Delving into the Intangibles


   What's popular in the capital these days  
     
 

Ah, the world changes so rapidly in circles. The speed is like riding a merry-go-round. I can barely keep up with computer society, starting with mobile phones, payment methods, online shops, travel arrangements and all sorts of things.

I cannot live a single day without the help of young people. What's a ChatGPT, what's LGBTQ? 'Mum, I don't even know,' says my almost 60-year-old daughter.

With a friend we went to a recently opened supermarket.

But what caught my eye was the length of the male cosmetics shelves and the number of products. Secondly, the pet products section, which is still taking up so much space. I would like to try the dog treats once. The “Bento” lunchboxes continue in a straight line from the entrance to the back, like walking through a side street. So I had a hard time finding the battery I wanted to buy. What, they're on the shelf right next to the cash register? Shopping is also tricky. Men's cosmetics, pet supplies, lunch boxes. I feel the strength of women in all of them.

Men don't want women to hate them.

A wife cares more about the dog than husband.

A wife saves time and effort for dinner.

A friend says: "Men share bags with their wives, they use more expensive cosmetics than women, and men's parasols are currently the hot-selling products of the umbrella sales floor of department stores. They also get their nails done at manicure salons and some spend a million on hair removal." On hearing this, I almost fell off the merry-go-round and shouted. The times are not turning back. Don't be surprised by this, you have to move on so you don't get swept off your feet.

But that was only the beginning. The Sankei-shinbun article read: "Gender-neutral underwear spreads." This is called genderless fashion. A well-known brand has developed a pair of boxer shorts with no opening in the front, which are flat and sell well for both men and women. The explanation is that more and more men squat on the toilet to do their business, so products with closed fronts are becoming more common. What if women stopped sitting on toilet seats now? But physiologically that would be impossible!  I imagine so and laugh to myself.

This product project is based on the idea that everyone should be comfortable in their own way. If the world is comfortable, anything is fine, right? Not only are they talking about pants for mums and dads, but they also have a new product for children's underwear. Now there will be no need to separate the drawers of the wardrobe into a mum's drawer and a dad's drawer. 'Mum, where's my bra?' Will such a time ever come?  For my age, I'm very curious.

I wonder if one day I will realize that there will be dads who borrow their mum's clothes to go to work, and I wonder if such a time will come. Because they're going to have a choice of slacks or skirts for student uniforms. Will boys wear skirts and genderless boxer shorts to school like Scottish men?

I am partly responsible for making this world the way it is. Every time I meet a man, I tell him that he should apply UV-cut lotion and watch out for sunburn, because women don't like dirty skin, full of spots. Even if you don't, you should be careful not to live a long life and say outrageous things like dirty and smelly. That has turned out to be true. The time when women will be told to do so will surely come! Women should do their best for that day!

We would rather apply intangible 'cream of gracefulness' which you can only create by yourself than the tangible “moisture cream' which you can buy in shops.

 
  K.Yamakawa -Founder Feiler Japan       
                                                                
     
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