If your idea of variety when it comes to tofu is limited to "soft" and "hard," you may not have heard of Kyoto's Otokomae Tofu (literally meaning "handsome tofu"). Combining a silky custard-like, yet firm texture and a rich flavor profile that Tony Cenicola of the New York Times described as "earthy, somewhat edamame"-like, on the one hand, with a humorous and decidedly edgy attitude (one of their favorite slogans literally translates as "the tofu that women most want to sleep with" 抱かれたい豆腐ナンバーワン ) on the other, the Kyoto-based tofu maker has enjoyed a growing popularity both within Japan and abroad.

Now, to celebrate their 20th year in business, as well as their 200 millionth pack of their most popular "Ken-chan" series, Otokomae Tofu Inc. has created a promotional video unmistakably worthy of their handsome image, called "Otokomae-Ondo" 男前音頭. (Ondo is a type of tune with a swung 2/2 rhythm, traditionally heard at festivals such as the Obon Festival, and often used in anime theme songs in the 1960s and 1970s.)

In the video, Japanese celebrity Papaya Suzuki, also known as a choreographer and dancer, leads a group of middle-aged men on a mission to console women who have just experienced heartbreak. After performing to a song with lyrics such as "A real man will never let you down," and "Kyoto Otokomae Tofu is the studliest tofu," they offer up Otokomae Tofu's extra-rich tokuno 特濃 "Ken-chan" tofu, served hot with a topping of grated yamaimo yams, tsuyu sauce and nori seaweed for a woman who was dumped outside in the cold neon streets, and served with a topping of Japanese mustard and nametake seasoned enoki mushroom caps for a heartbroken woman drowning her sorrows at the bar.

...more handsome than anything in the world...

...Kyoto Otokomae Tofu Shop.

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A 70s Vibe

Beginning with their costume, a modified version of gakuran 学ラン (a type of boys' school uniform with a high-collar jacket) which was popular in the 1970s, and the extravagantly decorated dekotora truck they ride in, reminiscent of the Torakku Yaro (Truck Dude) film series, and even Papaya' mannerisms, sticking a stalk of grass in his mouth, just like Masami Iwaki, the most "manly" character in the 1970s baseball manga Dokaben, the video humorously conveys a stereotyped image of Japanese virility planted firmly in 1970s pop culture.

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Here's the video:

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Creative Team

Otokomae Tofu put together an all-star cast to create the video, beginning with director Tetsuro Takeuchi. Winner of the Planning Award at the Japan Record Awards and numerous other music awards, and director of countless music videos for musical artists such as Ulfuls, Spitz and Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Takeuchi is perhaps best known outside of Japan for directing the 1999 horror film Wild Zero. Okinawa-born songstress Yoko Mine, known for her legacy singing songs created by municipal governments to revitalize their towns, brings Otokomae Ondo to life, while Otokomae Tofu company president Johnny Ito himself wrote the lyrics and composed the melody. Finally, the fist-pumping hip-thrusting choreography comes courtesy of Papaya Suzuki.

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Otokomae Tofu for you

If you're tempted to bring home some studly Otokomae Tofu for yourself, you can ogle at their tasty selection on their website here. Even if you don't live in Japan, Otokomae Tofu is available extensively at Asian and Japanese food shops all over the world. You can even buy some Otokomae Tofu T-shirts, jackets, towels and other accessories at their online shop.

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Finally, if you want to see more of Papaya Suzuki, you can't go wrong with his version of Despacito: