In Japan, not only the cats (Maneki Neko) are welcoming you with the paw raised, but also… the elephants! No, they are not lucky charms and they don’t promise good luck, they are just the mascots of the Sato Pharmaceutical company. But of course, they do have a symbolic significance: since elephants live a long life, these mascots are symbolizing health and longevity…
The first drawing featuring them appeared in 1955, but it was quite different from the today’s image, with diffeent eyes and longer trunk. The first figurine appeared 4 years later, and received the cute name of Sato-chan. Sato-chan’s little sister, Satoko-chan, was “born” in 1982, featuring a pink color and cuter, “girl” eyes. But the idea that makes these mascots unique even in Japan came up in 2000: the couple of cute elephants is now dressed in various, real clothes… which made me start a new collection of photos, I now photograph them every time I see them… (^_^)
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Yesterday’s Japan Photo:Japanese traditional architecture, Nagare-zukuri |
