Japanese Urban Camouflage
On a narrow Tokyo street, near a beef bowl restaurant and a pachinko parlor, Aya Tsukioka demonstrated new clothing designs that she hoped would ease Japan's growing fears of crime.
With a deft motion, Tsukioka, a 29-year-old fashion designer, lifted a flap on the front of her skirt to reveal a large sheet of cloth printed in bright red with a soft drink logo partly visible. By holding the sheet fully open and stepping to the side of the road, she showed how a woman walking alone could elude pursuers - by disguising herself as a vending machine.
The wearer hides behind the sheet, which is printed with a life-size photo of a vending machine. Tsukioka's clothing is still in the developmental stage, but she has already created several versions, including one that unfolds from a kimono, and a deluxe model with four sides for more complete camouflaging.
These elaborate defenses are coming at a time when crime rates are actually declining in Japan. But the Japanese, attuned to the slightest signs of social fraying, say they feel growing anxiety about safety, fanned by a sensationalist news media. Instead of pepper spray, though, the Japanese are devising a variety of novel solutions, some high tech, others downright quirky, but all reflecting a uniquely Japanese sensibility.
Source: International Herald Tribune