Tissues

Companies in Japan (Kriasho included) employ people to stand on the street handing out tissues wrapped in advertising; with the reasoning that passer-bys are less likely to accept an unaccompanied flyer. I’ve started up a collection:



I’m not sure what most of these companies are, but they’ve paid massive amounts of money (I’ve heard a pack of tissues costs about ten yen) to get their logos into people’s homes, pockets, and hopefully their minds; on the chance their investments will pay off in the form of increased sales. Advertisements, however, tend to lose most of their effectiveness when the recipient can’t read them, and in my hands they serve a purely utilitarian purpose. I can reap the benefits while maintaining my freedom as a consumer, and I’ve vowed to go my entire stay in Japan without ever purchasing a single tissue.