Well, cage may be an exaggeration. More a cage/cart combo really. But either way, these things really are oddly fascinating. As are, it would seem, the unfathomably uncaged foreigners who photograph them.
Japanese kids being pushed about in a cage
Photographs from a small group of islands
Martin says
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of those before. I did have a nanny that threatened to put me on a leash when I was a kid.
Lee says
That’s funny. Sounds like a threat that did the trick.
Those cage things are fairly common. It’s just a matter of being lucky with the timing.
Hans ter Horst says
I’ve seen these several times, everybody goes ‘kawaii!, even now, my wife saw this photo and immediately she said ‘kawaii!’ So I don’t think anybody in Japan has made the leap to the image of caged animals in a zoo yet 🙂
Lee says
Haha, no not quite! And probably quite rightly too, as it is pretty hard to deny that they really are very cute.
WP says
Besides being fascinating, it is really rather handy!
Lee says
Yes, can’t argue with that!
Dan Waldhoff says
See them often in my neighborhood and I’ve come to “know” the tenders. The kids make a captive audience and a bit of a show always gets smiles … Shuffle off to Buffalo …
Lee says
That’s funny. I’ll be sure to say hello if I ever see a gaijin entertaining a bunch of caged youngsters!
Once An Expat says
If I am out and about at the right time, I’ll take a shot of how kids in DC are taken out for exercise. They each garb a hold of a wooden ring attached to a 10 ft or so piece of rope and walk about the busty streets with an adult in front and back.
On another note however, I can see from that where Japanese passivity is ingrained at an early age.
Lee says
That’s a very interesting point. One set of kids being allowed to roam (within limits), and others being led. Says quite a lot.
Jeffrey says
Before we had children, I used to get so upset when I saw toddlers on a leash. Amazing how one’s perspective changes when you have to keep the more active ones from running into traffic.
I’ve never seen this in the states, however, most daycare facilities are in the suburbs anyway and rather than taking them out for stroll, most of the daycare/pre-schools have playgrounds.
Lee says
Many of them seem to have playgrounds here too, albeit small ones. Never sure if these jaunts in the carts are just for some fresh air, or a safe way of taking the kids somewhere such as he park.
Many years ago though I did see a young woman struggling to drag one, still full of kids, across a large field. Where she was going, or what on earth she was thinking, I don’t know. But she continued to struggle on…
MrSatyre says
They’re not gonna push themselves!
Also:
“And on your right, you can see yet another house that’s been here since before you were born. And coming up on your left, pay attention, Ryo! you’ll see the entrance to the back parking lot of the baby store. I have to put each of you back in your boxes and on your shelves just like I found you yesterday, or the judge will be mad at me again. It’s always something…!”
Lee says
Haha, good point!