Why People Pop Bubble Wrap and Uncovering Eight Mysteries of Puchi Puchi
That polyethylene sheet is often used to wrap fragile items. Many people become addicted to the act of popping it with their fingers, and it has long been affectionately known as “Puchi Puchi®.” Generally, it’s called “bubble wrap,” but this Puchi Puchi name is actually a registered trademark of Kawakami Sangyo Co., Ltd., the company that developed and manufactures it.
So why did this Puchi Puchi become something that can be popped with your fingers? The book titled ‘Puchi Puchi®: Why Did a Bubble Sheet, Made to Prevent Being Popped, Become Something to Pop with Your Fingers?’ (Puchi Puchi Culture Research Institute, published by Mynavi Publishing), released on “Puchi Puchi Day” on August 8th, answers that question. It was written by the Puchi Puchi Culture Research Institute, which has been within Kawakami Sangyo and has gathered information about Puchi Puchi for 23 years.
The human desire to pop Puchi Puchi with fingers is said to be a psychological phenomenon called “affordance,” similar to the urge to open a door when you see one, or to press a button when it’s there. So why has the act of popping Puchi Puchi become so broadly therapeutic for people? The book shares a wealth of information about Puchi Puchi collected by the Research Institute, and we introduce just a small part of it.
(1) “Puchi Puchi® Has an Official Way to Be Popped”
Puchi Puchi, which helps relieve stress when popped, actually has an official popping method. The basic technique is the “thumb pop,” where you lightly grip a bubble between your thumb and index finger and press it firmly to pop. There’s also the “silent pop,” where you slowly slice each bubble with a cutter—people get hooked on the subtle sensation. Other methods include the “underwater pop,” where you pop bubbles in the bath and enjoy the tiny air bubbles, and the “rolling pop,” where you lay a sheet on the floor and roll over it to pop bubbles with your entire body. There are also competitive methods, like the “Genpei pop,” where two people pop bubbles, and the “mahjong pop,” which involves four people. The “wringing pop,” where bubbles are crushed all at once by twisting the sheet like a rag, is considered unofficial and frowned upon by fans as a disrespectful method.
(2) “There Is Puchi Puchi® Designed Exclusively for Popping”
For those who want to pop Puchi Puchi anytime, anywhere, there’s a product called “Pucchin Sukatto.” It looks like a roll of toilet paper, but it’s perforated for easy tearing, with each sheet sized to pop in about three minutes. You can discreetly carry it in your bag and pop Puchi Puchi whenever and wherever you want. It’s also designed to make a sound three times louder than usual, providing a refreshing experience that may help with anger management.
(3) “One in 10,000 Bubbles Is a Heart-Shaped ‘Lucky Puchi'”
In Kawakami Sangyo’s Puchi Puchi®, one in every 10,000 bubbles is heart-shaped. This “Lucky Puchi” is said to bring a little happiness to those who find it. The intention behind it is to give people the joy of finding a lucky charm, similar to the excitement of discovering a four-leaf clover. These heart-shaped bubbles can be found in 1cm-diameter Puchi Puchi, the square-shaped “Supa Supa,” and others like the pink anti-static version or the eco-friendly, light blue “Eco Harmony.”
(4) “There Are Actually 1,000 Varieties”
Even with the classic transparent Puchi Puchi, there are many variations based on softness and bubble size. There are also special types, like the pink anti-static “Pink Puchi,” the “C37 Craft B” with laminated kraft paper on one side, making it suitable for envelopes, and the “Smart Puchi,” which has 1mm-high bubbles and takes up less space. The heart-shaped “Heart Puchi,” the first product of its kind in the world, even comes in different colors. The square-shaped “Supa Supa,” which can be cut straight by hand, is an evolved version of Puchi Puchi.
Additionally, there are eco-friendly options like “Bio Puchi,” which contains more than 10% sugarcane-derived material, and “Biodegradable Puchi,” made from biodegradable plastic that decomposes in the soil. There’s also “Prapearl,” a plastic board with the same structure as Puchi Puchi, used as material for gaming spaces or telework rooms.
(5) “It Didn’t Pop Even When Run Over by a 4-Ton Truck”
An experiment was conducted to see what happens when Puchi Puchi® is run over by a truck. To avoid concentrated pressure from small objects like stones caught in the tire treads, the Puchi Puchi was placed between two iron plates and driven over twice—once with the front wheels and once with the rear wheels of a 4-ton truck traveling at 20 km/h. After the truck passed, the iron plates were lifted, revealing that not a single bubble had popped. The strength of Puchi Puchi was astonishing, likely due to the wide area over which the force was distributed.
(6) “Puchi Puchi Also Has Amazing Insulation Properties”
Thermography tests showed that when wrapped around the body, Puchi Puchi® significantly warms up compared to the surrounding cold air. This insulation ability can be useful in disaster situations, such as spreading it on floors in shelters to reduce the cold or using it as a blanket. In fact, during the Noto Peninsula earthquake, Puchi Puchi was used to prevent drafts in shelters and was applied to gaps in floors and walls of damaged homes to improve living conditions. Additionally, wrapping a frozen water bottle in Puchi Puchi helps keep it cold longer, as proven in an experiment.
(7) “They Once Tried to See How Big Puchi Puchi Could Get”
Puchi Puchi bubbles are usually small enough to pop with your fingers, but how large could they be made? Following the same process used in the factory, an attempt was made to create a single, extra-large bubble. By pressing a polyethylene sheet into a mold, trapping air, and sealing it with another sheet, they successfully made a bubble the size of a hat, with a diameter of 20 cm. The result looked more like a pillow or cushion than typical Puchi Puchi, and with the right mold, they said it could be made even larger.
(8) “Wrapping Items in Puchi Puchi Can Be a Form of Art”
Due to its familiarity, many artists use Puchi Puchi® in their work. The up-and-coming art unit “ANCHROME” has presented pieces where they wrapped playground equipment, cars, and boats in Puchi Puchi. Their work expresses a societal question: in a world where diversity and consideration for others are increasingly demanded, do we still need such a protective material? Their pieces ask whether the act of “protection” is necessary in modern society.
The book introduces many more intriguing aspects of Puchi Puchi. Its appeal is varied, and the “hook” that captures people seems to differ from person to person. By reading it, you’ll understand why Puchi Puchi®, originally intended as a cushioning material, evolved into something people love to pop with their fingers. Each reader will find their own answer to this mystery.
