Dentsu, the leading ad agency in Japan, happens to be one of the largest agencies in the world. So you would assume that Japan ads are creative, full of color and rich media, and filled with catchy consumer-targeted messages.
I can bet you a gazillion yen no one in Dentsu could've invented this ad.
This one from a convenient store near my friend's house in Tokyo. No, it was not publicized in any major media, but this is definitely worth a note in our high-digital, super hi-fy, SNS-monopoly advertisement era. Nothing fancy; Just graffiti at its best! Japan's advertisement has reached another high.
As you can see, behind the fridge door are several coffee cans, including "Boss" from Suntory. On the door, the writing says:
"The Best Ever. Boss Rules."
Pretty sure the guys at the store were thinking of ways to promote this new "Boss" drink, and with all companies cutting down on promotion budgets, the geniuses here decided to devote this door (ad) space solely to Suntory.
If you're a shop owner, you call the cops when you spot a prankster writing scribbles on your wall or entrance door. But, before you ring that kid in, you might want to use him to good use.
He may become your next creative ad designer!
>via: My friend's blog
Friday, January 30, 2009
Japanese advertisement has reached its extreme
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sweet delicacy “Obaman” from Obama City
LMAO when I first saw this one.
When Barack Obama officially announced his candidacy and began gaining popularity worldwide, so did this city named “Obama” (pronounced exactly the same!) in rural Fukui Prefecture. The mayor of Obama called Obama, expressing support for his candidacy.
And now that Obama is officially the world’s most famous face on earth, what does Obama City come up with?
photo: rakuten@kagamiya
“Obama-Manju”
“Manju” is a traditional Japanese sweet, with crushed beans stuffed in a layer of flour-based pastry. Japanese love to abbreviate every other word in their vocabulary, thus, this became known as “Obaman” (pronounced O-BA-MAN).
The city of Obama came up with this delicacy and held an exhibit at a department store (Keio Hyakkaten) in Shinjuku, heart of Tokyo. The Obaman was a hit among bloggers, as many took pictures and commented on this rare sweet. Whether it tasted any different is a mystery. You can actually buy this now at tourist stops in Obama City.
So, in the next 4 years (if not longer!), watch out for this Obama City to come up with further products, food, etc., by affiliating themselves with the US president.
>More photos of "Obama Manju"
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Cyber attack: Don't go around bashing Aso!
The guy with the most power in Japan is named ASO. Yes, it's pronounced almost like that word.
To his credit, Aso is a nice guy - or, so he seems like one - but lacks some fundamentals. The prime minister of Japan cannot read "kanji" (Chinese characters) we learned back in high school. He's from a rich family full of politicians. When he took office, expectations were high; recently, his popularity is drawing up the same curve as the stock market. Sounds familiar, huh. Bush & Aso - would've been hard to beat. Had Aso been elected prime minister quicker, Dabuya would've taken a rear seat to Aso.
But there's one strange phenomenon with this guy: the internet geeks love him. He's a huge fan of "anime" and "manga (cartoons)". He roamed the streets of Akihabara (the electric city, widely known as the "city of geeks") in his election campaign. Geeks can't seem to get enough of him.
La Salle Ishii
The other day, La Salle Ishii, a popular comedian who happens to do the voiceover of one of Japan's most popular anime "Kochikame", wrote on his blog that he was ignored by Aso when the two ran into each other at Asakusa. Ishii wrote,
"That's odd...my popularity is a bit over 98% of this country..."
Immediately, Aso's cyber supporters protested to the post, commenting otherwise. Ishii received such harsh beating that he deleted his post.
>Ishii's blog
It doesn't stop here. The next victim: musician Demon Kogure.
Demon Kogure
FYI, contrary to his physical appearance, Kogure is famous for his knowledge, loyalty, love for his country.
Just last week, when Aso attended a sumo tournament for the trophy presentation, Kogure took offense of Aso "stepping into the sacred sumo ring with his shoes" and wrote on his blog that the organizers of the sumo tournament should be ashamed of not warning the prime minister.
Turns out, it was Kogure at fault and it was a complete misunderstanding on Kogure's part: Aso did not have his shoes on when entering the ring. Suddnely, the cyber attack came, and in a hurry, Kogure - like Ishii - was forced to delete his post.
>Demon Kogure's blog
So be careful when writing about Aso in your blog, facebook, whatev. He's got the force behind him.
Just crossing my finger that this blog would not be the next victim...
