Tag: mascot

Medicinal Mascots

On August 23, 2022

In Japan, pharmaceutical companies almost always have mascots, so this weekend I went to the Japan Drugstore Show, a giant pharmaceutical trade show in the cavernous convention centre Tokyo Big Sight, in the hope of catching sight of a few cuddly characters. I was not disappointed!

Kero-chan and Koro-chan, the frog mascots for Kowa Pharmaceuticals since 2008, were present. Statues of these amiable amphibians can be spotted in pharmacies around the country. Kowa have always had a frog mascot of some kind since one first appeared on boxes of their hives medication in 1949.

I also ran into a big white cat called NECO, the mascot for Hakugen Earth dehumidifiers.

Ohta Inyan, the blue-haired cat mascot for the gastrointestinal medicine Ohta Issan, was giving a presentation about the various ingredients of the famous antacid.

Sato-chan and Satoko-chan, the colourful elephant mascots of Sato Pharmaceuticals, were also at the Japan Drugstore Show.

Sato-chan (the orange one) has been around since 1961. There’s even a mini museum inside a pharmacy in Ginza, Tokyo, dedicated to the pachyderm pair. It’s worth a visit, if you’re in the neighbourhood.

I had another encounter with pharmaceutical mascots last Autumn, at Kanda Myojin Shrine, where the mascots gather once a year to pray for people’s health.

Medicinal Mascots at Kanda Myojin Shrine

One popular mascot at the shrine was Bin-kun. Bin-kun is a bottle of Yomeishu, a medicinal tonic (14% proof) for physical fatigue. Bin-kun was wearing a facemask despite not having a nose or mouth.

Kan-chan, a pink penguin girl who has the misfortune of being shaped like an enema, is the mascot for Ichijiku enemas. I was very pleased to snap a photo of a priest from the shrine posing with Kan-chan. A unique sight indeed!

Kan-chan poses with a priest at Kanda Shrine

I’m glad these mascots are out there rooting for everyone’s health, and I hope to meet them all again.

Nyango Star Live

By Chris

On April 23, 2017

In Japan, Mascots, Nyango Star

Nyango Star in Harajuku Alta

The fastest rising star in the world of Japanese mascots is Nyango Star, the apple/cat hybrid from Aomori’s Kuroishi City, whose popularity is skyrocketing thanks to a series of viral videos of him drumming along like a demon to heavy metal songs.

This afternoon I was lucky enough to catch a performance by the talented musician and fruit/animal hybrid in Harajuku. In order to get the ticket, I had to buy some Nyango Star merchandise from the toy shop, Kiddyland. There was a section of the store dedicated entirely to him, with mugs, towels, toys, and cushions featuring the red character.

Nyango Star goods in Kiddyland, Omotesando

The show, nearby on the top floor of Alta, on Takeshita street, was short but entertaining. A crowd of about fifty fans, almost entirely female, cheered as Nyango star pounded the skins to X Japan songs. He also communicated with a host by writing on a notepad, and guzzled water through an extra-long straw poked through a hole in his face. He greeted the fans one by one with high-fives as we left after the show, and handed out business cards. The job-description on the cards was Manager of Kiddyland (for one day only).

Melon Kuma

By Chris

On December 11, 2016

In Japan, Mascots

One of the more memorable regional mascots is Melon Kuma, from Yubari City in Hokkaido. To represent a town best known for bears and melons, he’s quite simply a bear with a melon for a head. But instead of a predictably cute, Winnie the Pooh-style bear, the designers gave Melon Kuma all of a wild bear’s most savage and terrifying features. He looks like a chimera from a botched science experiment.

A standout at Yuru-chara gatherings, Melon Kuma runs around brutally attacking all the other hapless mascots.

Here he is, attacking the giant inflatable sumo, Pier Nishiki, the mascot of a party goods store.

Here, he attacks Yamaguchi prefecture’s Choruru, who manages to fend the monster off with a knife.

Although Melon Kuma is a nasty piece of work, you have to feel sorry for the performer inside the suit. Being the villain of the event means he spends all day being punched and kicked by children.