The ubiquitous nobori adds colour to the streets and shopping malls of Japan.

MANY popular spots throughout Malaysia were swarmed with banners and flags of political parties during the campaigning for GE13. Japan’s election campaigns follow a set pattern in which candidates’ posters are hung on fences or posted on wooden notice boards erected on the streets.

There are no buntings, flags and banners adorning roads, utility poles, fences or tree trunks. As the election candidate addresses the public through a loud-hailer at a street corner, his or her entourage distributes flyers and carry nobori displaying slogans.

A nobori is a long narrow banner attached by belt loops to a sturdy pole with a crossbar that holds the fabric in place for visibility of the signage. By hanging it vertically, it saves space and prevents obstruction to the public.

Nobori come in various sizes, colours and designs. Some carry pictures of celebrities and anime characters. To prevent nobori from toppling, their flagpoles are mounted on stable stands or fastened to something secure. 　

In ancient Japan, nobori played a significant role in the battlefield. They were carried to indicate different divisions within an army.

Nobori serve many purposes. However, they are most commonly used as a marketing tool. By using cheaper materials, a company can afford to put up a number of nobori. The rows of colourful and attractive nobori inject a carnival-like ambience in the streets and indoor passageways of malls.

Everyday, I see nobori being displayed on sidewalks, walls, fences and in front of many commercial and public enterprises. They “decorated” many shops, convenience stores, supermarkets, eateries, petrol stations, pachinko parlours, places of worship, theatres, supermarkets, coin parking lots and some government buildings. They are hoisted during festivals, events and tournaments.

Nobori sometimes act as guides when the names of the establishments are printed on them. Commercially, they help to drum up business by advertising sales, products, menus, services and newly-opened stores. As the fabric on the nobori can be replaced, businesses use it to publicise new and seasonal products, menus or services.

Nobori are also dedicated to a god. They are placed at the gate of a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple. Vermilion, white, dark purple and navy blue are noble colours for this kind of nobori.

On one occasion, I saw numerous nobori lining the stairs leading up to a shrine. Being prayer offerings, these nobori bear the names of worshippers. But sometimes, a nobori is used to inform the public that a bazaar is being held on the grounds of a temple.

There are countless nobori at a shopping arcade I often pass through. For better visual effects, nobori are hung at an angle outside several stores.

One bakery frequently updates its nobori advertisements to commemorate a celebration or festival. It even advertised special cakes for last Easter although Easter is not a grand celebration like Christmas.

At present, its nobori are promoting confectionery with the theme “animal sweets” for Safari Park.

Outside a pachinko parlour are two nobori with the portraits of Bae Yong-Joon and Choi Ji-Woo – stars of the Korean drama, Winter Sonata. Now, what has the drama got to do with pachinko? Well, it has surfaced in pachinko games!

As cherry blossoms flank the river next to the shopping arcade, the place is decked with pink nobori with words to welcome the sakura during spring.

Last December, a monk was spotted holding a nobori at the shopping arcade. It was an appeal for donations for a temple. On another occasion, a police officer was seen carrying a nobori during a campaign against bank transfer scams while other officers distributed flyers and pocket tissues bearing the message, to passers-by.

Then, there was the distribution of eco-bags for the “3R” eco-drive. Erected on a stand was a nobori with a plea for an eco-friendly environment.

Somewhere opposite the shopping arcade is the district police headquarters. Standing in front of its building are nobori warning the public of snatch thieves and appealing to cyclists to obey traffic laws.

Nobori not only add colour to street life but generate publicity as well, through advertisements or appeals printed on them.

> Sarah Mori, a Malaysian married to a Japanese, has been living in Japan since 1992.

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