I realize that there is tacky tourist crap everywhere in the world. The main difference to me is that I rarely see it in Japan unless I go to an area especially designed for foreign visitors who are here for a brief vacation. Going to these places feels like entering another Japan, one that is designed for easy digestion by people who expect certain things from it. These tacky tourist items are a grim reminder that there are two Japans - the one for the Japanese, and a cheap, fake, safely-packaged one for tourists.
I won't miss seeing this type of cheesy garbage, and realizing the falseness behind it.
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