• About
  • Featured
  • Home
 
Muza-chan's Gate to Japan
12 years of travel throughout Japan
Discover Japan through the eyes of a seasoned traveler
  • A Japan photo per day
  • Travel in Japan
  • Customs & traditions
  • Japanese food
  • Japanese history
  •  Anime & otaku
  • Did you know?

Japanese mascots, Sato-chan and Satoko-chan

Sun, December 8, 2013, by Muza-chan

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… (^_^)

Click on photo for higher resolution:
Shimizu Pharmacy's mascots, Sato-chan and Satoko-chan
Shimizu Pharmacy’s mascots, Sato-chan and Satoko-chan
If you want to license my photos for commercial use, please contact me

EXIF Info:

Nikon D90
Lens: 18-70mm F/3.5-4.5G
Focal Length: 25mm
Aperture: F/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/400s
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 400
Japanese traditional architecture, Nagare-zukuri
Yesterday’s Japan Photo:

Japanese traditional architecture, Nagare-zukuri



  • Muza-chan mascot
    • # Kyoto travel

    • # Travel tips for visiting Japan

    • # Zen gardens

    • # Tokyo travel

    •  
    • # Modern Japanese architecture

    • # Japanese gardens

    • # Japanese manhole covers

    •  
    • # Castles in Japan

    • # Traditional Japanese house

    • # Trains in Japan

    •  
    • # Night time photos from Japan

    • # Sakura, cherry blossoms

    • # Traditional Japanese architecture

  • Traveled areas 2007-2017
  • Creative Commons License
    Photos and text by Muza-chan are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
    If you quote or use photos from this site, you must give appropriate credit and a link to the site:
    "Based on a work at muza-chan.net"
    Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting us (privacy policy).