Sociology
The Japanese can sometimes be a little scary.
Part of it is the sheer compactness of the culture. In america it takes time for microfads to turn into full blown fads, or to be noticed. In places like japan, or in the club scenes in the UK, really crazy and sometimes brilliant trends can pop up and take root. Of course, Visual Kei such as Gothic Lolita or, god help us, ganguro, are hopefully just signs, much like rampant flag-waving, of a neurotically repressed culture
The thing I find most disturbing is that the flag waving shirt is being sold in Sweden. Really… are swedes that into line dancing? Yumpin’ Yimminy, Sven!