China Ceramics Network News Japan’s signature world: urban vitality in a punk atmosphere
Feel the Japanese signature aesthetics from shopping
The night in Japan is colorful and dark
Picture source: Recommender Yulily_K "2049 Tokyo Shinjuku Fantasy Picture"
When you walk on the bustling streets of Tokyo, Japan, apart from the busy traffic, the impression you get of Tokyo when you look up is often like this. There are office buildings everywhere, and advertising signs are scattered on the roofs and outside the walls. The Japanese government has strict regulations on signboards installed in cities. After designers design the brand name and information on the signboard, they also need to adjust the saturation of the signboard's color scheme and the luminous intensity of the light box in accordance with government regulations.
Such regulations allow many signboards to retain the characteristics of their respective brands when displayed on the street, and to achieve a better visual experience when there are many signboards. Various kinds of signboards have become one of the characteristics of Japanese cities. Feeling Japan through various street signs is like you are reading a short book about this city, revealing the culture and aesthetics of this city at every turn.
"Ah, colorful black~"
One of the stops on Casaro’s 2019 Japan Discovery Tour is Shinsaibashi, Osaka’s largest shopping district. Above the bustling crowds of people from morning to night, there are rows of “living” signs. When night falls, the darkness is replaced by the brilliance of various sign lights and neon lights, and the ordinary scenery becomes vivid. At this time, a "punk" feeling arises spontaneously, as if you are standing in a city built by signboards. middle.
Why do pedestrians in a scene with such a dense amount of information feel not depressed, but excited about the excitement of the commercial street? Credit goes to each sign’s fonts, graphics,Careful design of colors and shapes. In the eyes of Japanese people whose aesthetics are generally online, a signboard not only attracts attention, but is also synonymous with a store. Therefore, through the signboard design, you can detect the characteristics and style of the store. Compared with the domestic "popular" full-screen, highly saturated contrasting colors and bold bold fonts, Japanese signboards of various shapes and colors, despite being densely packed, still reveal themselves with a special sense of beauty.
“Hey, the crab is on my head!”
In Japan, one thing that cannot be ignored is the country’s enthusiasm for animation. This is also due to Japan’s developed animation industry. Many stores are keen to use three-dimensional and distinctive images outside their stores, even if you can’t see them. If you understand those densely packed Japanese characters, you can also learn something from those vivid cartoon images. This is clearly reflected in the food, such as pufferfish, octopus, crab...these unique street signs help you overcome language barriers.
It has to be said that in Dotonbori near Shinsaibashi, three-dimensional signboards seem to be transformed into regional features, such as oversized crabs, green dragons, giant hands holding tuna sushi, or octopuses with teeth and claws, etc. wait.
Surprisingly, the production of three-dimensional signboards in Dotonbori and even Osaka is inseparable from one company - the signmaking company "POP Craftsmanship". In 1997, the company made its first dragon-shaped sign in its own style at the request of a ramen shop in Dotonbori. After receiving good reviews, more and more customers came to us to commission three-dimensional signboards. Now the company has become a professional manufacturer of three-dimensional signboards, and customers not only in Japan, but also in China and Singapore have also placed orders.
“Everything is made by hand from the beginning to the end,” company president Masahide Nakamura said proudly. The company has produced more than 300 three-dimensional signboards. The large sign even includes a life-size model of a dinosaur. Craftsmen adjusted the shape of the foamed plastic according to the renderings, and applied a fiber-reinforced plastic coating on its surface to increase sturdiness. Whether it's soft meat or hard rock-like signature, they are all made with the same craftsmanship.
President Nakamura said: "I feel happy every time I see foreigners stopping to take photos of the signboards." He said his dream is to "fill Dotonbori with three-dimensional signboards and turn it into a famous scenic spot in Japan."
“Japan, this city is booming and eclectic, with bright clothes and angry horses, and fireworks in the streets.” This sentence comes from the sentiments of tourists who have traveled deeply to Japan’s signature culture. In October, the Casaro World Tour 2019 Japan Exploration Tour ended successfully. But when it comes to Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori, everyone is deeply impressed, as if the excitement under the beautiful signboards still remains in their hearts.
If you want to know more details about this exploration trip to Japan, hurry up and follow the official account to learn more about the study tour~
(This article is provided by the enterprise)
