Tanuki in Shigaraki

We’ve previously covered the Tanuki here but I recently had the chance to visit Shigaraki in Shiga the ancient centre for pottery making in Japan and the biggest producer of Tanuki. The towns pottery history dates back to the 12th century as the area has many clay beds which are used by local potters. There are many shops selling pots and plates and of course a huge array of Tanuki. Heres my collection of photos of a small portion of the massive Tanuki population in Shigaraki.

Sakamoto Ryoma

Sakamoto Ryoma a low ranking samurai is credited with unifying Japan, modernizing the country and even regarded as the father of the Japanese Navy. In recent years in part to an NHK Taiga drama he’s had a revival of interest. According to the Japan Times “Ryōma has inspired at least seven television drama series, six novels, seven manga and five films.” Here’s a selection of posters, signs and of course a couple of 3D mascots which take on his likeness. Read more about the fascinating man here.

Fuzz and Fur

Our second book is officially out! Fuzz and Fur delves into the world of kigurumi or fur suit mascots. The adoration of mythical creatures and popular anime characters is nothing new in Japan, but kigurumi, is a growing pastime and successful marketing tool. An oversized daikon radish, a skiing egg, a bear with an apple for a head, an erupting volcano – these furry mascots wander the streets of Japan, and the pages of Fuzz & Fur.

Created to promote anything from bridges, castles, the police, water purification plants and most notably prefectures they incorporate landmarks, local points of interest, regional produce, historical figures, civic institutions, and traditional folklore into their designs.

Profiling over 100 kigurumi with photographs and text that explains these mascots’ origins, as well as their likes and dislikes, Fuzz & Fur is the definitive compendium of this fascinating subculture, and the perfect companion to Edward and John Harrison’s Idle Idol.

The book should hit shops in July but if you’re lucky you might find one over at Amazon. To find out more about the book check out Fuzzandfur.net.

Santa Claus

A belated ‘Happy Christmas’ to you all. We hope everyone is having a great new year. Here’s a small collection of some great Santa Claus / Father Christmas / St Nicholas mascots from around the world. Thanks to Mikerosbery and Formica for the great photos. More Idle Idol content coming soon and a new exciting project to be announced.

New Sato-chan

One of the first posts on the Idle Idol site was about Sato-chan and Satoko-chan. In the previous post I described Shimizu Pharmacy in Ginza and it’s small museum dedicated to the pair of elephants. I was once again passing by the store when I quickly noticed a new Sato-chan mascot outside. This design marks the latest in a long line of alterations since it’s inception in 1955. The earliest model I’ve found is from 1965 and is my favourite. The design didn’t change much over the years until 1982. The only version of this design I’ve found was painted over in white and placed outside a hairdressers in Omotesando, Tokyo. The next change was in 1993, the eyes are the most noticeable difference and he’s the skipping pose lost in favour of a standing position. In 2000 there are more small changes, the face and body becoming more round and streamlined. You can see this model wearing the blue coat. Which leads us to the latest design. The most obvious difference is the eyes which now have colour (green for Sato-chan and pink for Satoko-chan).

The final photos on the page show the previous model dressed up as various characters from the anime One Piece which I also spotted recently.

What do you think of the latest design, let me know in the comments.

Maneki Neko – Gotokuji

Gotokuji is said to be the birthplace of Maneki Neko, the beckoning cat. The Buddhist temple is located in Setagaya, Tokyo and has a beautiful display of the lucky ceramic cats.

There are many legends surrounding the origin of Maneki Neko, but the best known is that of the Temple Cat. The story starts in the 17th century at Gotokuji during a storm. A poverty stricken priest sits in despair, questioning why he’s sharing the little food he has with his cat. One night, he goes to bed with these thoughts weighing on him while the cat wanders off to the entrance of the temple and starts to wash himself. A wealthy lord is taking shelter from the rain under a tree and sees the cat, and thinks it is beckoning him. Intrigued, he walks toward the temple gates to investigate. A moment later the tree he had been under is struck by lightning. The lord is so thankful to the cat for saving his life that he showers the priest and temple with gifts. When the cat died, the Maneki Neko was supposedly made in his honour.

Most of the cats at Gotokuji are the same design as you can buy them from the temple shop. However there are usually many variations in the design of Maneki Neko statues. Colour and intricacy vary, but no matter what the cat sits with a raised paw. A raised right paw attracts money and good luck while a raised left paw attracts customers. Some cats even have battery powered paws that go up and down; these are popular in the windows of lottery booths. The cats usually have a collar, bell or a bib around their neck, and are sometimes shown holding an old and valuable coin called a koban.

View Gotokuji in a larger map

Peko-chan Museum

2010 marks the 100th year for Fujiya the confectionery company. It’s also the 60th anniversary of Peko-chan, the mascot for the company. To celebrate Fujiya have opened the Peko-chan museum with a seemingly endless supply of Peko-chan related products and a number of mascots from Peko-chans career. The mascots on display include a very early papermache model and the latest talking Peko-chan from 2010. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Sept. 6th (2010) and is free to enter.

I saw the first talking Peko-chan mascot at the exhibition, when I touched her hand she challenged me to a game of rock paper scissors but apparently is capable of saying more than 90 other phrases. The new mascot isn’t radically different in design. The hair colour is lighter and the tongue slightly bigger. According to the Japan Times

Fujiya President Yasufumi Sakurai said the company plans to place the talking Peko-chans at some 100 stores across the nation over the next year.

Also on display is a Peko-chan robot dressed as a princess. The mascot can sing the Fujiya theme song and even answer questions. I particularly liked seeing how the Peko-chan character has evolved over the years. Also the Peko-chan kimono is funny.

Moustache Mascots

As part of Movember we thought it was the perfect time to introduce some marvellous moustachioed mascots.

Movember is a special movement which takes place throughout the month of November. It began in 2003 and gives men a great excuse to grow a moustache for charity.

We thought we’d highlight some special Idle Idols from around the world that sport a mighty moustache, we’ve chosen a selection for each of the thirty days of November.

1. Mario
Mario needs no introduction, he’s one of the most iconic mascots in the world and has an equally iconic moustache. If you’ve ever wondered what Mario would look like without his famous moustache, wonder no more! Also if you’d like to see what he’d look like with a variety of other moustache styles check out this picture.

2. Hakusyon Daimaou
Hakusyon stood outside the now bankrupt Incubator Bank of Japan. Known in the west from the cartoon ‘The Genie Family’ or ‘Bob in a Bottle’, the show starred ‘Hakusyon Daimaou‘. His name literally means “Sneeze Satan.” The friendly Arabian genie would grant wishes to anyone who sneezes near his bottle. Hakusyon has a rather unusual moustache made using his nostril hair!

3. Koumon-sama
Koumon-sama is the aged mascot for the shop Hankoya-san 21. The shop specializes in the seals, referred to as inkan or hanko, used to certify official documents. The mascot is modelled on Koumon-sama, the main character from the drama Mito Koumon. At the end of each episode Mito Koumon shows his inro, a protective case holding his seals, to reveal his true identity, which invariably causes the villains to run away or beg for forgiveness. Kuomon-sama has a traditional old mans moustache which merges with his beard. His moustache demands respect and is a classic for the wise old man.

4. Colonel Sanders
The Colonel sports a goatee and moustache, the style is even sometimes refereed to as ‘The Colonel Sanders’. To find out how to grow one check all about beards website.

5. Daruma Daijin
This moustache perfectly accentuates the scowling expression of Daruma Daijin. Modelled on the chef and owner of a chain of kushikatsu restaurants in Osaka his bulging eyes and chin extend outwards accompanied by a voice which warns customers against double dipping in the shared sauce.

6. Pep boys
The Pep Boys are made up of Manny, Moe & Jack, they are the founders of the tyres and autoparts chain. With two out of the three rocking the moustache they make quite the team. I’m sure it’s a big reason why the company is one of the fastest growing in the United States.

Photo © Leslie F. Miller

7. French Fry Guy
This is probably the only time you’d like hairs on your fries. French Fry Guy looks pretty proud of his moustache as well he should. You can see more French Fry mascots here, sadly not all of them have moustaches.

Photo © ricko

8. Tyson
Heavyweight champion, the ferocious and controversial boxer is well known for his fierce punches, ear biting and for his impressive moustache.

9. Golfer
When you have at least 2 inches of space between your nose and mouth it’s best to fill it with something, like a thick moustache. The golfer looked like he’d been in a few battles and had actually lost his club but the owner had lovingly restored the mascot with a little bit of tape. Both Tyson and the Golfer were found at the Albert Cuyp market in Amsterdam

10. Chefs
Chef mascots are found all over the world and they’re always accompanied by a moustache. Many of the chefs featured stand outside Italian restaurants and many have opted for the handlebar style. The handlebar moustache is also sometimes known as a “spaghetti moustache”, because of its stereotypical association with Italian men.

11. Waiter
It’s not just the chefs that have moustaches in restaurants, so do waiters. This waiter stands outside an Italian restaurant in Japan. His moustache is understated but practical.

12. Mr Build
Colour coordinating your moustache with your cap, dungarees and even shades seems daring but Mr Build pulls it off.

13. Father Christmas
Long white and curly his facial hair takes up atleast 30% of his face. What does Father Christmas hide beneath the mounds of hair. More presents! This is probably a fairly controversial entry as the moustache is almost lost amongst the beard but nevertheless the Father Christmas has a moustache. With such quality beard growth the moustache options available for Santa are endless.

14. Charlie Chaplin
Hitler pretty much destroyed the popularity of the toothbrush moustache and despite the success of Charlie Chaplin the ‘postage stamp’ moustache never quite recovered. The moustache was popular during the 1920s among working-class men who objected to the flamboyant Kaiser-style moustaches of the upper classes. The toothbrush moustache should only be grown by the brave or foolish or if you’re a stand-up comic. Richard Herring grew a toothbrush moustache for his tour the ‘Hitler Moustache‘. The original idea for his ‘Hitler Moustache’ tour came about when he had the idea reclaiming the toothbrush moustache for comedy – it was Chaplin’s first, then Hitler ruined it. This is the reason that Charlie looks so sad in the picture, maybe you can help him and follow in Richard Herrings example and claim back the toothbrush moustache for mankind.

