I Love The Japanese

I don't think the Japanese and their culture could be any more quirky and interesting if they tried:

Japan Tobacco (JT), like most cigarette companies today, is concerned about the image of smokers and smoking in modern society. In an effort to improve said image (but NOT discourage smoking, of course), the company commissioned a series of over 70 public service announcement style ads. All of the ads were rendered in the same green-on-white, simply drawn format. It's the messages they seek to send that are so intriguing... and so reflective of the Japanese psyche.

Ostensibly, the ads became necessary because of the incredibly crowded and cramped conditions in many Japanese cities today; the Japanese are all about politeness and respect, and jabbing someone in their bare arm with your lit cigarette isn't really a good way of exhibiting those traits. Check out some of the other ads and commentary here.