Cryptic Words and Camaraderie: The Culture of Street Vendor Signs in Postwar Society

Cryptic Words and Camaraderie: The Culture of Street Vendor Signs in Postwar Society
In the tekiya community, there existed a unique set of cloaks, such as "shopa" for place and "zukisaka" for sake cup, which served to strengthen internal cohesion while at the same time keeping the outside world at bay. These were not mere codes, but cultural assets that were handed down from generation to generation and strengthened the community's identity. Immediately after the war, the black market and fairs were the foundation of life, and with the legal system and public security in its infancy, internal solidarity was the key to survival. Cloak-and-dagger language was a practical means of evading police and government surveillance, as well as a sign to prove that one was a member of the community. As urbanization and regulatory pressures increased during the high-growth period, cloak-and-dagger became increasingly meaningful as a rite of passage for newcomers to be accepted into the inner circle, creating a sense of loyalty and togetherness. Just as the corporate commu
nity united its employees through company precepts and norms, the tekiya united people through a culture of language. Today, the use of cloak has disappeared from the public eye due to the Gang Exclusion Ordinance, but traces of it can still be seen in local festivals and fairs, and cloak is etched in history as a wisdom created by tekiya to protect the community during the period of rapid economic growth from the postwar era onward.