Photo © Dmitry

15. Royal Guard
This mascot is a large version of a nutcracker toy. The soldiers’ split handlebar and chinpuff combo is something to be admired.

16. Mr N-T
This is probably the sort of moustache I’ll end up with at the end of Movember. Still, Mr N-T seems happy with it.

Photo © liechtenrose

17. Asterix and Obelix
The adventures of Asterix was created by René Goscinny in 1959, and 34 comic books have so far been released. When I was a young boy and I first read the comics they were probably the first characters I’d seen that weren’t bad guys that wore moustaches. Come to think of it most of the Gauls in the village had moustaches, even Dogmatix the dog had one. The chief of the village Vitalstatistix probably had the largest moustache in the village. In my opinion Asterix and Obelix are fantastic moustache ambassadors.

Photo © Ana Gawryszewski

18. The Mexican
This is Pedro a mascot for ‘South of the Border’ or SOB as it’s sometimes known. SOB is a Mexican themed roadside attraction in South Carolina, America. Interestingly enough ‘the Pedro’ is a moustache style too. The Pedro Sanchez is named after a character from the film Napoleon Dynamite who has a flimsy moustache often seen on teenagers who can’t grow a real moustache, but attempt to anyway. This particular Pedro however has quite a respectable handlebar moustache.

19. Cowboy
The Dells Cowboy is from Wisconsin Dells in America and stands outside a Mobil gas station. Modern cowboys popularised the horseshoe style moustache however this cowboy seems to have gone for a subtle handlebar moustache like Pedro the Mexican.

Photos © Debra Jane Seltzer

20. Muffler Man
Behold the muffler man and his moustache. You may be thinking; “what the hell is a muffler man?”. The name derives from the fact that many of the statues used to hold a car muffler. This particular muffler man is located in Tijuana and is mounted near the roof of an auto repair shop. Muffler men are dotted all over America and are large fibreglass statues approximately 18-25 feet high and are used to advertise and promote various roadside businesses.

Photo © Andreas

21. Pirate
Important pirates need a moustache, it’s part of the uniform. The pirate on the left has a beard and moustache combo, the moustache is well defined and is almost separate from the beard. A good pirate always finds time to maintain his moustache in-between plundering.

The pirate on the right is Captain Horatio Pugwash, despite being a pirate he committed very few acts of piracy but of course loved gold. Pugwash captained a ship named ‘The Black Pig’ and he first appeared as a comic strip in the Eagle in 1950. He then went on to star in several animations throughout the years. Captain Pugwash boasts about being the bravest buccaneer and is known for his exclamations such as “Lolloping landlubbers!”.

Left Photo © txmx 2

22. Fisherman
It’s a well known fact that all fisherman have moustaches and beards as it keeps their face warm on those cold nights at sea. This guy has caught a whopper, he didn’t even need a net, he just reached into the sea and grabbed it with his bare hands. What a man!

23. Butcher
British and proud, that’s what comes to my mind when I see this character. I also get the impression he’s a top notch butcher as you’ll notice his moustache is well groomed and maintained.

24. Frenchman
This stereotypical Frenchman is delighted with his moustache and so he should be. The word “moustache” actually derives from the French word ‘moustache’ (16th century), before that was the Italian word mostaccio (14th century) and then from Medieval Latin mustacium (8th century), then onto Medieval Greek moustakion (attested in the 9th century), and origin is said to be from a diminutive of Hellenistic Greek mustax (mustak-) “moustache”, probably derived from Hellenistic Greek mullon “lip”…..and now you know! Thanks Wikipedia.

25. Chinese Man
This mascot is proudly displaying a classic example of a the ‘Fu Manchu’ moustache. The ‘Fu Manchu’ is similar to the horseshoe or biker moustache but the main difference is that the sides are shaven and the ends of the moustache are grown long. The ‘Fu Manchu’ was named after a fictional character called strangely enough Fu Manchu! Christopher Lee famously played the character in a series of films in the sixties. Famous characters that have had a Fu Manchu include, Worf from Star Trek, Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and my favourite example Ming the Merciless.

26. Pig
The only animal in our collection that was found with a mighty moustache. The placement of the facial hair is a little unsettling as it appears to protrude from above the snout.

27. Karuojisan –
An inflatable in Osaka advertising some tasty crisps (see more inflatable mascots here http://idleidol.net/inflatables/)
Karuojisan is a mascot for Meiji, which is a large confectionary company in Japan which specializes in chocolate. Karuojisans moustache is very neat, joining with his beard seamlessly. The overall effect is very zen.

28. The dude
Spotted in Okinawa this old dude is living a happy life waving to passers-by, shirtless in the warm okinawan sun. His moustache combines both a sophistication and carefree look which isn’t easy to achieve.

