Living in Japan means getting used to a new paradigm, and it often feels like the country exists on another dimension from the rest of the world. Maps that aren’t oriented towards the North, with swastikas written on them, since the symbol (properly called manji) denotes the location of a Buddhist temple here. People shooting off fireworks while it’s still light outside. Buying a six-pack of beer and paying the same price as six individual cans. Then there’s the tendency for important public messages to be delivered by cute “mascot characters” like Chidejika, whose name comes from chideji (terrestrial digital) the shika (Japanese for deer). The character, who reminds people that they need to prepare for the switchover from analog to digital TV due to take place in July 2011, replaced SMAP member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi when he was arrested for public nudity at a park at 3 am.
Chidejika is the official mascot of the end of analog TV broadcasts in Japan, which has become a massive target of online parodies with the 2ch crowd:
