SafeHandFish repurposes fish-shaped soy sauce bottles as hand sanitizer containers

since the COVID-19 pandemic took over the world, items like toilet paper and hand sanitizer have been scarce. in japan, antibacterial sanitizer liquid was not out of stock but containers for it were. to solve this problem and aid population in keeping safe, two japanese companies — one for hand sanitizer and one for soy sauce containers — have joined forces to create SafeHandFish, an initiative that fills miniature soy sauce fish-shaped bottles with hand sanitizing gel.

if you’re familiar with japan’s bento boxes, you have probably seen the fish-shaped soy sauce miniature bottles made by ohishiya. because of the pandemic, the company saw a slow demand in their product as many events were cancelled. contrary to this, clear electron — a natural antibacterial gel manufacturer — saw a spike in the demand of their product but didn’t have the means to distribute it. the two japanese companies joined forces in a partnership that has seen the soy sauce being replaced by the hand sanitizer, contributing to the personal hygiene of the community.

image courtesy ohishiya

the soy sauce containers in the shape of a fish usually have a red cap. for the SafeHandFish project, the cap’s color was changed to blue, recalling cleanliness. the company is providing the hand sanitizer free of charge to restaurants and delivery business that are in high demand due to the increasing #stayhome campaigns. the antibacterial is 100% natural, made by mixing purified water with a grapefruit seed extract. the product can be used with confidence because it neutralizes viruses, bacteria, mold, and is considered a food additive under food sanitation law.

project info:

name: SafeHandFish

made by: ohishiya and clear electron

what is it: filling fish-shaped soy sauce bottles with hand sanitizer