Photographs from a small group of islands
Sanrio is perhaps Japan’s largest purveyor of ‘cuteness’, with its Hello Kitty character undoubtedly one of the most identifiable brands there is, both domestically and abroad. A design that as such adorns a truly mind boggling array of merchandise and goods. All of it snapped up by an equally diverse, but similarly devoted, public.
So with this in mind, it’s especially nice to see it subtly subverted — the famously mouthless cat giving a voice of sorts to the millions who don’t have one.
Tokyo is often a heaving mass of contrasts, and Buddhist prayers in the capital’s brand filled Ginza district certainly don’t contradict that.
Very different approaches with hopefully equally dissimilar wishes.
In a box labelled lettuce, a head of said plant would certainly be expected. Simply a head, however, perhaps wouldn’t be.
Cherry blossom season is understandably a big deal in Japan. The weather is warmer. The flowers are beautiful. And the booze flows like there’s no tomorrow. Or at the very least a tomorrow that doesn’t involve getting up early or doing anything particularly taxing.
But at the same time, it’s such a big deal that one must go out and celebrate it. And one must have a good time. No matter how difficult, or how bad an idea, that may be.
Japan’s economic outlook is far from rosy. Plus certainties of the past such as a job for life are long gone. But on graduation day at least, it’s a time for former students to embrace such uncertainty, and hope that the future will be just as colourful as their ceremonial hakama.
