I fondly remember my first trip to Japan back in the days, it was such a magical experience. Before leaving everything I had heard were the tales of these exquisite souvenirs, bags in particular. Little did I know that I would end up buying so many fake ones!
The moment I stepped foot in Tokyo, it was just a flurry of color and energy everywhere. There were so many shiny bags and it felt like a paradise for bag lovers. But it wasn’t until I visited the more “local” shopping districts that I realized the true extent of fake bags in Japan.
The thing that surprised me the most was the quality of these fake bags. Many of them were actually very good copies, almost indistinguishable from the originals. It felt like a mini version of the black market where they sell counterfeit items. I was almost tempted to buy some of them! But when I saw where some of these items were made, I had second thoughts.
To me, buying fake products felt like supporting a very unethical industry and I had to remind myself that these people were just exploiting workers, many of them children. I knew that the money I would spend on these bags weren’t going back to the creators, but rather to the masterminds behind this illegal business. That was enough for me to pass up on any potentially attractive deals.
Not only plain knock-offs, but even bags with designer labels were readily available. In theory, the people making them could pass them off as good copies. After all, these items are convincing enough, you just have to know where to look.
When I stopped to think about it, it sounded like an awful situation. The people making them were doing it so inhumanely, with no respect for laws or ethical considerations. It certainly served as a reminder of how our rushed consumption is causing so much harm to others, and how we must think about where our money is going.
It’s a situation that needs to be changed, not only for the benefit of the people making these bags, but also for those of us buying them and relying on knock-offs. We must take the time to consider the effects our decisions have on others.
In the next 4 paragraphs of this post, I want to discuss the implications of buying fake bags and how it affects the local economy of Japan. For example, over the past few years, the counterfeit industry in Japan has grown exponentially. It has undoubtedly had a negative impact on the country’s traditional product designs and local craftsmen. Moreover, the industry is also damaging Japan’s reputation for high quality and reliable products, and making it harder for emerging designers to obtain financial support.
Subsequently, fake bags, in particular, are making it increasingly difficult for genuine crafters and designers to survive. With people buying these cheaper knock-offs, they’re depriving genuine artisans of their income. This, in turn, works to the detriment of the culture and tradition of the country.
Furthermore, counterfeit apparel and accessories are usually made with poor quality materials and processes, which reinforces the view of an irresponsible consumer culture that will buy anything if it costs less money. This impacts the mindset of the younger generation in Japan, who are growing up to accept and support this kind of disregard for quality and craftsmanship.
Finally, genuine products may have a greater price tag, but the quality and longevity of these makes them more cost-effective over the long run. As consumers, we must become more conscious of the positive economic and social implications of buying genuine products, while also ensuring that we are not supporting any unethical practices. We must support the local craftsmen, designers, and independent brands, so that they can continue to create beautiful products that also sustain a living.