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Social Media Celebrates Tobidashi Bōya Across Japan (Including a JoJo Version)
Born during Japan’s “traffic war” of the 1950s and 1960s, “Tobita-kun” and all his variations remain an iconic roadside sight.
By Jay Andrew Allen
If you’ve been to Japan or live here, chances are you’ve seen the iconic character known as tobidashi bōya. But did you know the cute character has a somewhat dark history? Here’s how tobidashi boya came about, along with a selection of some of the best variations across the country as collected by a photographer recently on social media.
Born from Japan’s traffic wars
The iconic figures date back to Japan’s so-called “traffic war.” Spanning the Shōwa 30 decade (1955–1964), the era saw more people die due to traffic fatalities than in two years of the Russo-Japanese War.
The cause? The country’s immature driving infrastructure. Japan had begun ramping up investments in car-ready roads and highways during the Taishō and Shōwa eras. However, it abandoned much of this work as the country drove deeper into World War II.
