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What happens when our reporters show up to work dressed like their fathers?

Dale Roll Jun 23, 2021
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What could go wrong if we give our reporters free access to their dads’ closets?

Here at SoraNews24, we like to make a point of celebrating every holiday. Most of the time, that means eating copious amounts of something delicious because it’s some kind of food day, but this past Sunday was Father’s Day, so our Japanese-language reporters celebrated a little differently: by dressing up like their fathers!

Yes, it’s become a recent tradition in the office to dress up as the person being honored, starting with that time they all dressed up as their partners for Good Spouse Day. In keeping with the tradition, seven of our reporters decided to raid their father’s closets to find an outfit to wear that would show off their dad’s sense of style.

These were our participants:

▼ From right to left, top to bottom: P.K. Sanjun, Go Hatori, Seiji Nakazawa, Yuichiro Wasai, Masanuki Sunakoma, Yoshio, and Jun-kun, a member of the sales staff

The only rule for the “Dress up Like Dad Day” was that the participants could only wear things from their fathers’ closets. Whether that meant casual everyday clothes, work attire, or their New Year’s Eve best was up to each reporter. Another of our Japanese-language reporters, Takashi Harada, had been designated to chronicle the celebration, but he had no idea what to expect from his colleagues. Had they opened Pandora’s box by giving these reporters free reign over their fathers’ closets?

Harada arrived at the office earlier than usual and waited dutifully by the door, eager to see what each reporter would show up wearing. The first person to arrive was…

A 1970s mafia gangster?!

Oh, it’s just Go Hatori.

Everything about Go’s chosen outfit, from the vintage-looking glasses to the high placement of his belt, had a distinct, nostalgic air of days gone by, and yet the whole arrangement had a shifty aura. Perhaps it was the mustache and beard in combination with the retro-looking, short-sleeved pinstripe? Frankly, Takashi was surprised Go hadn’t been stopped by the police on his way to the office.

But that was only the beginning. The next person to arrive at our office door was…

A black market dealer?!

Never mind, that’s Masanuki Sunakoma.

The outfit on its own wasn’t too suspicious, but with the addition of the mask and sunglasses it instantly became a little sketchy. If a guy like this came knocking on our door, we sure wouldn’t be answering it!

So far, all of our reporters’ Showa-era fathers had somewhat suspicious-looking clothes, but at the same time, they were all quite stylish! What else could we expect to see today?

The next person to show up was…

A loan shark?!

Oh, Yoshio, it’s just you.

His outfit was stylish, but definitely sketchy. Was it the sunglasses, or the textured blazer? Hard to say. Either way, we wouldn’t want to borrow money from this guy, because he’d definitely be charging illegal interest rates.

Thus far, three out of three of our participants came wearing sunglasses. Do men in their seventies buy a lot of sunglasses? Hmm.

Anyway, the next to arrive was…

A sleazy businessman?!

P.K., is that you?!

At first glance we thought P.K. Sanjun’s father’s business suit was pretty standard, but there was something about the way Sanjun wore it that made him look like someone a lady wouldn’t want to sit next to on the last train home. It must be the edgy hairstyle and missing tie, or the slightly disheveled look he bore.

Without the mask, though, he seemed a little less creepy, like a businessman letting loose at a drinking party. By the way, this suit was apparently a gift to P.K.’s father for his sixtieth birthday. How sweet!

Shortly after P.K.’s arrival came…

Seiji Nakazawa!

His outfit was decidedly business-like and innocuous, so we recognized him right away. At first glance, his choice of clothing didn’t bring to mind any suspicious characters, but his long, bleach-blond hair didn’t look quite right paired with a button-up shirt and tie. Takashi couldn’t help but think that Seiji looked like an innocent young man who accidentally got wrapped up in some underworld business. Poor guy.

We’re a pretty casual office where we’re generally allowed to wear what we like, so it could also just be that seeing Seiji in a suit was a little disconcerting. Either way, there was something a little off about his getup.

Honestly, as each reporter appeared in his own shifty outfit, we couldn’t help but worry that the police would start watching the building, what with so many shady-looking characters coming in. At this point, we were looking like a mafia hideout. That is, at least, until Jun-kun showed up.

▼ “Morning!”

Jun-kun generally dresses in a slightly more formal style than the rest of his, owing to his position in the sales department, so his appearance in a polo shirt and khakis was only shocking because it was less formal than we’re used to.

His outfit was pretty normal, actually, and Jun-kun’s innocent, youthful face was disarming. But perhaps that’s what makes him dangerous. It’s always the ones in polo shirts that look nice that you have to watch out for. They pretend to act like a normal dad to blend in, but who knows what they’re doing behind closed doors?!

▼ Using their parents’ money to fund an illegal gambling ring or something

Last, but apparently not least, was…

Yu…

Yuichiro?!

Yuichiro Wasai appeared to arrive in his dad’s summer loungewear, yet despite being the only one whose outfit really doesn’t scream “shady”, we still can’t discount it as being not creepy. These clothes indicate a distinct lack of concern for what other people think, which could be a good thing, but which could also mean that underneath the “average ojisan” façade is a dangerous man.

We also can’t help but notice that these light, white summer clothes are just not quite opaque enough to feel appropriate to wear in public…

▼ According to Takashi, this ultra casual style is also popular among bosses in the Chinese mafia, so think of that what you will.

At this point, all seven of our members had arrived! (Wait, when did they become “members”?!) Posing together, they really did look like a suspicious lot…

But once all the reveals were made and the photos were taken, everyone had to get to work, funny clothes or not, and as Takashi watched them sit down at their desks, he couldn’t help but think he’d accidentally stumbled into a yakuza hideout.

Still, dressing in their father’s clothes really seemed to settle our reporters. There was a distinct air of seriousness and hard work in the office. Could it be that they were channeling their dads’ Showa-era work ethics?

Well, they are all old enough to be considered middle-aged, and some of them are fathers themselves, so it’s to be expected that they, too, would work hard for their families.

By the way, Mr. Sato couldn’t make it on the day, but he also dressed up in his dad’s clothes!

His outfit, made up of a UNIQLO T-shirt and gym shorts, was much more normal, much as we would expect from the father of our gentle and kind Mr. Sato.

There’s no gangster here! (Even if the police do tend to find him suspicious-looking on a general basis.)

▼ We especially liked the minions hat!

Finally, in honor of our Father’s Day, here’s a special look at each of our reporters’ fathers from when they were young:

▼ Mr. Sato’s dad (at the age of 22)

▼ Yoshio’s dad (at 44)

▼ Yuichiro’s Dad (at 34)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 和才雄一郎 (@yuuichiro_wasai)

▼ P.K.’s dad (at 30)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by P.K.サンジュン (@p.k.sanjun)

▼ Masanuki’s dad (at 35)

▼ Go’s dad (at 35)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Go Hatori （GO羽鳥） (@mamiyak46)

▼ Seiji’s dad (at 30)

Fathers work hard for their families, even when that means they don’t get to spend much time with them. So we hope you were able to take time this Father’s Day to express your gratitude to the father figures in your life. They appreciate it more than you know!

Images © SoraNews24
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