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Warning Cuteness Ahead

        posted by Akiko, Japan Talk, July 27, 2012

In Japan, everyone seems to love cute cartoons.

Anime and manga are billion dollar industries and super cute cartoons are used to market everything from green tea to bullet trains. But it is not just the private sector generating all those lovable characters. The Japanese Government is obsessed with cartoons.

Each of Japan's 47 prefectures have cute cartoon mascots. Prefectures are broken up into numerous city governments and each of these usually has a cartoon mascot of its own. Additionally, departments and services such as the police often have their own mascots. The federal government has also gotten into the act with lovable characters promoting Japan Post or recruiting for the military.

This government adoption of cartoon characters seem innocuous enough but can get a little confusing when it comes to public service messages such as warning signs. Warning signs in Japan are usually so cute that they don't look like warnings at all. This is especially dangerous for foreigners who can not read Japanese. So travelers to Japan beware: that cute bunny on the sign ahead of you may be trying to tell you something.

Beware of train zombies.
beware of zombies

Don't feed the bears. Understandable enough except that it is posted in central Tokyo.
feeding beers

Beware of ass starting on fire.
ass on fire

Cute deers trying their hardest to look menacing.
cute deer

Beware of creepy perverts
upskirt warning

Time to panic!
tokyo danger

Cuteness drowning
cute japanese cartoon

Beware of bridge fairies
bridge

No elephants
no elephants

Looks like fun
fun elevator

Okay, admittedly some signs in Japan are actually fairly scary looking. These traffic warnings are good examples.
speeding danger
scary sign

 
 
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Warning Cuteness Ahead

Cute Panic in Japan  Editor's Pick
The panic of cute security guards at Japanese construction sites.



Cute jerks attack a cute drowning kid.
Funny deer warning signs from Nara.
Raccoon dogs often start fires in Japanese myth. Bunnies, dogs and squirrels are responsible about fire.
Brisky the Bear says — everybody scram! Clearly say no to violent gangs.
The temple fires of Kyoto and a cute raccoon dog.
Tourism is a competitive industry in Japan. If you want people to visit your city, temple or amusement park — you need to have a hyper-cute (kawaii) mascot. With all this cutest going around there was sure to be trouble.
Every Police force in Japan has its own hyper-cute cartoon character.
The cryptic public service messages of Japanese trains.
Sociologists might say that it's escapism. The simple truth is that Japanese people like cute stuff.



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