over Japan, the adorable sponge cakes are shaped like little chicks, hence the name Hiyoko ひよ子, meaning "chick." And while they are sometimes sold in sets featuring larger and smaller ones, as pictured below, their shape stays essentially the same.
© SocialWire Co., Ltd.
Enter Japanese craftsman and writer Tabane. He realized that a Hiyoko cake would instantly look like a chicken with just one addition: its comb (the fleshy red crest). Therefore, he designed an item suited for the task: a red pick with a comb at the top.
In a Tweet which has now reached over 473,000 likes and 122,000 retweets at time of writing, Tabane revealed his ingenious pick:
.......... "I made a pick which evolves a chick into a chicken"
With permission from Tabane たばね (@_tabane)
With permission from Tabane たばね (@_tabane)
With permission from Tabane たばね (@_tabane)
Of course, it can also be used for its original function. Often served with small cakes or wagashi, picks are traditionally used in Japan to pick up and sometimes divide sweets (or fruit) into smaller bite sizes.
If you'd like to see exactly how Tabane designed it, you can see all the details on his blog here.
Tabane has created many other ingenious items. For example, this brooch which takes a hint from video game imagery to display a customizable "health bar." The gradations in the bar are backed by magnets so you can easily add or remove them to suit your energy level or your mood:
If you'd like to see more of his work, you can follow Tabane on Twitter or Instagram or visit his blogs to see more of his craftwork or his writing.