Last year, some members of a Japanese comedy site decided to troll Google Street View with pigeon masks. That was just the beginning.
This weekend, the same site, Daily Portal Z, held a "Hato Event" at Osaka's Grand Front shopping center. (In Japanese, "hato" means pigeon.) For the event, people could wear a pigeon mask and get their photo taken at the fashionable shopping complex.
Last year, Daily Portal Z also held a "Hato Night" event—which was filled with people wearing pigeon masks at, well, night.
Grand Front. [Photo: yaginome]
Kid pigeons. [Photo: Tokyo26]
Sitting in an audience. [Photo: tokyo26]
Using a mobile phone. [Photo: yaginome]
Over the past few months, Twitter users (including Daily Portal Z writers and fans) have uploaded their own pigeon mask pics—and there seems to be a few hardcore pigeon mask Twitter users!
At home. [Photo: Hero_Chaman]
Being lazy. [Photo: hato_nichijo]
Eating sushi. [Photo: twcc98man]
At work. [Photo: hato_nichijo]
Out to eat. [Photo: nanakote_s]
Mmm, pasta. [Photo: mietanpekeponpo]
Feeding the... pigeons. [Photo: hato_nichijo]
At the hot springs. [Photo: twcc98man]
On the train. [Photo: hato_nichijo]
Bowling. [Photo: Kokusan_Guppy]
With a Hato Bus. [Photo: PigeonMaskJp]
Buying beer. [Photo: hato_nichijo]
Drinking beer. [Photo: Right_Error]
Movie night. [Photo: hato_nichijo]
Um... Evangelion? [Photo: deresukeminoP]
Enjoying fall. [Photo: hero_chaman]
Good think pigeons aren't creepy, huh?
Pigeon mask are a thing outside of Japan, too, but I don't think they've run their course yet. That being said, I also eagerly await a proliferation of Crow Masks! Photos via Hato_Nichijo:
Top photo: yaginome
To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft.
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.