Chikan Akan (No Groping)

A poster that was in a railway station in Osaka

 

 

A slogan that shows Osaka people's superb feel for language. There's no need for explanation. I remember I argued with my colleague on a monorail when we went to Tokyo on business. "JR East's Suica card comes from Suitto Kanto (travel the Kanto district smoothly) imitating Surutto Kansai (travel the Kansai district smoothly), I guess," I said. "No. It was named Suica (the same sound of watermelon in Japanese) because it followed Orange card," he said. I saw a lady opposite burst out laughing. 

 

April 12, 2016

from “Oriori no Kotoba” by Kiyokazu Washida, The Asahi Shimbun