29. Biker
The Biker moustache is also known as the horseshoe. The style is slightly similar to the Fu Manchu, consisting of a full moustache with vertical extensions from the corners of the lips down to the jawline and resembling an upside-down horseshoe. This biker sits on top of a discount Liquor store in Decatur, Illinois in America.

Photo © Debra Jane Seltzer

30. Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan is a mythological giant lumberjack from America. One story noted that he was eight feet tall and weighed 300 pounds! The mascot is actually a variation of the muffler man however the Paul Bunyan character was created first. The mascots of him depict his moustache is many different styles but my all time favourite is the last image which shows the Paul Bunyan from Bemidji in Minnesota. The moustache is incredibly straight, it defies logic, it challenges and surprises the viewer. Bravo Mr Bunyan.

Photo 1-2 © Debra Jane Seltzer
Photo 5 © sfPhotocraft

To find out more about Movember visit the official website. If you’ve enjoyed this post and would like the chance to win a signed copy of idleidol and also help a charity at the same time all you have to do is sponsor us!! During the month of November we’re growing moustaches for Movember and raising money for cancers that affect men. If you’d like to sponsor us please donate money to John or Edward via the movember website. At the end of the month the person who has made the largest donation will receive a copy of the book. Any donations are greatly appreciated, thank you.

If you have any suggestions on which mascot we should model our moustaches on let us know in the comments below.

UPDATE
Sent to us from our mum is this Celtic limestone head of a chieftain or hero from Msecke Zebrovice, Bohemia (Prague: National Museum) from around 300 BC. Not quite an idle idol but too cool not to include here. Thanks mum.

© 2010 zoe mw

© 2010 welovepandas

Halloween Mascots

The Colonel doesn’t seem to miss any opportunity to dress up and Halloween is no exception. My local Colonel Sanders must love Christmas more though as he’s already dressed as Father Christmas. The other mascot who loves fancy dress or cosplay is Peko-chan who can be seen wearing a cute little witches costume. Thanks to welovepandas and zoe mw for the photos.

Japan’s Police Mascots

For those of you that live in Tokyo you might be fooled into thinking that Japan has just one police mascot, and that’s exactly what I first thought when I came to Japan. After attending a mascot festival, I found a tanuki dressed as a policeman. I soon discovered that he was the mascot for the Shiga police department. It quickly dawned on me that Pipo-kun didn’t represent the police force for the whole country but in fact just Tokyo.

After weeks of research I can now present the most comprehensive look at Japan’s police mascots. I’d like to shift some of the attention away from Pipo-kun and onto some of the other interesting prefectures and their characters. Listed below are 48 police mascots, one for each prefecture including one extra for the city of Saga in Yokohama, Kanagawa. Beside each character is a number which corresponds to a numbered map, displayed at the bottom of the page so you can see where the character comes from.

The various mascots often take on the appearance of one of the symbols of the prefecture. Each prefecture usually has four symbols which include a flower, bird, tree and fish. Being as a fish and trees are not too cute most have opted for the prefecture bird. Speciality food, famous animals, local legends and landmarks are also used. Many of the mascots have a male and female character, invariably the female mascot was added later in what is most likely an easy way to address gender equality issues. Try to choose your favourite character and answer the poll at the bottom of the page.

1. Hokuto-kun
ほくと君

Hokuto-kun takes on the image of various animals living in Hokkaido including, a rabbit, owl, horse, fox and lastly, human. He has large ears like a rabbit to hear the opinions and requests of residents. With the eyes of the owl he’s able to watch out and protect the locals. And finally the legs of a horse ensures he has the speed to respond quickly to accidents. His name comes from ‘Hokutosei’ The Japanese word for the big dipper which signifies the bright future of Hokkaido.

2. Api-kun Repi-chan
アピーくん レピーちゃん

These two, possibly Gatchaman inspired are the police mascots for Aomori prefecture. The siblings take on the appearance of a type of swan called Bewick’s Swan which is a symbol of the prefecture. Api-kun’s name comes from a combination of the ‘a’ in Aomori and the ‘p’ in police. Repi-chan’s name is somewhat less obvious with the ‘re’ coming from Lady and again the ‘p’ from police. Api was born on July 4, 1997 and Repi-chan on April 24, 2003.

3. Kaze-Pikapo & Ame-Pikapo
風ぴかぽ 雨ぴかぽ

In 2005 Iwate changed their mascot from a green pheasant (bird symbol of the prefecture) called Keitaro-kun to a more modern mascot that would reflect the diversity of the residents and Iwate police force. Kaze in Japanese means wind and ame is rain. Kaze-Pikapo is a bag of wind and Ame-Pikapo a drop of rain. The onamatopia for the sound a flashing siren makes is ‘pipo’ which explains the second part of their names. The design comes from a famous poem by Kenji Miyazawa, a poet and childrens book writer from Iwate. It starts “Not losing to the rain, not losing to the wind”.

4. Miyagi-kun
みやぎくん

The wild goose and the Miyagi bush clover (Lespedeza) are two symbols of Miyagi prefecture, both of which are incorporated into the police mascot. Miyagi-kun holds the clover in his hand which is acting as an antenna for his radio. He was born on the June 1, 1992.

5. Mamoru-kun
まもる君

Modelled on the letter A from Akita, Mamoru-kun is also the shape of the tree symbol of the prefecture which is the Akita-sugi or Akita cedar. Mamoru means protect but it can also mean to follow the law. He also has a friend called Ai-chan who seems to be a cheerleader.

6. Kamon-kun
カモン君

The Kamoshika or serow is a goat like animal that can be found in Yamagata and the chosen animal to represent the police force. His name comes from the animal but is also a plays on the English phrase ‘Come on’. He states that if you have any problems you shouldn’t hesitate to contact the police.

7. Fukuboushi-kun & Fukuboshi-san
福ぼうしくん 福ぼうしさん

Okiagari-koboshi are traditional papier-mache dolls, famous in the Aizu region of Fukushima. The toy is designed so that it always returns to an upright position when knocked over. Okiagari-koboshi are considered good-luck charms and a symbol of perseverance and resilience. The two Fukuboushi’s are modelled on these self righting dolls and are said to protect the people of Fukushima and their happiness from crimes and accidents. This is further illustrated in their name, ‘fuku’ means happiness while the ‘boushi’ means stop or avoid. Just in case you want to know their birthday it’s October 7.

8. Hibari-kun
ひばり君

Hibari is Japanese for skylark and a symbol of Ibaraki prefecture. Hibari-kun was born in Mito, the capital city of Ibaraki on October 1st 1998. His mission is to protect the residents of the prefecture and help them to live peaceful and safe lives.

9. Ruri-chan
ルリちゃん

Born in 1986 on June 15 at the foot of a mountain, the cheerful bird represents Tochigi. Ruri-chan is a Blue-and-White Flycatcher a migratory song bird and symbol of Tochigi. In Japanese it’s called a ‘ooruri’ which is where the mascot’s name comes from. Ruri-chan says her best point is her smile, her favourite colour is azure blue, her hobby is traveling and favourite food is strawberries from Tochigi. She’s holding the leaf from a Japanese horse chestnut, another symbol of the prefecture.

10. Joushu-kun & Miyama-chan
上州くん みやまちゃん

Gunma used to be called ‘Joushu’ which explains the male horses name. Miyama seems to be a popular name of hotels and businesses in Gunma but I’m not sure if there’s a deeper significance. The prefecture chose two horses because Gunma used to be a centre for horsebreeding. Infact this was the reason the name changed from Joushu to Gunma. The two kanji in Gunma can mean ‘group of horses’. The mascots are kind, strong and gentle. Joushu-kun was born on January 1, 2000 while Miyama-chan was born April 1, 2001.

11. Popo-kun
ぽっぽ君

In October 2003 Popo-kun was unveiled to the people of Saitama. The bird was designed by the staff of the Saitama police and is based on the bird symbol of Saitama; the Eurasian Collared Dove. The shape of Popo-kun is an egg shape because the Japanese word for egg is ‘tamago’, tama by itself means ball or drop and appears at the end of Saitama.

12. C-POC
シーポック

Chiba prefecture has the majority of its borders facing water, with the Pacific Ocean to the east and Tokyo Bay on the west. To reflect the importance of the sea they chose a dolphin to be the police mascot. The blue is of course for the sea and the yellow of his shoes symbolize the rapeseed blossoms which are a common sight in the prefecture. On his chest is the logo CP which stands for Chiba Police, although its also said to stand for citizen and police. He was introduced in September 1990.

13. Pipo-kun
ピーポくん

The mascot for the Tokyo police force is probably the most well known Police mascot in Japan. Born on April 17, 1987, his name comes from the first two letters of people and police. A combination of several animals, he takes the best parts in order to be the best law-enforcement officer: his large ears help him hear people in trouble, an antennae to catch quick movement and large eyes to watch every corner of society. Read more about him here.

14. Pi-gull
ピーガルくん

P-gull’s name comes from the ‘P’ in police and ‘gull’ the bird symbol of Kanagawa. P-gull has wings protruding from his helmet, these are special ears which help the character hear the voice of citizens and it even catches their dreams. The white of his costume represents the seagull, the blue the sea and the yellow the feeling of warmth. Born in 1992 P-gull is according to his website loved by everyone from the old to young.

14. Ajisai Seyano & Keyaki Seyano
瀬谷野あじさい 瀬谷野けやき

Also from Kanagawa this pair don’t represent the prefecture but just a small ward (suburb) of Yokohama called Seya (1 of 18 in the city). The twins were born on October 1st and incorporate many symbols from the city including the owl which inspired the design and the ajisai hydrangea and keyaki tree which are used in their names. Their aim is to make the city safe, secure and loved by everyone. Ajisai the girl on the left is easygoing and likes sweets, while her brother Keyaki is cheerful and enjoys his job working in the traffic department arresting drunken drivers. Matt Alt has written an interesting piece on the pair on CNNGO.

