Surely you have noticed the Japanese cell phone strap craze. Why you’d want a bouquet of plastic cartoon characters dangling from your mobile, we do not know. But if you’re looking for a cell deco with an automotive theme, peep these Japanese license plates.
They’re available in six styles, including gold for “VIP.” You can select the issuing city and four numbers, which is all the space a Japanese license plate has. Vanity plates in Japan typically consist of the car’s chassis code, so if you cruise around town in a TE27, the plate would read “. . 27”.
[Strapya]
What were the kanji for Osaka Perfecture again …?
The English language web page is at:
http://www.strapya-world.com/products/27669.html
A note of caution: Strapya’s product line is in a limited availability or seasonal format. Their business is based on serving the current fad and moving on to the next fad before the demand peaks and falls, always staying a little ahead. Their product offerings turn over fast. If you see something you like, six months from now it probably won’t be available any more. If you bookmark a page and come back in a year intending to buy something, don’t be surprised that it is no longer available. E.G.: Shinto and Bhuddist good luck charms were popular in 2007, but can’t be found anywhere now. The only one that never seems to go out of fashion is the “golden poo”. So, if you see something you have to have from Strapya, make sure to order it before it’s discontinued.
Osaka = 大阪
大阪府 ?
Another company appears to be offering these key chains with an additional line of text across the bottom, for the vehicle name:
http://page21.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/j34055370
http://storeuser4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/user/cyber_arts01?u=cyber_arts01
They show several other variations that may or may not reflect accurate Japanese plate form.
RE: Osaka, some prefectures use the three character form, but Osaka seems to use two character form.
Also, a Norwegian website shows standard plate forms and references Japanese plates with Roman/English alphabet translation of the prefecture abbreviation, for use when a Japanese driver drives their car onto the mainland and/or across Asia (or elsewhere). Apparently there are Japanese registered cars making it all the way to Norway.