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Peko-chan - Japan's bobble-headed cake mascot
 Peko-chan
is the popular mascot of one of Japan's oldest and most famous
confectioners, Fujiya. Fujiya stores are located throughout
the country and are easy to spot as each store will feature a life-sized figure
of Peko-chan standing before the shop's entrance. Peko-chan
(read below to learn what "chan" means) is always wearing her trademark grin and licking her lips (she works for a cake
shop after all). When passing a Fujiya store many Japanese children
will pat Peko-chan's head which causes it to bob from side to side
eliciting giggles and smiles from the kids. Peko-chan is very
fashion conscious and can be seen wearing many different outfits throughout the
year; such as a schoolgirl's uniform at the start of each school year, kimono at
festival time and even a Santa Claus suit at Christmas (please see the photo
below which shows our daughter Emily with Peko-chan in her Santa outfit).
 Peko-chan made her first public appearance as Fujiya's mascot
in 1950. Soon after, four foot
tall likenesses of Peko-chan began to appear in front of Fujiya
cake stores throughout Japan. The life-size figures were an immediate hit,
especially with children, who quickly learned to enjoy patting Peko-chan's
head. Peko-chan's best friend is a
young boy named Poko-chan and the pair are often seen together in the
company of a friendly yellow dog. When visiting Japan be sure to keep an
eye open for Peko-chan when shopping in older shopping districts and
around train stations. If you see a Peko-chan figure then be sure
to stop in the Fujiya store and try some of their delicious cake, ice
cream or candy. And when leaving the store don't forget to give Peko-chan
an gentle tap on the head in order to watch her wag her tongue at you. The Fujiya company has kindly
released the following biographical information on Peko-chan and Poko-chan:
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Name: Peko
Birthplace: Dream Town
Date of Birth: 1950
Age: Forever 6 years old
Height: 4 feet
Weight: 43 lbs |
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Name: Poko
Birthplace: Dream Town
Date of Birth: 1951
Age: Forever 7 years old
Height: 4 feet
Weight: 43 lb |
"san" and "chan" Name Suffix
Japanese people append the suffix "chan" (as in Peko-chan)
to the names of close friends and family members as an expression of fondness
and familiarity. This same suffix is also commonly applied to the names of
children. Males sometimes receive the more masculine suffice "kun"
(as in Poko-kun). Adults invariably receive the suffice "san"
which indicates polite respect on the part of the speaker ("san" is
rarely used with children).
Please click
here to see
Peko-chan items available to purchase from our eBay store The Old Tokaido.
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