Humans are strange creatures. It’s okay for a man to carry a laptop bag or “messenger bag” or a backpack, but if the shape of this bag strays just a little from certain norms he’ll be derided by his friends for carrying a “man-purse,” which is frankly ridiculous, since guys need to carry stuff, just like girls do. But I’m going to come out of the closet and admit to carrying one of these wherever I go in Japan. It’s called a “scissors bag,” a name which comes from barbers who use them to hold their tools when cutting hair, and I keep my wallet, camera, keys and other important stuff in to I don’t lose it — plus it’s got kanji printed on the outside, which is cool. One of the good things about living in Japan is the different set of social norms in place here, which allows me to pick and choose which I’ll follow.
So what do you think? Is it okay for a man to carry a “scissors bag”?