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Asashoryu, GOD of Japanese sumo, sports
When introducing the sports culture of Japan (being a sport nut, could not resist the temptation), one need only look at sumo to understand the sports frenzies of the Japanese populous.
Now, before I get into the recent craze of this country over Asashoryu - the first-ever Mongolian to reach the highest rank in sumo - I need to explain the background of this sport a bit.
We've all seen, at one time or another, two fat dudes going at it in a ring the size of a one-car garage. Sumo wrestlers are so-called "rikishi," meaning "men with power." They also sport a different mask, as sumo is a national sport, meaning that cash to operate the sport are funded (and organized) by the Japanese government. A rikishi is - quite literally - constantly in the public's eye. Thus, sumo is the most watched sport in this country.
All rikishi are ranked, with the highest being the "Yokozuna" and the next rank being "Ozeki". For the sake of argument, I'm gonna make it clear that an Ozeki is the champ; and Yokozuna is GOD. God does not lose. You lose 2 or 3 times in one tournament, the public (with the nice push of the sports media) begin to speculate you're not worth the God-like status. God is forced into retirement. Age is of no concern. You lose, you're out.
I guess the closest comparison I can think of a Yokozuna is Tiger Woods in the modern day sporting world. You're expected to win. Still, if Tiger loses a tournament, he would be asked, "Why couldn't you win?" A Yokozuna, after a loss, would be pushed with the question: "Why didn't you win?" You get the point.
So, this Asashoryu is out in the papers, blogs, the TV almost everyday for the past few months, despite sitting out the last three tournaments of 08 with various injuries (or maybe because he was out for so long). And, as usual, everyone began to ponder the "r" word with Asashoryu before the start of the January tournament.
For those who do not know, Asashoryu is that one kid in every classroom constantly looking for trouble. God is supposed to be resilient, humble, politically correct; Asashoryu is quite the contrary - he's curses in front of the camera, he's arrogant, and he speaks his mind. Before the start of the January basho (or, tournament), Asashoryu was almost forced into retirment by the media. The papers said if he lost two bouts of the first five days of the tournament, he's done for good.
So, how does Asashoryu respond? He goes out and wins the first 14 of his bouts, before losing to Hakuho (the other God, alas Yokozuna) on the final day. With the two Gods all tied with a 14-1 record, they bump heads one last time in a one-match playoff to determine the tournament champ. Asashoryu lifts Hakuho out of the ring in God-like fashion. All of a sudden, the guy that was almost pushed out of ring by the public is back in the spotlight as national hero.
The funny thing with Asashoryu is that he was almost forced into taking the bad-boy role. He's the Dennis Rodman of the NBA, the Terrell Owens of the NFL, or Roger Clemens of the MLB. He adds a spice to the sport that the Japanese people have never witnessed before. Consequently, he has the same number of followers as haters. That's just life being a bashful Yokozuna.
So if you're ever in Japan, you might want to stop by the Ryogoku (the sumo stadium) to catch a glimpse of this guy. He's definitely worth seeing for a couple of thousand yen.
After all, he still is God of Japanese sports.
*Related YouTube video
2009 January tournament - final bout
2008 January tournament - another Asashoryu VS. Hakuho bout, this one even better!!
Tokyo, a clean city? Not always
Hell, Tokyo will never beat Singapore, but a lot of foreigners visiting Tokyo say that "it's a clean city."
If you identify "clean" as a city that will let you inhale dirt, dust, fog, asbestos, sand, mud water - you name it - all in the midst of your lunch hour or a walk to work, then Tokyo just might be the city for you.
Taken from a rooftop of a building near my workplace. You can actually see the pedestrians just a wall (or a plastic cover) away from this nasty pollution.
Not to mention myself, sucking in a nice dough of asbestos taking these photos. Thank you very much.
*Movie of this pollution coming soon.
Reporting on the other side of Tokyo from the other side of the Pacific
OK, so I'm starting this site with no special intention but to introduce this beatiful country rich in culture. But be aware, it's nothing special - just the ordinary life in the heart of Tokyo.
But I must say (and I hope I speak for those who have been here), there's something to living in Japan. The people are kind, but at the same time, can be very pervy. The food is delicious to say the least, but at times, they'll raise your eyebrows. I - accustomed to life in the US - would never be able to get accustomed to some of the un-Western-like customs of this country.
So I'll be reporting on some of the unknown aspects of Japan that'll make you wonder and ponder for a second. Let me know what you think. That'll give me some consolation, at least, that I'm not alone (or skewed) with this view of Japan.
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