Take a careful look at this picture. I snapped this one in Okinawa but there are countless others just like it, all over Japan. Focus on it like a rorschach inkblot for a couple of secs. Now, what do you see?
What I see is a member of the Post WWII Occupational Forces, under the authority of Gen. MacArthur, holding the hand of a little Japanese girl. Notice that he's still wearing a helmet AND a flak jacket, yet he doesn't seem to be carrying a Thompson or an M-1 Garand... why don such protective gear without any form of weapons(On second though, I do the same thing before I go to shogakko and hoikuen sometimes.). Also, his left arm appears to be freakishly long and wavy, as if made of Silly Putty. Did the little girl pull on his sleeve too hard and stretch it out (this too, I can relate to).
Jumping off on a tangent, I have a theory on why Americans must take a driving test in Japan while Canadians and others that are part of the Commonwealth or the U.K. itself do not in order to obtain a liscense. These signs remind Japanese people every day that they were finally conquered by America, and that they can no longer bellow out anti-foreign rhetoric such as "Expel the foreigners, revere the emperor!" without causing shame and embarrasment to spread to anyone (Japanese) within earshot of them. Although Japan has friendly relations with the U.S., they still are able to get a small amount of retribution by inconveniencing gaijin from the U.S.. Yes, we Americans must submit to the Japanese driving test because they must look at this sign every day. A modern day example of Hamurabbi's code. At least, thats my theory.
Comments (3)
That's a very strange, alienish figure. Like Yeti meets SquidBoy. I think you're right about the subconscious message...it's either that or a Stranger Danger sign!
Posted by: yomama | February 20, 2004 11:56 PM
Posted on: February 20, 2004 23:56
When I focused and concentrated, what I immediately saw was a penis. A rather spiteful and vindictive one, but a penis nonetheless. I saw it cutting the governor's head off and munching snail pellets as it gaily whisled and trod on the corpses of its dead homosexual victims and slid away largely unnoticed by nearby burn victims in smelly outpatient wards.
Ah, but if you say it's the standard "soldier and girl" imagery, OK. I want to take an inkblot test for real and challenge some authoritative biotches.
Posted by: j | February 22, 2004 4:36 AM
Posted on: February 22, 2004 04:36
The purpose of a "sign" is usually to convey some relatively "important information." I can safely say that I have sat and stared at this sign for longer then I should have and I can safely say that I have no idea of what it's intended "message" is or was. My question on this is: "How the hell did that 'corner' get bent like that?" I know...corner, circle, etc. But think about it. Even a sledge hammer probably couldn't replicate a bend of that magnitude. Maybe Eisenhower requested it that way to distract from the "true" meaning of the sign. Or maybe a Korean "native" got angry and melted it with some Kimchi on a cold winter morning. Disturbing...truly disturbing.
Posted by: Scuba Steve | February 23, 2004 2:03 PM
Posted on: February 23, 2004 14:03