We love all of the unofficial holidays in Japan. From Fundoshi (also known as Japanese loincloth) Day to Cat Day, people all over the country have special events (and discounts) to look forward to all year round.
But May 23 marked Kiss Day in Japan and netizens all over the country celebrated the seemingly romantic occasion with some decidedly strange drawings in a bizarre illustration battle on Twitter.
Usually Japanese unofficial holidays are created as a result of the way a date can be read. For example, Good Meat Day lands on November 29 because the numbers 1-1-2-9 can be read as ii niku, literally “good meat.” But May 23 was dubbed Kiss Day, not for it’s double meaning, but because November 29, 1946 was the first time a kissing scene had been shown on the silver screen in Japan.
▼ Japan’s first kissing scene from Hatachi no Seishun. So scandalous!
Source: mrk_takaki
You may think Kiss Day is celebrated by giving your honey a big peck on the cheek or lips, but Japanese netizens seem to have a different way of doing things on this unconventional holiday, giving rise to the longest hashtag we’ve ever seen: #5月23日はキスの日らしいのでリプで一番目に指定されたキャラが二番目に指定されたキャラにキスをする (#Apparently May 23 is Kiss Day, so I’m going to have the first character you pick kiss the second character). The rules of this trending hashtag are simple: once someone posts the phrase, fellow tweeters are welcome to throw out the name of a person, fictional or not, and the first two mentioned will be drawn by the original tweeter…and this is Kiss Day so those two people have to be kissing. A dangerous recipe for some weird combinations…let’s check them out:
▼ Japanese surveyor and cartographer, Inō Tadataka gets a little peck on the forehead.
Source: Twitter (nari_33)
▼ And here’s Inō Tadataka kissing Ronald McDonald…
Source: Twitter (Harukiv)
▼ Is he kissing a mirror or himself?
Source: Twitter (akiyosi_000)
▼ Looks like someone doesn’t want to get kissed on Kiss Day.
Source: Twitter (215Ck)
▼ Sakata Gintoki and Kagura from Gin Tama…it’s a one-way street in this smooch fest.
Source: Twitter (toukarashi1)
▼ No-Face from Spirited Away and Anpanman bring on the weird.
Source: Twitter (izu3jinko)
Officially creeped out yet? Even though March 23 is Kiss Day only in Japan, that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun with it…leave us a comment and let us know your favorite (or creepiest) kissing mashup! Our vote goes to Mr. Sato and Prime Minister Abe.
Source: My Game News Flash
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