In this issue: Keeping Tamagotchi alive, a rock version of Sam Smith’s track ‘Unholy’ by Gigi De Lana, and the story of Tom Yum.

Keeping Tamagotchi Alive

The story of Tamagotchi began in the Toshima City ward of northwest Tokyo, when toy executive Akihiro Yokoi was struck by inspiration. As Yokoi explained to the New York Times, the jolt came from an advertisement in which a boy wasn’t allowed to bring his pet turtle on vacation. An owner of “a dog, three cats, two parrots, and several beetles and other insects,” Yokoi identified with the boy’s longing. If it wasn’t always possible to take living pets along, he reasoned, why not bring a virtual one?

The origin story has an apocryphal quality. Was the advertisement selling turtles? Vacations? Did it exist at all? “No matter where I look I cannot find what the TV commercial was about or even if there was such [a] commercial in the first place,” one Redditor complained just a year ago.

Regardless, Yokoi was president of Wiz Co., Ltd., a creative firm where 42 employees, most in their early 20s, designed and pitched toy concepts to larger companies. Handheld games had been around since Mattel launched single-game consoles in 1977—but early portable consoles were too expensive for most players, says cultural historian Carly Kocurek, who specializes in new media technologies and video gaming at the Illinois Institute of Technology. “It had gotten a lot more affordable to make inexpensive, small electronics,” Kocurek explains… Smithsonian Magazine

Gigi De Lana - Unholy

The Story of Tom Yum: Thailand's Most Misunderstood (and Probably Oldest) Dish

Tom Yum is one of the most famous Thai dishes on the planet. But the truth is, Tom Yum- at least before it was discovered by the outside world- isn't a dish at all; it's a category, something with thousands of years of history- literally- and more epic versions than we could possibly imagine.

In this video, we'll explore the history of what would become Tom Yum, find versions from across the ages and culinary spectrum, and figure out why one specific version of the soup became such a global institution… OTR Food & History

We welcome any questions and suggestions. Just reply to this email or send a note to [email protected] 

If you’ve been forwarded this post and find it interesting, consider subscribing to the newsletter: