Dolce and Gabbana is selling DoCoMo’s gold plated RAZR phones in their retails stores now until the end of May this year. It’s uhm…really garish in my opinion because the phone is SO bling! The gold phone is priced at 75,000 yen each and it comes with a D&G engraving on the cover. Go figure, otherwise D&G won’t be selling them in their glass shelves.

If you buy the gold Razr phone you’ll get a cool looking box, an eel skin cover, a strap with a D&G logo on it, some pictures to look at on the phone’s screen and, best of all, “four original ring tones… selected by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.” What’s their taste in music like, anyone?

Source: Metropolis

I wrote previously that cellphone accessories is very important because to the Japanese it is a form of self expression. Well, the cellphone is now not only for means of communication but also life saving. Did you think those accessories are only for looks? Today, what’s dangling on your cellphone could save your life :P

The Pill Box strap is the most useful strap I have seen because it carries your medicine for you. With your cellphone’s alarm feature and this little pill box that also serves as a fashionable strap, you will never have to miss your medication again!

This Pill Box strap is only available in Japan for only $6.50. I think i’d like one since I am currently under the weather with a cold. I keep forgetting my Buckleys.

Source: PopGadget

Cell Phone Straps in Japan is a form of self expression. It’s an accessory that is important to every developing teenager. So much so, that if you don’t have one, you’re uncool. Okay, I may be making that up but tell me if i am wrong. Anyway, I just love some of them. You can never find as much variety for cell phone straps anywhere but Japan really. And some of them are pretty ingenious :)

Here are some examples of the cell phone straps that the Japanese kids rave about:

If cell phone straps were to speak of a person’s occupation, this one would tell that its owner is fulltime gamer :P

Or a public relations officer :P

They’re all very cute and I wouldn’t mind having those Chupa Chups as my cell phone strap :P Yes, gluttony!

Source: Wired News

Apparently, about 70% of all mobile phone (or keitai) users in Japan like to decorate their phones with dangling phone straps. I’d say it’s even more than that. Even the men will have something cute hanging from their phones, like a Disney character. Usually there is more than one strap too. I’ve seen school kids with around ten decorative straps hanging from their phone, which must make picking up the phone to answer it a mini weights workout.

Amusingly, one of the most popular phone straps of the last few weeks has been Junichiro Koizumi-themed straps. Koizumi, as you should all know, was the highly popular and charismatic prime minister of Japan until he stood down a week ago. Shinzo Abe is now prime minister, but Abe-themed phone straps seem unlikely.

Most phone straps are character straps, that is, Disney, Hello Kitty or anime characters. Other phone decorations include stickers, screen protectors and jewels that can be glued on to make your keitai look like pure bling. Personally, I have three phone straps, a Naruto themed screen protector and a Fullmetal Alchemist themed sticker on my phone, but at least I can still actually answer the phone when it rings! I sometimes wonder if the school girls can actually operate their phone when they have so many things stuck to it (and usually just as highly decorated fingernails).

I’ve found a blog that documents various trends in mobile phone straps, for anyone wanting more photos. It seems to be run by a Japanese woman but the site is in English. So, have a look at Strapya Roomy Room.

Links:
strapya.com
Mainichi Daily News