Top thirty cutest corporate mascots in Japan
As well as being suitably silly for your Sunday entertainment, this recent survey from goo Ranking into Japan’s cutest corporate mascot is also an excuse to introduce a new blog, Japanese mascots, which does just what it says on the tin.
Demographics
Over the 21st and 22nd of March 2008 1,036 people from the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.7% were male, 7.0% in their teens, 14.7% in their twenties, 30.1% in their thirties, 27.0% in their forties, 10.9% in their fifties, and 10.2% aged sixty or over. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.
My favourite character is Liyon-chan, but he doesn’t make the list as he’s a Kansai-only character, I think, or perhaps he was wrongly-counted as the Lion Lion-chan? From the list, it would have to be Pinky then Koala no March kun.
Note that characters from companies like Sanrio, Disney, and San-X who are sold as characters in their own right were excluded from this survey.
Oh, and click the character photos to see a video of the animal in action.
Research results
Q: Who do you think is the cutest corporate mascot animal? (Sample size=1,036)
Rank Character Product Score 1 Kyoro chan Morinaga Chocoballs 100 2 Lismo kun KDDI LISMO 85.8 3 Namacha Panda Kirin Beverage Namacha 81.7 4 Pon De Lion Mister Donuts 81.3 5 Hiko-nyan Hikone Castle 400 Year Anniversary 80.6 6 Gachapin Fuji Television Hirake! Ponkikki 73.5 7 Bazar Degoza-ru NEC 73.5 8 Koala no March kun, Koala no Waltz chan Lotte Koala no March 72.8 9 Aflac Duck Aflac 69.8 10 Hiyoko chan Nissin Chicken Ramen 67.5 11 Mook Fuji Television Hirake! Ponkikki 53.7 12 Shimajirou Benesse Kodomo Challenge 51.1 13 Kikkoro Aichi World Exposition 48.9 14 Manma chan Kansai Television Sanma no Manma 46.6 15 Suippi JR East Suica 45.1 16 Morizo Aichi World Exposition 38.1 17 Domo kun NHK 37.7 18 Yonda? Shinchosha, Shincho Bunko 37.3 19 Pinky Frente Pinky 34.0 20 Fa-fa Nissan Soap Fa-fa 32.8 21 Kero chan, Koro chan Kowa Colgen Kowa 32.5 22 Hana Koala Sompo24 Accident Insurance 30.2 23 Pi-po kun Tokyo Metropolitan Police 27.2 24 Sato chan, Satoko chan Sato Pharmacuticals 26.5 25 Torakki Hanshin Tigers 25.7 26 Wan-wan NHK Inai-Inai-Paa! 23.5 27 Spoo NHK Together with Mother 21.6 28= Lion chan Lion 21.3 28= Nyan-mage Jidai-mura 21.3 30 Zu-min, Cha-min, Satabo Nippon Television Zoom In!! Super 20.1
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hazel said,
May 12, 2008 @ 10:16
hey, what happned to hello kitty? tear for her! T.T
Ken Y-N said,
May 12, 2008 @ 12:00
hazel, as I mentioned at the top of the article, Kitty chan and other Sanrio characters are characters in their own right rather than ones created to promote a specific brand. Kitty chan will appear on just about anything if the price is right!
Japan’s Cutest Corporate Mascots | Japan Probe said,
May 12, 2008 @ 17:52
[…] the cutest corporate mascot in Japan? According to a survey conducted by Oricon, it’s Kyoro-chan, the mascot of Morinaga […]
Mozilla in Asia » Blog Archive » viral ads in China, the year in browsers, cute corporate mascots, IDN said,
May 12, 2008 @ 20:00
[…] Top thirty cutest corporate mascots in Japan Self-explanatory. […]
a geek by any other name » Blog Archive » Round Appu, I-Have-Lots-To-Do Edition said,
May 13, 2008 @ 02:21
[…] What Japan Thinks informs us of the cutest corporate mascots in Japan, and Japan picks the toucan over the viking kitty. […]
Richard said,
May 13, 2008 @ 05:04
What about Docomo Dake? He’s my favourite by far.
Ken Y-N said,
May 13, 2008 @ 07:35
Richard, Docomo Dake is a mushroom, so doesn’t qualify as an animal…
chi tsuki said,
May 13, 2008 @ 07:59
such cute mascots! ^_^ all of them, kinda makes my country’s mascots suk butt. ^_^
David said,
May 13, 2008 @ 13:05
Tokyo bias! The Suica penguin isn’t half as cute as the Icoca platypus.
Richard said,
May 13, 2008 @ 19:12
Ken Y-N, very true, but I believe the survey was about Corporate Mascots in general, not just animals. Why discriminate against Fungi? And anyway, a mushroom with eyes, a mouth, arms and legs is borderline animal in my book
Thirty Cute Japanese Mascots | DARKCOLD said,
May 13, 2008 @ 20:47
[…] that happens in Australia. Head over to What Japan Thinks to see the full […]
Ken Y-N said,
May 13, 2008 @ 22:03
Richard, if you check the original Japanese they definitely mention animals! But, Gachapin looks more like an animated plastic thing and Domo-kun is a sponge with arms and legs. But, I agree that Docomo Dake is kawaii.
David, yup, I prefer the purple platypus too! I mention in the intro that Lion chan in 28th equal surely must have had some votes confusing him with MBS’s Liyon chan. BTW, if you visit the MBS studio beside Loft by Hankyu Umeda there’s a fun display of Liyon chan in various guises.
Anne C said,
May 13, 2008 @ 23:16
interesting numbers 2, 4, 5, 13 & 16, and 30 along with many of the others would never have made it in an caucasian poll (although I think they are very cute) because the eyes are not “right for an caucasian audience” indeed there are only (at the most) 5-6 who have the “right” eyes. Personally i think this is very healthy and bodes well for Japan - they have not abandoned their culture, but are willing to embrace others. Would that our own would do likewise!l.s.
Japanese Mascots said,
May 14, 2008 @ 05:07
Thanks for the link, Ken Y-N.
Anne C said,
May 14, 2008 @ 20:50
love Pi-Po-Kun’s little video - we truely are one when the sound of a newsreader trying not to laugh is the same in any language!
Cuentos said,
May 18, 2008 @ 23:47
Domo Kun is my favorite. Splendid images! Greetings, Mariana Cuentos.
Mascot Costumes said,
August 1, 2008 @ 14:18
fa-fa, aflac duck, and koala no march my favorites! japanese aflac duck is much cuter than american version!!