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Muryo-Annai Jyo (Kanon Iwata)
How Signboards Create Various Concepts of Muryo-Annai Jyo
INTRODUCTION
This page will discuss how each sign on signboards creates various concepts of Muryo-Annai Jyo. Depending on the different textual and visual signs, each Muryo-Annai Jyo creates different concepts and give pedestrians several impressions.
This section will analyze each concept based on the use of language, images, and colors to understand the cultural messages of Kabuki-Cho.
Simple (No images used)
Most common style of Muryo-Annai Jyo is simple and not using images on signboards (except for the logo of R18). As I discussed in 💬The Use of Language , there are many textual signs on Muryo-Annai Jyo’s signboards. Also, each text not only tells us superficial information like the names of Muryo-Annai Jyo and the list of their services, but also creates various cultural meanings. Moreover, instead of using images, this kind of concept builds the uniqueness of Kabuki-Cho through the use of colors. (Please visit 🎨Representations of Different Colors for more details about colors on signboards.)
Parodies
“A parody is defined as an artistic work that broadly mimics an author’s characteristic style ( Zinkhna, 1994).”
We can see some Muryo-Annai Jyo which use parody of famous Japanese TV program and social media. For example, “Yorunandesu ( ヨルナンデス)” is the parody of daytime TV program called Hirunandesu ( ヒルナンデス), and this program shares various information about gourmet, fashion, entertainments, and news. Hiru means daytime in Japanese while Yoru refers to night. Thus, “Yorunandesu” represents the night version of the place sharing various kinds of information. In Kabuki-Cho, there is also Muryo-Annai Jyo called “NICE” which uses the parody of social media, LINE. They use LINE’s icon in signboards and represent it is a place for sharing information.
Zinkhan (1994) mentions that “One creative strategy involves borrowing, and parodies represent a particular kind of borrowing.” This suggests that parodies in signboards are very creative and useful strategy to attract people’s attention. Moreover, signboards try to give people properness and comfortableness by using parodies.
Colorful Neon Lights
The Muryo-Annai Jyo which is located on the central road of Kabuki-Cho uses colorful neon lights to attract people’s attentions. This is also the only Muryo-Annai Jyo which uses colorful neon lights for the word of Muryo-Annai Jyo itself.
“Not only are neon signs a reflection of urban modernization; they are also significant visual evidence of citizens’ lives and vernacular culture (Hang Kwok, 2020).”
As this reading suggests, neon lights in Kabuki-Cho represents not only urban modernization but also the distincttiveness of Kabuki-Cho, which is the largest neon light district in Japan.
Cuteness
Some Muryo-Annai Jyo use cute concept by using pink color, hearts, and cute mascots on signboards. The Muryo-Annai Jyo named ANGEL has cute concept by using the images of hearts, mascot of panda, and angel’s wings on signboards. Also, looking at the use of colors, they use many light colors such as pink, green, blue, red, yellow, orange, and purple. The font of texts is rounded and a bit childlike rather than the old style. All these signs represent Japanese “Kawaii” culture. However, at the same time, they cover their dark side by using cute texts, images, and colors.
Comedy
Some Muryo-Annai Jyo construct friendliness or comfortableness by using unique words and images. The Muryo-Annai Jyo named “Afro ni kike!! (Listen to Afro!!)” is one of Muryo-Annai Jyo give people friendliness by making the texts and image comedic. Focusing on the use of language, they use casual form to give people friendliness. However, they also use honorifics for warnings about catches. This indicates the relationship between uchi and soto.
Conclusion
By decoding different textual and visual signs, we found that they create different concepts of Muryo-Annai Jyo. Also, making the signboards cute and comedic contributes to creating comfortableness and hiding their illegal activities. Through understanding different concepts of Muryo-Annai Jyo’s signboards, we re-realize individual sign such as language, images, fonts, colors, and neon lights leads to constructing various concepts anb telling us the uniqueness of Kabuki-Cho.