15. Hikaru-kun & Hikari-chan
ひかる君 ひかりちゃん

Koshihikari is a popular variety of rice cultivated in Japan and the subject of Niigata’s two police mascots. The Koshihikari produced in Niigata is considered by many to be the best rice in the world and has a suitably expensive price tag. With strong hands and large eyes Hikaru-kun and Hikari-chan can protect the citizens of Niigata. Hikaru-kun was born first in December 1992 with Hikari-chan arriving later in November 1998.

16. Tateyama-kun
立山くん

Tateyama was designed by Fujiko Fujio the penname for two manga artists called Hiroshi Fujimoto and Moto Abiko. They are most famous for creating Doraemon and Obake no Q-taro. Both artists came from Toyama but moved to Tokyo for work. The design and name of the character comes from Mount Tate (Tateyama) one of the tallest peaks in the Hida Mountains.

17. Inuwashi-kun & Inuwashi-chan
いぬわし君 いぬわしちゃん

The bird symbol of Ishikawa is the golden eagle which in Japanese is ‘inuwashi’ (dog eagle). The birds are found living on the slopes of Mt Haku a dormant volcano and one of Japan’s top three sacred mountains (Sanreizan) together with Mount Fuji and Mount Tate (16. Tateyama-kun). The powerful, quick and cheerful creatures help protect the people of Ishikawa. Inuwashi-kun was Born on August 26, 1994 and his sister on May 14, 2001.

18. Ryupi-kun
リュウピー君

Fukui prefecture is the location for Japans only dedicated dinosaur museum and considered one of the best three in the world. Fukui is also the location for the Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, which has yielded many interesting discoveries. His name comes from kyourue (恐竜) which means dinosaur in Japanese, the second kanji (ryu) which appears in the word means dragon. The pi at the end of the name… yup you guessed it stands for police and people.

19. Fuji-kun
ふじ君

On the south border of Yamanashi prefecture Mt Fuji stands. The familiar sight and a symbol of strength and power was chosen for obvious reasons. Fuji-kun was created on March 3, 1988 and seeks to win the affection of the people and make them feel safe.

20. Raipo-kun
ライポくん

‘Raichou’ is the Japanese for the Rock Ptarmigan and bird symbol of Nagano. With its beautiful tall mountains and clear air Nagano is the perfect place for the bird. The character was designed to appeal to everyone and give the police a friendly image. He is said to come from the future in order to help keep Nagano crime free. Born January 10, 1992 his name comes from ‘raichou’ the name of the bird and the ‘po’ in police. The ‘p’ is also said to stand for ‘peace’ and ‘people’ as Raipo-kun wants the people of Nagano to live peacefully.

21. Rapi
らぴぃ

Like Raipo-kun, Rapi is a Rock Ptarmigan and the bird symbol of Gifu. The north part of Gifu is dominated by the mountain range called the Japanese Alps. This is where Rapi came from to help the residents of the prefecture. The area is also said to be a leader in the apparel industry which explains why Rapi is so smartly dressed. The blue hat and shoes symbolize the water and the green trousers the green mountains. His name has the same origin as Raipo-kun.

22. Sp-kun
えすぴー君

Shizuoka Prefecture where Sp-kun is from has four football (soccer) teams with two doing well in the J-league. Shizuoka also leads Japan in the number of elementary schoolboys who play soccer. The city is well known for its love of the sport so it’s no wonder the police chose a football for their mascot. The Shizuoka police also state there are many similarities with the game and police work. The many black and white sides of a ball could represent the many facets of police work. The offence and defence of players are also techniques used by the police. And like footballers they aim to respond to incidents with speed and accuracy. Football has strict rules, which could be compared to the law and how police follow it. Finally like a football match the police require the support of the public to cheer them on.

23. Konohakeibu
コノハけいぶ

The bird symbol of Aichi is of course an owl, a Eurasian scops-owl to be precise which is called ‘konohazuku’ in Japanese. The migratory bird is found throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Shinshiro in Aichi is a famous spot where the calls of the owls can be heard. So the first part of the name comes from the type of owl while the later, ‘keibu’ means police inspector.

24. Mipo-kun
ミーポ君

Mie prefectures bird symbol is the snowy plover. The hard working bird takes his name from the name of the prefecture and the police.

25. Keita-kun
けいた君

Shiga’s police mascot Keita-kun is modelled on a Tanuki, a Japanese raccoon dog and legendary creature from Japanese folklore. In Shigaraki, a small town in Shiga, they are famous for their pottery and for producing tanuki statues. A special tanuki policeman was made by local residents and given to the police force. It was later made into an illustration for their website and used as their mascot. The ‘kei’ in his name comes from ‘keisatsu’ meaning police, while the ‘ta’ is short for tanuki. Unlike the mischievous folklore creature, Keita-kun is reliable and trustworthy.

26. Kyoppi
キョッピー

In the spring of 2001 Kyoppi was born. Once again a bird was chosen as the mascot for the area. A type of seabird called the Streaked Shearwater his name comes from combining Kyoto with police. The p also stands for people and peace. Kyoppi is friendly and cheerful and always looks out for the safety of citizens.

