Everyone's favourite viral hit after 'Gangnam Style', Pikotaro's 'PPAP' topped the charts last year despite being only 45 seconds long (it even won a Guinness Book of World Records mention for that).
With everyone grabbing apples, pens and pineapples to emulate the ’70s-clad jokester, not only the singer himself benefitted from his tune's popularity: another big winner was fruits purveyor Dole, who deal mainly in – yes – pineapples.
Apparently pineapple sales spiked massively once 'PPAP' dropped, so to recognise such an extraordinary feat, Dole decided that it was high time to award Mr Pikotaro (he's not quite a 'Sir' yet) with a Pineapple Appreciation Certificate for his efforts in 'advancing the awareness and appreciation of pineapples', as well as presenting him with... a year's supply worth of pineapples.
Before the actual award was presented in Tokyo earlier this week, those of us in attendance were fed some pineapple trivia, including some etymology (it looks like a pine cone but is a fruit, hence the apple bit), and a few pieces of sound advice (if in doubt between two same-size pineapples, choose the heavier one, and the flavour of a pineapple differs from the top to the bottom).
Then it was over to Pikotaro, who told us how 'PPAP' came about: the beat was inspired by a decades-old song, and while he heard the track, a pen was sitting in his hand and an apple was nearby. When he looked across the room, there was an empty can of tinned pineapples he'd eaten earlier in the day. And the rest, as they say, is (Guinness Record) history.
But despite all that pineapple talk, turns out that Pikotaro has a few issues cutting them properly. The Dole staff were on hand to kindly teach him the ideal method: cut off the top and bottom chunks, then quarter it, halve the quarters, slice off the core bit, cut into even chunks (without piercing the skin), and then cut the skin off in the same way you might fillet a fish. Inventive indeed.
Of course, there was no way someone would throw a ceremony like that and not make the guy perform his hit song. Behold: Pikotaro 'PPAP'-ing in front of a veritable wall of pineapples ('pineapple chaos', in his words). We hope he's back with another themed hit soon.