NTT DOCOMO, Inc. (hereinafter DoCoMo) released a unique awareness-raising video, “Samurai Smartphone Parade” on its official YouTube channel on December 1 as part of its campaign to prevent accidents caused by those walking while looking at their smartphone displays and improve their manners.
There are a growing number of accidents involving people walking while looking at their smartphone screens in recent years as the use of smartphones has become widespread. Such accidents have become a social problem and media outlets have repeatedly covered such accidents. Troubles caused by walking while looking at smartphone displays have occurred not only in Japan but also all over the world.
Under the circumstances, DoCoMo has produced a unique awareness-raising video, “Samurai Smartphone Parade” as part of its campaign to prevent people from walking while looking at their smartphone displays. The video was released in December when the largest number of traffic accidents occurs throughout the year. The video features samurai accompanying their feudal lord during a trip to and from Edo (currently Tokyo) for sankin-kotai, or a system of “daimyo” lords spending every other year in residence in Edo in a show of their loyalty to the shogunate government. Based on the results of a survey , conducted by Mobile Marketing Data Labo , on the Japanese public’s awareness of walking while looking at smartphone screens, the video depicts samurai parading while looking at smartphone displays on the assumption that there were smartphones in the age of samurai.
DoCoMo has continuously conducted awareness-raising campaigns on its website aimed to prevent people from walking while looking at their smartphone displays and through advertisements as well as by holding mobile phone safety seminars and equipping smartphones with functions to prevent customers from using their handsets while walking. DoCoMo is determined to continue making efforts to create an environment in which its customers can safely use their smartphones without worries.
