Japanese Urban Camouflage by Aya Tsukioka
October 21, 2007 // Clothing + Design

The New York Times has a great article on the Japanese and their anxiety with safety. One designer, Aya Tsukioka, has created a skirt that unfolds to become a realistic looking vending machine, to hide from would-be attackers. She’s also created a backpack that looks like a Japanese fire hydrant for children to hide behind, as well.

It’s interesting how different culturally we are from the Japanese. They’d rather hide and use cunning then to fight back, and possibly cause a scene. While reading the article you get a sense that the Japanese are almost naive about things like self-defense, but a lot of these types of devices actually do work in their culture. It’s definitely funny from a western point of view, but still fascinating.

Bobby

  1. The crime rate in Japanese cities like Tokyo is so low compared to other cities that I doubt this is a serious proposition. It’s more likely garnered (now, there’s a word I’ve never got to use before – go vocabulary!) interest because of the Japanese “fondness for oddball ideas and inventions”. In my limited experience the Japanese have a, sort of, ’serious’ sense of humour. :)

    Comment by Michael — October 22, 2007 #

  2. If you read that article it’s quite interesting. The designer is basically saying that in Japan, something like this would fly, because they’re all kind of paranoid.

    And yeah, they’re sort of taking something silly seriously, very odd. But in the same breath, I’d rather visit Japan than anywhere else in the world, because of odd things like this.

    Comment by Bobby S. — October 22, 2007 #

  3. I Want One!! For Halloween!!

    Comment by Nancy A. — October 22, 2007 #

  4. These would be great Halloween costumes, haha…

    Comment by Bobby S. — October 24, 2007 #

  5. How do I get one?

    Comment by Terri T. — November 6, 2007 #

  6. Go to Japan? haha

    Comment by Bobby S. — November 6, 2007 #

  7. i love those crazy japs

    Comment by ambar-tron 5000 — January 19, 2008 #

  8. where I can find japanese designer of urban clothe?

    thank you

    Comment by guss — July 20, 2008 #