With a Grain of Salt
The History of the World's Oldest Microblogging Platform (Do-zai taipu)
By Isette Façìon | Posted 8/14/22 | Updated 4/24/23
Two hundred years before online spaces twittered with social media memes and insta-posts, real-life cookies stored data in a realm of vanilla and almond extracts.
The first microblog, the fortune cookie, "allowed the exchange of small elements of content" from wise proverbial sayings to cautionary advice and is still liked by millions daily.1 The small message space encouraged concision much like Twitter's initial 140 characters posting limit which expanded to 240 in 2017.
Interestingly, the fortune cookie with its 'surprise inside' is also the precursor to the cereal box prize and drumstick ice cream cone. It's also why 'cookies' store data from your web browsing on your device. Surprised?
Baking Japanese fortune cookies, Tsujiura Senbei in the Edo period (1603-1868)2
Where did fortune cookies originate?
As popular ideas gain traction, controversy as to 'who made them first' follow. As to this treat, the owner of the Hong Kong Noodle Company in Los Angeles, California, claims he invented the cookie in 1918,3 however, a wafer similar in appearance to the modern fortune cookie was made in Kyoto, Japan, as far back as the 19th century.2 Creativity Portal reached out to both claimants for comment, unfortunately, both're long gone.
The Mother of Necessity
As the invention of cars spawned an industry of tire-makers, the delightful cookie with a poetic message inside birthed the creation of the Do-zai taipu (movable fortune type) in Oshu, Japan, during the Edo period. This tiny typewriter has just one purpose: to typeset fortunes. Unfortunately, only 100 were made and few remain in existence and Amazon just discontinued selling its ribbon.
What does this mean? Not sure, but the tension in this Fortunately / Unfortunately game narrative is about to guide you towards a happy solution that's win-win for everyone.
Fortunately, Creativity Portal stepped up to the plate to make sure fortunes on tiny slips of paper never go extinct. After months of R&D with our team of cookie experts, we're pleased to unveil our very cool prototype of the Dejitaru o mi kuji taipu ⇢
References:
- Kaplan Andreas M.; Haenlein Michael (2011). "The early bird catches the news: Nine things you should know about micro-blogging" (PDF). Business Horizons, 54(2). Retrieved June 5, 2014
- From "Moshiokusa Early Modern Strange Story. Vol. 3, Volume 3" by Senka Shinoda [etc.] (Seiseido, 1878)
- Brunner, Borgna (2005), "The History of the Fortune Cookie", Infoplease, retrieved May 10, 2005
©2022 Isette Façìon. All rights reserved.
Isette Façìon is known for her dubious writing and questionable research.