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Amazon Japan are selling Uber Eats backpacks and they’re surprisingly useful

Katie Pask Oct 9, 2020
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Full of secret surprises, assembling a bag has never been so much fun!

Food delivery company Uber Eats has been serving the people of Tokyo and other big cities in Japan for a few years now, but have recently expanded to the furthest reaches of the country, with mostly rural prefectures like Kagoshima and Oita finally being able to get their favourite food delivered to their doorstep.

In fact, so ubiquitous are the Uber Eats drivers (or, in Japan, more likely cyclists) that they’re instantly recognisable from a distance, thanks to one special item they carry with them; their backpacks. So it was to Japanese reporter Seiji Nakazawa’s surprise when he found the ever-present bags for sale on Amazon for 4,000 yen (US$38).

After a couple of days, a large box arrived at SoraNews24 HQ. As he opened the box, Seiji was a little confused. Hadn’t he ordered an Uber Eats bag? Uber Eats bags don’t look like this, do they? Aren’t they more… shapely? Had he accidentally ordered something different?

But as he unfolded the contents, it became apparent. This was an Uber Eats bag , with the iconic white and green lettering instantly recognisable. And it was here that Seiji found his first surprise – the bag didn’t come with any assembly instructions, but there was a bunch of boards with letters on them.

▼ IKEA, take note!

The letters on the boards corresponded with letters on the bag. Seiji figured if he matched them up to the inner walls then the bag would begin to take form.

But how to keep the boards in place? There was a piece of velcro attached to the side of the bag, but that didn’t seem to stick to the board at all. How would Seiji keep the board from toppling over the second he moved his hand away?

Upon further investigation, however…

A secret pocket appeared!!

But that still doesn’t explain what the velcro is for. Just as Seiji was pondering the reason for its existence, he spotted an aluminium plate with some velcro attached. Could it be…?

An extra layer in the box!

While that’s all well and good, surely the extra layer would just collapse if something reasonably heavy was on top of it? It didn’t seem to budge when Seiji gave it a push with his hand, but further tests were needed, so he popped a 500-milliliter (16.9-ounce) plastic bottle on the top. Would it bear the weight?

500-milliliter passed! Next text: one litre! Will it survive?

One litre passed too! Now for the real test – a full two-litre bottle of water!

No problem at all!

Seiji had been looking for the perfect bag to bring his packed lunch to the office in, and the more he was testing out the Uber Eats bag, the more convinced he became – this was the perfect bag for him!

But as he tried it on to show off to his fellow SoraNews24 reporters, Seiji felt like something was missing. What could it be? He assumed he had the bag fully assembled – after all, he’d used up all the boards! There was just something… off, though. It didn’t feel complete. As he was contemplating what the missing piece could be, his coworker Go Hatori appeared, fresh off his recent visit to the 100 yen shop.

Go used to work part-time at a soba restaurant and is an expert when it comes to carrying food around, so maybe he would be able to find the missing piece that Seiji was searching for.

Go: “Here, right?”

With his keen eyes trained from years in the food industry, Go immediately spotted a hidden zip on the bottom of the bag. What could be inside!?

No way…!

No way!! What Seiji had assumed was just another small pocket was actually an extension of the bag! By popping it out, the actual bag itself becomes wider, so you can fit more food inside it, like a box of pizza. Amazing!

Seiji decided to take the bag (complete with the two-litre bottle of water, of course) out for a spin.

For some reason, Seiji didn’t feel like he was carrying around two litres of water on his back. It felt much lighter, possibly thanks to the cushiony padding on the back.

Check out our Uber Eats bag unboxing video below to see Seiji’s genuine excitement at finding all the hidden compartments.

Most people are familiar with the outside of the bag, but for us, the inner workings of an Uber Eats bag has been a mystery… until now. Seiji was surprised at just how practical and functional the bag turned out to be. It was well worth the 4,000 yen he dropped on it. Even those unfamiliar with Uber Eats may wanna pick up a bag to use for BBQs or picnics. You can get your own Uber Eats bag here, and while you wait for it to arrive, make a couple of Uber Eats orders to see the bag in action! Don’t worry if you’re not hungry just a smile will do!

Photos ©SoraNews24
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