Modern City, Traditional Conveyance 現代都市、ゆっくりとした運搬

The characterization of shop owners 店長のキャラクター化

We can find several shops where the owners have made their own likeness into mascot-like characters. Here are two examples from Osaka. One for a shop for a ramen shop, the other for a shop that specializes in “vitality” drinks.

Roadside community map 地区案内図

In Fukui prefecture, a hand-painted map of the all the households in the community stands at the traffic light. The family name of each household is written on the dark outline of their home. Businesses and the link are also noted.

Warmth of the sun on a winter day 日ざしに暖かさが感じられる

Fire truck greets the New Year 正月を迎える消防車

Auspicious decorations, celebratory rice cakes, and a sake offering (glass bottle on hood).

Snowingenuity 雪遊び発明の才

Demonstrating bamboo skis

Truck Art デコトラ

The truck is king of the road in Japan. And there is a special breed of truck that is both distinctively fearsome, yet elegant: kind of like Las Vegas on wheels. These trucks are called decotora, which is a melded abbreviation of the words “decorated” and “truck”.  Decotora can be seen all throughout Japan though it is said that the original decotora was driven by a trucker from Aomori prefecture.

Traffic Safety Scarecrows 案山子 (かかし） from Akita prefecture

Itasha (Anime Cars) 痛車

Anime Cars, known as itasha 痛車 (compound of the word itai 痛い meaning “pain” coupled with the sha 車 meaning, in this case, “auto”). Itasha are automobiles decorated with manga and anime logos, characters, and so forth. The meaning of the name itasha then is in effect expressing the idea that the cars being so unabashedly adorned actually hurt the sensibilities (of even the otaku, fan).