同体化における戦略的に採用されているキャラ化

Kyara-ka is the practice of adopting a character, often performed by institutions and corporations as a strategic means of appearing less threatening or authoritarian. For example, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have long used the kyara Pipo-kun to present a friendly and non-threatening face to the public. Additionally, kyara have long been used by the contents industry in Japan to create brand identities or to facilitate media mixing. The character Hello! Kitty is perhaps the most famous example of this practice, with the character existing across a variety of products, events, and activities. However, young individuals in Japan are now claiming to have adopted the practice of kyara-ka to facilitate easy communication and interaction. Rather than present an unmediated and authentic self to the public, these individuals are adopting kyara commonly seen as archetypes in popular culture. While some researchers have posited that the practice of kyara-ka among younger individuals is a sign of anomie and possible psychological disturbance, this paper argues that this is a consciously adopted form of individuation. As an adaptation of a normal generative social process, kyara-ka is simply part of a repertoire of social tools that could be freely adopted or discarded by individuals.