Why the Japanese like cute cell phone charms

Interesting, on why the Japanese like cell phone charms, from ABCNews, in an article on how "Cuteness a Hot-Selling Commodity in Japan".

... "Collecting miniatures such as mementos for cell phones can be traced back 400 years to the Edo Period, when tiny carved "netsuke" charms were wildly popular", said Sugiyama, president of Digital Hollywood, a Tokyo school for computer-graphics designers, video artists and game creators.

"Japanese are seeking a spiritual peace and an escape from brutal reality through cute things," he said.

Japanese men wore many different kinds of objects (sagemono) suspended from the kimono sash (obi).

emily | 1:34 PM | Cell Phone Fashion |
The Permanent Link to this page is: http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2006/06/012670.htm