Costa Coffee Package Design
Costa Coffee paper cups come with fridges, which makes them not only easier to hold but also lets you avoid the heat as is.
Shanghai, China.
Smaller Sales Unit than Planned
Observed in Family Mart, Shanghai.
Urban Casual in Winter Tokyo
It is interesting to see how youth and the older generation are equipped with winter clothes as the winter approaches. Both scenes, a girl with a red down jacket with a nice patterned linings, and two ladies with mustard jackets, brown and black pants, appear as such an interesting contrast.
History of a Can
Summer-like can prints and ginkgo autumn leaves. The can has been serving well as a rubbish can at this location.
Permanent and Temporary Signs
In Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo. Above, a permanently-placed sign which indicates the car drop-off spot, and below, a temporary sign indicating the flea market held for the day.
Many Many Christmas
A poster for the annual end-of-year loto. Tokyo, Ginza.
Warranty for the Fakes
A battery purchased in National Market, Bangalore. My intention of visiting the market was not about purchasing a battery, but end up so because they managed to find one. They went through hundreds of battery shapes, for various cameras and gadgets. All in a same packaging. Which suggested, the shop did not have a single authentic battery which I was supposed to use.
Whether you’d call them fake or illegitimate, we tend to think they are purchased at your own risk and there will be no chance for you to get your investment back. The reality is in fact otherwise, as most shops would give you a warranty of some kind, for a duration of few days or in some cases up to six months.
How would the purchase date and location will be recorded? Simply a shopkeeper jotting down the date of purchase along with a sign. As most shops run in a small booth and owners being there most of the time, this is sufficient for them to identify the information they need. As most markets would have several booths with same products lined up, satisfying customers are equally important for these shopkeepers as the ones which only deal with ‘real’ products.
The battery I purchased performed alright, enabling me to record a video clip for about an hour, instead of three to four hours I usually expect from the authentic battery. Nevertheless I was reasonably happy as I only paid about one-eighth of the original price. How much should a product perform for a price you pay is surprisingly reflective of the demand and supply logic.
Visualizing the Invisible
In any shrine you will find omikuji, a small fortune telling papers you draw from a box in a cost between one and two dollars. Although there maybe details telling your fortune concerning love, health, study, or even whether you would find things you have lost, the most important verdict of your luck are described in two Chinese characters. The most fortunate ones will receive daikichi, which is literally, big luck, followed by chu-kichi, so-so luck, and sho-kichi, little luck. Then there’s a mere kichi, and comes negative ones kyo and dai-kyo.
The interpretation varies from which ones you should start worrying, but many people prefer to leave the signs of minor lucks and misfortunes behind. The photo you see is the result, where people have placed their omikuji tied onto a wood placed right next to the shrine.
Although it does not take a form of serious prayers, this small interaction enables visitors to reflect oneself of their state, and if needed, to get a little help from the gods and leave bad things behind.
Signs to be unread
On the right hand side of vehicles you will see signs with text written from right to left. Text written in a different order is obviously hard to read and make no sense even to Japanese; however, there is still a strong belief that this should be the way the signs to be written on the car so it is symmetrical, first letters closer to the front of the car and the last letters towards the back.