27. Fuu-kun & Kei-chan
フーくん ケイちゃん

The smiling siblings from Osaka both have the letter ‘V’ on their hats which stands for vitality. They also have a red light on top which is said to expresses their attitude for coping with emergency at any time. Fuu-kun, the boy and older of the pair takes his name from Osaka-fu (‘fu’ means prefecture but not used for every area) and the girl, Kei-chan takes the ‘kei’ from Keisatsu (police).

28. Kouhe-kun & Mamori-chan
こうへいくん まもりちゃん

Despite becoming extinct in Japan in 1971 the oriental stork or Kounotori is the bird symbol of Hyogo. Good news is that in May 2007 a hatchling was born in the area. The chick was the offspring of two storks who were bred in captivity in a breeding park called Konotori no Sato Park, part of an effort to reintroduce the bird to the area. Kouhe-kun’s name comes from kouhei meaning fair and justice, Mamori on the other hand means protection or defence. Kouhe-kuns birthday is January 28 and Mamori-chan’s November 9.

29. Napo-kun
ナポくん

Nara is famous for the deer that roam through the town and park. Visitors can buy deer biscuits and feed the tame creatures. Legend says the mythological god Takemikazuchi arrived in Nara riding a white deer to guard the newly built capital of Heijō-kyō. Since then the deer have been regarded as heavenly animals, protecting the city and the country. Sento-kun from Nara is also modelled on the deer. Napo-kun was born August 27th 1996. His name comes from abbreviating the two words Nara and police.

30. Kishu-kun
きしゅう君

Wakayama was once known as the Kishu Domain before the Edo period which explains the name of the Wakayama police mascot. There’s also a dog from Wakayma called Kishu-ken. This breed was originally used to hunt boar and deer. Kishu are often very quiet and will stalk prey silently preferring not to bark. Kishu-kun was born on July 1, 1994 and proved an extremely successful character in Wakayama where he appears on mobile phone straps, t-shirts, stuffed toys and much more. There’s also a four meter tall Idle Idol on the side of the road in Arida.

31. Patoru-kun & Patoko-chan
ぱとろーくん ぱとこちゃん

Tottori in Japanese is 鳥取, the two kanji mean “bird” and “to get”. This was because early residents in the area made their living catching the region’s numerous waterfowl. The bird symbol of Tottori is also a mandarin duck. Patoru-kun and Patoko-chan are kind, cheerful and friendly. Their names likely come from the word patrol.

32. Mikopi-kun
みこぴーくん

Okuninushi no Mikoto (‘great land master’) is an important Shinto god from Izumo province now called Shimane. He is believed to be the god of nation-building, farming, business and medicine and ruled the area. Izumo Taisha in Taishamachi, Shimane, is one of the oldest shrines in Japan and dedicated to Okuninushi. The Shimane police force don’t make it clear but it’s likely Mikopi-kun is based on this important god. Mikoto is a common ending to gods names and could mean highness or lord. The first part of this word is used in Mikopi-kun’s name with the final ‘pi’ coming from police.

33. Momo-kun & Momoka-chan
メプル君 ももかちゃん

The young boy Momotaro is a popular hero from Japanese folklore and strongly associated with Okayama, where he is believed to have been born. According to legend, an old, childless woman discovers a giant peach floating down the river. She takes it home to her husband where they cut it open to discover a baby inside. They name him Momotaro, momo after the peach and taro because it’s a common boy’s name for the eldest son of a family. Like the legend Momo-kun is kind hearted and strong. He was born on February 2, 1990. Momoka-chan was born 19 years later in 2009, January 19. The flower symbol of Okayama is the peach blossom which Momoka-chan has in her hair.

34. Maipuru-kun
メプル君

Slightly more unusual than choosing the prefectures bird symbol Hiroshima picked its tree and flower. The tree is the Japanese Maple a highly sought after tree for its attractive leaf shapes and variety of colours.

35. Fukumaru-kun
ふくまる君

One of the prefecture symbols of Yamaguchi is the Takifugu better know as fugu. Shimonoseki a city in Yamaguchi is known as fugu city and supplies a large part of Japan with the fish. It was also the first city to lift the ban on fugu sales during the Meiji period. The fugu can inflate its body several times it’s normal size and of course can poison it’s predators. The toxic fish is considered a delicacy in Japan despite the dangers of eating it. In Yamaguchi they call the fish “fuku,” which means “to blow” or “happiness.” “Maru” the second part of Fukumaru’s name means circle.

36. Uzushio-kun
うずしお君

Uzushio means whirlpool in Japanese, the Tokushima prefecture symbol was created in October 1992 and inspired by the Naruto whirlpools famous in the area. The Naruto whirlpools are tidal whirlpools in the channel between Naruto in Tokushima and Awaji Island in Hyogo. Uzushio-kun isn’t a whirlpool though, he’s a sun and represents the light and energy of the police force which he passes onto the prefecture residents. Apparently just like the police he’s fair, reliable and kind.

