Japanese station rents out 'The Three Sisters of Persuasion' power bank; 1.6 million netizens laugh: Whose is it?

A Japanese tourist's trip to Mie Prefecture took an unexpected turn when he rented a portable charger from a FamilyMart convenience store, only to discover it was from Taiwan.

The charger, rented from a ChargeSPOT station at Toba Station, stood out from typical Japanese models. Its instructions and warnings were entirely in traditional Chinese characters, and its casing was adorned with a vibrant pink advertisement for the Taiwanese musical "The Three Sisters of Persuasion."

The tourist, posting photos on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), shared his surprise, prompting a wave of online attention. The post garnered over 1.6 million views, with many users expressing curiosity and amusement.

Japanese netizens identified the charger as originating from Taiwan. Fellow Taiwanese travelers chimed in, explaining the advertisement was part of a collaboration between the musical and ChargeSPOT. The unusual situation led to widespread speculation about who might have brought the Taiwanese-branded charger to Japan.

ChargeSPOT, a leading provider of portable charger rental services, operates globally, with stations in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Australia, the UK, and Italy since its establishment in 2017. Some Japanese users noted the charger's flexible cable and Type-C port as superior to standard, stiffer cables that can easily break.