SUSPICIOUS SHOP SIGNS

Suspicious Shop Signs

What the hell’s going on in there?

As part of my programme to overcome social phobia and get used to being around humans again, I forced myself to walk around the centre of Hiroshima and elsewhere. I got back into the old photographer’s habit of assessing everything for pictorial potential and a couple of childishly amusing things caught my eye.

I know these fall into the old trope of ‘weird Japan,’ but they are funny nonetheless.

First, this chemist’s sign. I’m told this is actually a well-known chain, but I’d never seen it before. One has to wonder what kind of drugs are on sale here…and why are the kids allowed to get zonked on them?

Second, a sign for a newly-opened casino in Hiroshima’s sleazy yakuza-controlled drinking and red light district, Nagarekawa. One has to say that the name of this place is rather unfortunate on at least three levels. Making it sound like you could lose your money is not a good selling point, but maybe the other two connotations are not so subtle hints as to what else besides gambling you can dabble in on the premises…