Kodak Moment in Japan

At tourist attractions it’s common to see outlined figures that enable people to insert their own face and take humorous souvenir photographs. Rather than leaving the holes empty, at this spot in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture the faces are “returned” to their owners while the panel is not in use and at night. This way, viewers can see who the figures are supposed represent — which is not always immediately obvious. The caricature on the far right is Shiki Masaoka (1867-1902) an important literary figure during the Meiji era (1868-1912) known for his versatile and prolific output of haiku, tanka and other poetry, works of fiction, critiques and essays. He was born and raised in the city.