Hello, Please! Very Helpful Super Kawaii Characters from Japan (Paperback)

by Matt Alt (Author), Hiroko Yoda (Author) "Japan is a paradise for cute characters..." (more)
Key Phrases: mascot characters, instructional characters, working characters, Prince Pickles, Defense Forces (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A menagerie of mascots and characters inhabit the islands of Japan, cheerfully guiding citizens through all sorts of daily activities and situations. Hello, Please! collects photographs of hundreds of the these cute (or kawaii) creatures in their native habitats, which are virtually everywhere: from public street signs to supermarket shelves, in doctor's offices and instruction manuals even emblazoned on the sides of Tokyo's emergency vehicles. Authors Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda explore the cultural context of these ubiquitous, hard-working critters and their relationship to anime and manga, commercial characters like Hello Kitty, and the cult of cute, while introducing readers to a host of adorable new best friends they never knew they had.

About the Author
Matt Alt is the co-author of Super #1 Robot. He and Hiroko Yoda live in Tokyo, where they run the translation company AltJapan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811856747
• ISBN-13: 978-0811856744
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #443,468 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #43 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Travel > Far East
  #67 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Travel > Asia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So freakin' supercute, November 7, 2007

By	D. Tjoa (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Okay, I admit this isn't the most eloquent review, but I'm giving this book a shout-out because it is so amusing, adorable, funny. The authors classify these cartoony characters into five sections with an intro for each and an overall introduction prefacing it all. The intros were somewhat informative, not terribly deep in explanation but deep enough. I liked the variety and quantity of images they included and how their captions were set in a solid-color version of the character they are describing on that page. Great gift idea for anyone who likes Japanese pop art and cute, bubbly cartoons in general.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book! More Hello, Please!, November 4, 2007

By	Alen Yen (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great coffee table or gift book. Awesome photographs, beautiful design and insightful text. Totally captures the quirkiness of this aspect of Japanese pop culture...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gives you the big picture., November 6, 2007

By	R. Harkavy (Morristown, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The immediate and obvious appeal of this book is seeing so many of these mascot characters "in the wild," but more importantly, the book provides context, explaining how Japanese aesthetics and traditions have affected the widespread adoption of these characters throughout the years. I really recommend this to anyone who is interested in Japanese culture and/or cartooning.