37. Yoichi-kun
よいち君

Kagawa’s capital city, Takamatsu, was the location for an historic battle between the Heike and Genji clans. Nasu no Yoichi was a famed samurai who fought in the Genpei War and known for his skilled archery. An enemy of his side is known to have placed a fan at the top of a mast on one of his ships, and challenged the opposing side to shoot it off. Despite the fierce waves and the rocking of the ship, Yoichi hit the fan with just one shot. The bright and colourful mascot takes inspiration from this historical figure.

38. Mamoru-kun Shin-chan An-chan
まもる君 心ちゃん 安ちゃん

On the left we have Mamoru-kun, mamoru can mean to protect or guard and that’s what Mamoru-kun does. Stickers of the character are placed on locations in Ehime prefecture that indicate places which are safe for children to wait if they feel they are in danger. Mamoru is a mikan (satsuma) which are grown in the prefecture. The two mascots on his right are twins and Mamoru-kun’s younger siblings. The boy in the middle is called Shin-chan while the girl is called An-chan. Together the names spell “anshin” which means peace of mind or security.

39. Porin-kun & Pori-chan
ポリンくん ポーリーちゃん

Porin-kun and Pori-chan are probably the only Japanese otters you’ll see in Koichi. The creature was once a common sight in Japan but due to pollution and hunting the otter disappeared in the 1930s. The last official sighting of one was in the southern part of Kochi Prefecture in 1979, when it was photographed in the mouth of the Shinjo River in Susaki. Porin-kun and Pori-chan have appeared in many campaigns and public relations activities supporting the police department.

40. Fukei-kun
ふっけい君

On the 1st of July 2004 Fukei-kun was crated to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Fukuoka police force. His name combines the ‘Fuku’ from Fukuoka and the ‘kei’ from police (keisatsu). He carries a lantern with Fukuoka written in Kanji on the side and wears a happi; a traditional festival coat. Fukuoka is famous for the Hakata lantern festival where more than 10,000 paper lanterns light up the streets, and processions of happi wearing people walk along carrying them. Fukei-kun’s special skills include judo and kendo, he enjoys participating in events and his favourite thing in the world is people smiling.

41. Gorou-kun
ごろうくん

On the 11th of November 1999 Gorou-kun was born and started working in public relation campaigns and traffic safety classes for the police. ‘Mutsugorou’ is the Japanese word for mudskipper and where Gorou-kun takes his name. The wide eyed mudskipper a creature common on the coast line of saga represents the police forces friendliness, their sense of justice and cheerfulness.

42. Catch-kun
キャッチ君

Catch-kun symbolizes the age of information and technology. He’s a robot who can quickly catch the voice of citizens and solve their problems.

43. Yuupi
ゆっぴー

Yuupi is a bear and represents Kumamoto prefecture. The two kanji used in Kumamoto can mean “origin of the bear”. Yuupi made his debut on October 1, 1997. He was named Yuupi for a variety of reasons. Firstly Yuuki mans brave, Yuujou means friendship and Yuu can mean gentle. The pi of course comes from police.

44. Pinky-kun
ピンキー君

Oita Prefecture is famous for Mt.Takasaki National Park sometimes known as “Monkey Mountain”. The mountain is home to about 1,700 wild Japanese Macaques. Pinky is modelled on this type of monkey and he has a family too. His wife is a policewoman, his son is an elementary school student and the young girl is at nursery.

45. Miyakei-kun
みやけい君

In a competition to name the Miyazaki police mascot the prefecture received 13,794 submission. Like many of the mascots Miyakei-kuns names combines the name of the prefecture and the Japanese word for police (Keisatsu). The design however is a little more unusual. The police force set a design competition for members of the police force and their family members to come up with a mascot. They received 132 submissions and the chosen design was created by a police officer. Miyakei-kun is said to dressed in a jomon (14,000 BCE to 300 BCE) style as Miyazaki has many interesting Jomon archelogical sites.

46. Chesto-kun
チェストくん

The design of Chesto-kun comes from Kagoshima’s famous and active volcano; Sakurajima. The name ‘Chesto’ was taken from an old Kagoshima dialect which could mean ‘whaaaaaa’ or the sort of thing you might say when running into battle. The word expresses the will of the police to cooperate and overcome difficulties.

47. Shisa-kun
しーさー君

Found all over Okinawa, the Shisa is a traditional decoration that is placed on roofs and outside villages, homes and temples. It is a cross between a lion and a dog, and is often found in pairs, one with its mouth open and one closed. The Shisa with an open mouth wards off evil spirits while the other keeps the good spirits in. The lion-dog was introduced to Okinawa through trade with China in the late 14th century and was appropriated and developed by the Okinawan
people. Considered a guardian of the island, Shisa-kun is described as friendly and cute. His wears a navy blue winter uniform and the colour of his skin is a ‘tropical fruit orange’.

If you discover a police mascot from anywhere in the world I’d love to see it. Leave a link in the comments. If you have an Idle Idol photo you like to send us please get in contact. You can also add your photos to the Idle Idol flickr group. Finally, let us know which one is your favourite by taking part in the poll below.

[poll id=”2″]