Japan: Buy Nothing Day
Buy Nothing Day Japan
Started in 1992 in Canada by artist Ted Dave, the Buy Nothing Day movement [en] has spread to more than 60 countries around the world, Japan included.
In line with the philosophy of the movement, next Saturday (November 28) Japanese are invited to refrain from shopping and reflect upon their thoughtless consumerism habits.
So reads the purpose statement of Buy Nothing Day:
Provide a moment of pause in the production-consumption routine. Find alternatives to a shopping-centered life-style. Draw attention to the social, economic, environmental and psychological effects of overconsumption. Promote ecological economics (local and environmentally responsible business, non=GNP indicators of wealth).
Buy Nothing Day 2009 PV by Illcommonz
All over the country, individuals and organizations are planning special events to alert people to the problems related to irresponsible buying customs.
Ikuko, a member of the artistic group NU★ie, announces that they will organize workshops in Sapporo, in the northern island of Hokkaido. One of the workshops, for example, will consist of the production of useful objects by recycling cast-off products.
大量生産・大量消費。買い物すること、消費することに慣れきってしまっている生活を1年に1度だけ、ちょっと見直す良い機会。
「無くてもいい物は買わない日→無買日」です。
カナダから始まったこの運動は今や世界同時多発アクション！の日となっています。
さっぽろでも何かしたいな…と思い、イベントをやることにしました！
その名も・・・。
～無買日！タダを楽しむ休日～
‘A day in which we don't buy unnecessary things = Buy Nothing Day’
This movement, originally from Canada, is now a movement that happens all over the world at the same
time!!
We thought that we wanted to do something also in Sapporo so we decided to organize an event!
Its name…
“Buy Nothing Day: a holiday to enjoy free”
Blogger zawasawa reflects on the meaning of ‘culture’ and what are conventionally called cultural products.
僕たちは色々な「楽しみ」を買ってきた。そういう「楽しみ」は、だいたい文化産業と呼ばれるテレビとか娯楽産業とかのプロの連中が作った物だ。僕たちは受け身の消費者で、まぁ、せいぜい参加者といったところだ。CDを買い、映画に行き、イベントに参加する。ハリウッドやニンテンドーが、靴工場が靴を作るみたいに「文化」とやらを生産して僕らに供給してくれているわけだ。
でもね。文化というは本当はそういうものじゃない。工業製品じゃないんだよ。文化ってのは歴史的にみれば実はキミや僕らのような普通の人々が築いてきたものなんだ。
However ‘culture’ is not that, it is not an industrial product. If we look at history we can see how ‘culture’ is rather something that people such as ourselves have been building up over many generations.
Buy Nothing Day 2009 PV-THEY STILL ALIVE by Illcommonz
On the occasion of the Kyoto Buy Nothing Day in 2007, a team of Japanese artists led by activist and video maker Illcommonz (イルコモンズ) produced a short movie as inspiration to the anti-consumerism movement titled 無買日 京都 二〇〇七(Mubaibi Kyoto 2007, Buy Nothing Day Kyoto 2007) .
【あらすじ】 「買うものであなたが決まる(You are what you buy)」という丸井のクレジットカードのＣＭを見たイルコモンズ。「そんなことあるものか！このＣＭは人間に対する冒涜だ！」と腹をたて、毎年、クリスマス・シーズンに行われるアドバスターズの「BUY NOTHING DAY」に参加することを決意。早速、自作のキャンペーン・ポスターをつくり、YouTubeにキャンペーン・ビデオをアップし、さらに、「資本主義への日々の投票用紙」であるレシートで覆われたマネキンまでこしらえるが、それでもまだ腹の虫がおさまらない。そこで、毎年、「BUY NOTHING DAY」に京都四条河原町の阪急百貨店前で行われる「禅タ・クロースの座禅」イベントに参戦。はたしてそこでイルコモンズが見たものは何か？ そして、「僕らがどんな人間かを決めるのは何なのか？」という問いにイルコモンズが出した答えは何か？現代美術家で民族誌家でメディア・アクティヴィストのイルコモンズが、クリスマスに贈るヒューマン・ドキュメント」
He starts to make his own promotional posters and upload videos onto YouTube. He also makes a mannequin covered in store receipts that are the ‘everyday voting paper of capitalism.’ But his anger is not stilled yet and every year he actively participates in the ‘Zenta Claus Meditation’ event held in front of the Hankyu department store in Kawaramachi, Shijo, in Kyoto.
But what is it that Illcomonz sees there and what answer has Illcommonz to the question ‘What is it that determines what kind of human beings we are?’
This is a statement on humanity delivered by contemporary artist, documentary maker and media activist Illcommonz.
What are you? By Flickr id: Ripplet.jp
6 comments
I wonder how this will help as the next day he/she will go and buy the things that was required on 28th.
What a silly idea. It’s true that people may consume to many things but it’s also true that without consumption there would be no jobs or businesses. For all of the big talkers that want to be eco friendly, back to nature and not consume how many would really be willing to give up their electricity, computers, cell phones, supermarkets etc. and live on top of a mountain in a self sustaining completely isolated community. We need to consume we just need to find ways to consume more responsibly. The world economy is already in enough shambles without trying to make it worse by halting all consumption of all goods for even a day.