The Rice Bra

Pics and Video Inside

Sustainability 101: The Rice Bra

Sustainability is important, but so is fashion. Hoping to bridge the gap between these two opposites is Japanese bra-producer Triumph. Having previously produced a solar-panel bra and a sushi-set bra, Triump is now selling a ‘rice bra’ designed for flashing your boobs while growing your own rice—and therefore making the world a better place in which to live.

Environmentalists feel that humanity’s disregard for nature could and will likely lead to an eventual collapse of the Earth’s habitats, which in turn will cause the demise of civilization as we know it. They say that the only solution is to dedicate ourselves to sustainability. For clarification, sustainability was defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development as “development that meets the needs of the present without comprising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

The problem with sustainability is that most people lack the funds, time and interest to participate. This is because the avenues of sustainability—raising one’s own livestock or eating only organically produced foods; giving up oil and gas in favor of solar and wind power; and changing the very way in which we function—are far too cumbersome for most people to travel.

The key lies in bridging the gap between sustainability and mainstream society by developing means of sustainability that we can all, from the lowly day laborer to the PhD. physicist, appreciate. And that is exactly what Triumph has done.

Engineered from recyclable plastic, their latest invention, the ‘rice bra,’ can according to Reuters “be tied together to create pots that also double as the cups.” Also included are pockets for storing soil and rice seedlings, a water hose that can be wrapped around as a belt and, of course, gardening gloves. It’s essentially a bra that can also be used to grow your own rice.
Although it looks heavy and uncomfortable, lingerie model Reiko Aoyama (pictured in the first photograph) disagreed. “The bra fits much better than it looks. Wearing it puts me in such a fun mood,” she said.

So what exactly inspired Triumph to pursue such an unusual invention? The reasons are numerous, including Japan’s penchant for scrumptious rice; an overall increase in interest for agriculture; growing concerns in regard to the environment; and a desire to “spark interest” in the Triumph brand.

Triumph spokeswoman Yoshiko Masuda told Reuters, “Home kits that allow people to grow their own rice are very popular online. We thought that it would be fun if a bra could give people the same experience.”

Obviously, enhancing sustainability wasn’t Triumph’s number one goal. Nevertheless, we at WeirdAsiaNews salute Triumph for inadvertently enhancing the sustainability movement.