Why Vladimir Putin is topping calendar sales in Japan
Russian president has amassed a large Japanese fanbase
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2019 calendar is proving the year’s biggest hit with Japanese shoppers, according to one of the country’s leading retailers.
Loft, which has exclusive rights to sell the Putin calendar in Japan, says that sales are those of outstripping homegrown celebrities.
The Russian premier has pushed screen heartthrob Kei Tanaka and Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu into second and third place, said a spokesperson for the firm, which has more than 100 stores across Japan.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As for the reason for Putin’s popularity, the answer is probably a mixture of ironic humour and genuine fascination.
Putin’s yearly calendars have long been a popular gag gift, due to their kitschy portraits of the leader engaging in ultra-macho pursuits including judo practice or stripping down to wade in an icy pond.
This year’s edition includes shots of the president horse-riding in traditional costume and playing ice hockey, alongside photos from his activities as head of state. In June’s portrait, he is shown holding a puppy – a nod to his fondness for dogs.
However, Japanese media reports “suggested many of the people buying the calendars, including a large number of women, were drawn to Putin’s unconventional style and unashamed machismo”, says The Guardian.
Robert Dujarric, a Tokyo-based professor of international relations, told the South China Morning Post that, to these female admirers, Putin appears “more manly than the average Japanese politician”.
“It is rare for Japanese men to show of their muscles because that’s just not part of the style here, it’s not part of the identity of Japanese men,” he said. “So maybe a man who is happy to appear bare-chested is appealing.”
His 2017 calendar was also a bestseller in the country, due in part to one photo showing Putin petting a Akita Inu puppy given to him by the governor of Akita prefecture in northern Japan.
On social media, Japanese users were “amused and sceptical” regarding Putin’s apparent fanbase in the country, says SoraNews24.
“I kinda want one now,” admitted one commenter after reading the report. However, another user was blunt in their distaste for the craze: “I’d be weirded out if I went to a friend’s house and saw Putin hanging on the wall.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why au pairs might become a thing of the past
Under The Radar Brexit and wage ruling are threatening the 'mutually beneficial arrangement'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Will Iran attack hinder support for Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Pro-Kyiv allies cry 'hypocrisy' and 'double standards' even as the US readies new support package
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Why is Ukraine backing far-right militias in Russia?
Today's Big Question The role of the fighters is a 'double-edged sword' for Kyiv, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
Why is Islamic State targeting Russia?
Today's Big Question Islamist terror group's attack on 'soft target' in Moscow was driven in part by 'opportunity and personnel'
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
What does victory now look like for Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Not losing is as important as winning as the tide turns in Russia's favour again
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Where has the Wagner Group gone?
Today's Big Question Kremlin takes control of Russian mercenaries after aborted mutiny and death of leadership
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine's counteroffensive: has it failed?
Talking Point Russia-Ukraine war has entered period of 'static, attritional warfare'
By The Week UK Published
-
Are the Baltics under threat?
Today's big question Damage to undersea pipelines, bomb threats and cyberattacks increase suspicion of Russian hostility
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Yevgeny Prigozhin: will ‘predictable’ death of Wagner chief backfire on Putin?
Today's Big Question Analysts say Russian president faces growing danger from advisers and risk of revenge from Wagner fighters
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published