Some People Walk Their Dogs, Cornman Walks His Fresh Produce




Photo: Facebook

Cornman, real name Masahiko Naganuma, says he was inspired to walk corn and vegetables on a leash through Tokyo’s Kanto area after seeing a foreigner dragging a Chinese cabbage in his hometown of Tokorozawa in 2006. For some reason, the image of a person walking a vegetable made a big impact on him so he went home to get his own edible pet and returned to meet the stranger. Unfortunately he was gone, and Naganuma never saw him again, but the habit stuck with him, and he began walking his produce on a regular basis. Although Cornman never got to meet his inspiration, I have a feeling it might have been Han Bing, the famous Chinese artist who during the last decade traveled around the world shooting his “Walking the Cabbage” photo series.


Photo: Facebook

Contrary to his name, Cornman doesn’t walk just corn ears. He has been spotted dragging along all kinds of produce (radishes, carrots, cauliflower, leeks, etc.) and says walking broccoli gives him the strangest feeling, for some reason. Just like he would a real pet, Masahike names all his vegetables, either by changing their Japanese names (e.g. his corn is named Tomomi, after the Japanese name “toumorokoshi”) or by adopting character names from his favorite anime like Dragon Ball Z (his carrot is called Kakarrot). But he does something no pet owner would ever do. He eventually cooks and eats all his pet produce, and says the bond that develops between them after the walks makes them taste even more delicious.


Photo: Facebook

Masahiko Naganuma claims that when he’s out walking his produce police stop him up to four times a day, but that it’s not enough to stop him from doing what he loves. So if you’re ever in Tokyo and see a guy dragging an ear of corn on a leash, don’t panic. Just do what everyone else does, smile and take a picture.


Photo: Facebook

Sources: Entabe, RocketNews24

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