The mushrooming art of Docomodake

September 26, 2008 by Dennis Amith

A J!-ENT Exclusive!

In a recent article by Matsumaru Kumi for the Daily Yomiuri, Kumi wrote, “As cute as they may be, most corporate mascots have a single mission: to go out into the world and use their charm to generate a positive market effect for their company. But NTT Docomo Inc. recently let some up-and-coming artists create their own interpretations of Docomodake, its mushroom mascots, just for the sake of art. A collection of the resulting works, ranging from photographs and clothing to art installations, will go on show next month so that the famous mushrooms can inspire further flights of imagination”

“If you’re already a Docomodake fan, you will be able to enjoy 16 different interpretations of the mascot,” said Rika Eguchi, a participating artist who is responsible for the total art direction of the exhibition, How to Cook Docomodake? “And I’m sure those who know nothing about the mushroom will also find the presentation really amusing,” Eguchi said.

“She was alluding to the fact that the Docomodake clan have already achieved celebrity status. NTT Docomo introduced the first mushroom mascots in January 2005 to publicize the fact that the company was allowing customers to carry over unused monthly phone time or to share it among family members.”