Video: Why do labels in Japanese supermarkets change color, and what patterns can be seen on them?
2023 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 05:58
Japan's calling card is not only sake, modern electronics and sumo. In this distinctive country, there is also a real cult of food packaging. Labels on jars, boxes, and, especially, wrappers are very important here.
In a box with sweets, each small sweetness, as a rule, is additionally wrapped in a separate "envelope"; origami elements are often used in paper wrapping. Pictures on products are very colorful, interesting and original. Recently, there has been a tendency to arrange food packaging in accordance with the seasons. [
The fact is that in the land of the rising sun there are no seasons, like ours, but there are seasons and there are six of them. The climate in this country is specific, not very comfortable, the weather is changeable. But on the other hand, during heavy rains, typhoons, snowfalls, nature is unusually beautiful! The Japanese gave the names to the seasons in accordance with their weather characteristics and the events taking place at that moment.
For example, spring is the cherry blossom season, June is the rainy season, the period from October to mid-December is commonly called the season of red leaves, and so on. Since Japan is stretched from south to north, the change of seasons in the country does not occur simultaneously and in different regions can differ with a shift of a couple of weeks. But the names of the seasons themselves still remain the same throughout the country.
In spring, when cherry blossoms are in full bloom, supermarket shelves are filled with juice bags, boxes of chocolates, and even cans of beer featuring delicate pink and white flowers.
At the end of summer, when the heat is unbearable and the watermelons are ripening, you can refresh yourself with Coca-Cola with watermelon on the label.
In late autumn, storefronts are reddened by maple leaves, which are called momiji in Japan.
In addition to seasonality, residents of the land of the rising sun try to use prefectural symbols in packaging design. Therefore, when traveling inland, they often buy products depicting a particular corner of Japan as souvenirs.
For example, on the island of Hokkaido (also known as the administrative unit of the same name), sweets and other goods depicting this prefecture are sold. The island has a very memorable shape, and they have become the hallmark of Hokkaido. Any Japanese person will immediately recognize his image on the label, as we recognize the Italian "boot".
Bringing a loved one a souvenir with the symbols of the prefecture is in the order of things, as in our country, for example, to bring the famous gingerbread from Tula. The apartments of the Japanese are regularly filled with such gifts from relatives and friends, and, frankly, the owners do not always have time to eat all the many souvenir products before the expiration date.
Sometimes, caricatures of local politicians are also used on packages as a visiting card of prefectures, in which they emphasize their origin or some recognizable features of their appearance or character. And lately in the country you can hear more and more conversations that it would be nice to officially allow the application of the symbols of the prefectures and on the license plates.
At first glance, all this may seem like a strange quirk of oriental people. But if you think about it, such an attentive and reverent attitude to changes in the weather, to the peculiarities of native nature and everything that happens in the country fits very well into Japanese philosophy, according to which a person is inseparably connected with nature and the place in which he lives. And, in the end, buying a bottle of juice or a carton of milk with such a bright, interesting packaging is much more interesting than with boring and boring images of famous brands!
And fans of gastronomic tourism will certainly be interested to know Where you can taste the most delicious and original food
Text: Anna BELOVA
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