This child has fallen asleep in an incongruous posture somewhere between standing up and lying down. His masked mother (many Japanese women wear masks as a health measure) appears to be oblivious to his awkward position. The other riders are not concerned either – they have their own cares. The boy’s mother is multi-tasking – not only supporting his weight, but also holding on to the straps of three shopping bags.
All of these elements express incongruous appearances or relationships and give this image its value as expression.