This is Bill Tsutsui with another Postcard from Asia from the Center for East Asian Studies.

It’s a symbol of commitment. It’s a memento mori. It’s the DNA pendant offered by Japan’s Eiwa Industry and it’s two, two, two things in one. Using genetic extraction, Eiwa removes the DNA from, say, a strand of hair or a fingernail and places the helix (Make mine a double!) into a crystal which, in turn, is placed into a pendant that can be worn around the neck. The pendants come in two shapes: a round perfume bottle or a stylized face which fits snugly into a second stylized face to form one complete face. This set is for couples. The cost? One trip to Tokyo: $3,000. One pendant with DNA extraction: $428. One pre-clone of a loved one: priceless.

With thanks to Randi Hacker for this text, from the Center for East Asian Studies, I’m Bill Tsutsui. Wish you were here.