Japanese bar group creates controversial ‘Violent Coasters’

A bar chain in Tokyo is aiming to reduce rates of domestic violence by introducing coasters which react with cold drinks to reveal the faces of assaulted women.

The coasters are printed with thermochemical ink, causing the mat to react following a change in temperature

The mats are part of a campaign by Tokyo bar group Yaocho in collaboration with design agency Ogilvy and Mather, intended to raise awareness of the rising domestic violence rates charged by excessive drinking in Japan.

The so-called ‘Violent Coasters’ are printed with thermochemical ink, causing the mat to react when it changes in temperature – transforming the faces of Japanese woman to show bruised faces, swollen cheeks and cut lips.

In the short film below, the company explains the process behind the campaign: “Every time drinkers raise their glass for a sip, they are confronted with a shocking image completed by the line, ‘don’t let excessive drinking end in domestic violence.’

“In this campaign each downing of a glass metaphorically demonstrates a woman being hit in the face.

“The activation became a talking point across bars in Tokyo and is proving to be a real deterrent.”