What the hell is it, even? Cat crap in stomach lining?

wut

I don't get it. Do we eat the dancing people?

Acting like you've lost your mind is the best way to sell candy, period.

But they look so miserable and downcast.

Sorry, people in costumes don't work. Only sock puppets can successfully sell me candy.

Ah, this is my most favorite advertisement of all time, I think (not counting the awesome Soviet one for men's suits). I have no idea why.

This is a sweet that originated in Hakata (Fukoka). In Japanese, "bura-bura" means to sort of dangle around. This is pretty much just a glob of an (sweet red bean paste) with gooey rice...er...goo globbled around it. You get these in foil tin cups and they basically mold to the shape of the cup.

They kind of look like an aborted daifuku. Or like one that'd result after, say, in the middle of attempting to make said daifuku you get a slab of steaming hot, sticky mochi stuck to your hand, resulting in 8th degree burns and some fused digits.

Now, as for the ad...I'm not sure. I always thought the eyes of the costumes looked like the sweets.

Really halfassed lyrics:

Saemon meibutsu bura bura (Saemon is the company that makes Hakata Bura-Bura)
Hakata bura-bura bura sagete!
Hitotsu tabeyo ka ageyou ka
Bura bura etc.
An ni tappuri tsutsumarete
Ha! Hitoguchi tabereba wasurarenuuu!

It's Saemon's famous bura bura
Hakata bura-bura hanging around
Shall we eat or share one?
Bura bura etc.
It's covered up in red bean paste
One bite and you can forget it

Oh, well. Even if it's mostly wrong (durf durf hurrgh), you get the picture- bura bura bura.

is it really wrapped in a piece of rope?