Kagoshima Key Rings by Kagomania

These key rings are by the Kagomania brand of illustrator Motohiro Waki.

They both feature cultural references instantly recognisable to anyone with a connection to Kagoshima.

The bottles are of shochu, the distilled spirit of Kagoshima.  The type of shochu in question is 'imo', in other words distilled with sweet potatoes - which makes even more Kagoshiman still.

The tigers are a play on words in Kagoshima dialect.  They are YokaTiger, and have this written on the reverse, riffing on the use of the word 'yoka' meaning 'good' in Kagoshiman speech.

Each of the key rings is around 14cm long.

About Kagomania

The modern stories and identity of Kagoshima are told in the work of Motohiro Waki and his Kagomania brand. A designer, illustrator and observer of his home region, Waki makes work characterised by its humour and bold lines in drawing scenes from history and local geography. Waki frequently draws an expressive Saigo Takamori, the complex folk hero of the late Satsuma era, together with his dog Tsun for example. Alongside volcanoes, daikon radishes and other symbols recognisable of Kagoshima - Waki’s work provides contemporary narration of what it means to have roots in old Satsuma.