Nob got me「るい」千社札 (senjafuda, votive slips) recently. I stuck them on my phone and umbrella. I asked the owners of a restaurant I go to a lot if I could stick my senjafuda on the counter where I usually sit.「いいよ！」(Sure!)

Nob
Love it.
That’s proof of a regular customer.


You see, senjafuda are historically stuck on shrine torii or temple buildings. Nowawdays, they’re for your own things, but it also may be sometimes acceptable to stick them at other places you frequent. (Ask first if you’re not 100% sure!)
Predictably, I’ve become obsessed with designing my own. I started with simple black-and-white versions, but pivoted to mini illustrations inspired by 浮世絵 (ukiyo-e, woodblock prints).
Nob is my biggest champion when I draw Japanese things. After the first day of this fixation, he lent me a great reference book for historical styles.
I drew over 50, but here's some of my favorites.

Some of these exhibit quirky characteristics like the double-wide one, or the four-up which includes a double-wide piece. Or an intentionally silly spelling of my name using hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Some have self-referential senjafuda inside of them, and one even has several「るる」, which is what Nikki calls me, sometimes in rapid succession.
As an icon designer who has dabbled in making fonts too, it makes total sense to me why I would be so interested in something like this. I love a specific canvas size to play in, and I love making endless variations of things. I can easily see how this could become a lifelong hobby.

浅草橋：マンティア「ジュニア」
Emoji: ジュニア
Hanafuda:るい 万ティア「ジュニア」
Signboard: ジュニア (signboard)
Nickname: るる
Kites: あゆ、のぶ、吉、あも、る
Lantern: ジュニア
Rain Man, Tengu: ルイ・マンティア「ジュニア」
ジュニア「浅草橋」
Nobori: ルイ・マンティア・ジュニア
Hanami: ルイ「ジュニア」

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