If you've scrolled through social media recently, you might have encountered a transparent ballpoint pen with actual parasites wriggling inside it—perhaps initially mistaking it for AI-generated content. This bizarre item has sparked disgusted reactions and comparisons to the Resident Evil series, but it's a genuine souvenir from Kochi Prefecture in Japan.
Earlier this year, Asahi News in Japan uncovered the origins of this unusual writing tool. Despite its appearance as something you'd expect on a villain's desk in Resident Evil, it's a real product available for purchase from a fish shop in Susaki city, Kochi Prefecture. The clear section of the pen contains live Anisakis parasites, which inhabit fish, suspended in a liquid. These parasites can cause food poisoning if ingested from raw or undercooked fish—a delightful detail.
It's the sort of item a Resident Evil antagonist might carry, potentially using it in a sinister transformation scene. The company behind the pen isn't the fictional Umbrella Corporation but Tada Suisan, a local business. According to company president Takuhiro Tada, the idea originated in 2021 from a social media acquaintance who was placing Anisakis extracted from his own stomach into ballpoint pens. In his original video, creator FUNA84 joked that using the pen to sign consent forms for parasite extraction surgery at a hospital would showcase one's expertise as an 'Anisakis master.'
Inspired by FUNA84's post, Tada experimented with making an Anisakis pen for fun, but the overwhelming response led him to sell them in his store. The parasites are sourced from caught fish, specifically skipjack or bonito, so production varies weekly based on the catch. Tada explained that they might make around 20 pens daily at times or go a week without producing any.
These pens first gained attention in Japanese news and social media in 2024, but they've now captured interest internationally, particularly among fans of Capcom's survival horror series. Resident Evil enthusiasts have humorously suggested it could be an 'Umbrella Corporation 5-year work anniversary gift.' Even the European Community and Social Media Manager for Resident Evil remarked that the pen sounds like something from a creepy in-game diary entry.
On April 8, Tada responded to the viral trend, acknowledging the stir but noting that unauthorized accounts had shared the content. He also mentioned receiving some threatening comments. The Anisakis pens have sparked ethical debates online, with critics calling them needlessly cruel to living creatures. They certainly resemble the type of pen Umbrella scientists might use while documenting mutant experiments.
