Japan has a certain obsession with cuteness. The cult of kawaii is constantly expanding to encompass more and more things even when it’s totally inappropriate.
So after living here a few years I’ve learnt to ignore how creepy it is that the anti molestation posters in subway stations have an anime girl on them whose character design was clearly geared toward cuteness. I can ignore the annoying way that everything from gas companies to the local police have a cartoon mascot. I can tolerate the character most commonly known as pedo bear on the internet being freaking everywhere in Japan. I can even forgive the mistaken assumption that parents in Japan have that the playboy bunny is a suitable brand to dress their kids in. It’s a bunny so I suppose in their minds it must be for kids.
But please please please stop making snacks cute.
Why does something that I’m already going to feel guilty about eating need to be yellow and look like a kitten? Is this some sort of social engineering to reduce people’s sugar consumption? If it is it’s not working. I still ate the poor little bastard I just felt more guilty about it.
Maybe next time I should just get a chocolate bar.
Japanathon 