That was actually my initial reaction when I first moved to Japan and noticed a few marketing signs that replaced only で with romaji. I wondered if was supposed to French or just で.

On an barely related note, is it true they sometimes use の in Taiwan in place of 的?

I’ve seen this usage before in places I can’t recall right now. It makes immediate, weird sense to me as a Portuguese speaker.

Here is a kanji quiz toilet paper from village vanguard with the で in both scripts. http://www.pikkutunneilla.com/filet/kanjidekuizu.jpg
Am I supposed to intepret the rōmaji as furigana for the hiragana, or maybe the other way around?

Also, I asked a friend about の as 的 in Taiwan, and apparently it does get used as a shorthand from time to time. Anybody got any more info on this and other similiar influences from japanese in taiwan?

Leonardo, are you a Portuguese speaker from Brazil? (In which case で is more like ぢ?)

I am a Japanese, but it is really funny. :) As you know, it means "gurad you with a mask." This "de" is from French. For Japanese people, French language is the most beautiful language in the world. You think using "de" for "で" makes the name of the product "cool" , no? ;)

I would say no, but then again I grew up when Americans owned cars that said "Le Car" on the side...