Hikaru Utada’s body is Ayataka green tea, in a commercial featuring a re-recorded version of their 2001 hit single “Traveling”

So, Hikaru Utada’s Science Fiction is now available, which means you can hear the re-recordings of “Addicted to You”, “Traveling” and “Hikari”. But in true Teruzane fashion — because he don’t play with the income of his child — the re-recording of “Traveling” features a tie-in with Ayataka green tea. And if like me, you were initially like, ‘Who the hell is this brand and what happened to the Suntory connect?’. Ayataka green tea is owned by Coca-Cola. Of course Teruzane went from Suntory to the Coca-Cola Company. He wants Hikaru receiving global briefcases of money.

And as was the case with the beautifully shot Suntory commercial which featured Hikaru trekking by waterfalls to “Dare ni mo Iwanai” which coulda easily been extended to a full music video, this green tea commercial also gets a really cool commercial which coulda easily been extended to a full music video. And we also get some cool Easter eggs referencing the “Traveling” music video itself.

Hikaru looks great in this. The body is Ayataka green tea. And that bomber jacket? Fire. I need it in my life. But, it’s Sacai. And I do not have Sacai money. Therefore, it will not be in my life.

Ayataka meets Hikaru Utada ‘Traveling’ | Coca-Cola Japan

I adore “Traveling”. So I was a bit concerned about how a re-recording would turn out and how much would change. But I like how it turned out. It sits nicely between being close enough to the original, but also different enough to be appreciated as its own thing which can sit with Hikaru’s more recent material.

Ayataka meets Hikaru Utada ‘Traveling’ | Coca-Cola Japan

I really do wish this commercial was made into a full music video. But at least it’s a decent enough length to settle into and appreciate. And by today’s standards, two minutes is basically the length of a song / music video anyway.