Speedy! Animal Characters As Japanese Shipping Logos

13 Dec 2007 Category: Features, Illustration, Japan

Speedy! Animal Characters As Japanese Shipping Logos

A running messenger in traditional Japanese apparel and hairdo – Sagawa Express’ all too familiar logo was designed by its founder, Kiyoshi Sagawa. Though it grew on us, it is going to be changed next year...

Every day, you see lots of these trucks with animal logos passing by on Japan’s streets: often it is a cute black cat carrying a kitten in its mouth (for a delivery service,) or a smiling panda that is slightly sweating while lugging heavy cardboard boxes (for a moving service.) Kawaii! You see, matters of daily life get so much easier here with all these helpful animals… Today, PingMag shows our favourite selection of unique animal logos on all sorts of shipping trucks.

Written by Ryoko
Translated by Rie Ishimi

Loincloth Messenger

If you are in Japan, you are surely familiar with this decently clad guy: the Sagawa Express Co., Ltd. mascot, who is an express messenger in a skimpy loincloth! A unique, one-of-a-kind logo! But since the company is soon to celebrate their 50th anniversary, they will do a relaunch complete with a new logo and a new truck design, abandoning the traditional old style for a futuristic image. We will miss that! However, most of the other transport companies rely on cute animal characters as logos.

Cosmic waves! Sagawa Express’ new designed truck looks somewhat transcendental…

What happened to the old logo? It’s still there, although only as a white outline…

They got rid of the loincloth and replaced it with a speedy fella in a stripey shirt. Fancy!

Animal Delivery

The motto of the Hato-marked Moving Service is “kind, careful and safe” – who wouldn’t believe that since their logo is a peaceful dove in red and white colours! And bird messengers are supposed to be fast flyers…


Hato-marked Moving Service’s logo reminds us of the one of famous cookie brand “Hato Sable. Still sweet!

Hato-marked Moving Service has a special “Small Pigeon Delivery Service,” especially customised for one person, or people with less furniture.

A big red kangaroo! We bet that it is a fast runner! It is the logo of “Kangaroo Express” by Seino Transportation Co., Ltd.. See the acceleration lines he leaves in his tracks!

Speedy kangaroo, obviously transporting the goods with his offspring in his belly bag for Seino Transportation Co., Ltd.

Of course, we didn’t forget to tell you about Yamato Transport Co., Ltd., famous as “Kuroneko Yamato’s Takkyubin.” This design was originally the logo of an American shipping company, Allied Van Lines. When Yamato Transport formed a business alliance with the latter, they made a unique arrangement to use the design. Moreover, the term “Takkyubin,” maening ‘delivery service,’ was originally created by Yamato Transport as their branded term. And interestingly the nickname of “Kuroneko Yamato” (‘kuro neko’ means a black cat) was originally created by customers.


The famous logo with a black cat carrying its kitten. And that is for a shipping company!

The two black cats are even shown in the sticker indicating that this is a low emission vehicle…

No way! The bottom part of the kanji in the middle has legs!

The Pelican Delivery Service by Nippon Express Co., Ltd. - nicknamed Nittsu - has a well known pelican as its logo. The pelican’s big beak is supposed to carry many big packets safely and swiftly to their destinations. We bet you thought that too when you saw the logo for the first time!


The pelican’s big beak can hold simply anything!

This newly styled pelican is such a busy bird, with all his goods and fish to deliver…

But it can get far more minimal: Tsubame Transport based in Tsubame-shi, Niigata, uses an elegant swallow for its logo: a simple design with a tail like a bow and wings like a crescent moon.

Meitetsu Transport Co., Ltd. from Nagoya-shi, Aichi, has a happy bear carrying your boxes as logo. As “friendly and powerful service” they claim to be, the bear character adds a warm, personal feel to this moving and an airmail service as well as normal delivery. Cute!

Stylish! The red swallow’s design of Tusbame Transport stands out against the blue background perfectly.

Meitetsu Transport’s sweet bear character gives such a friendly and powerful image to the company.

Actually, the Sakai Moving Service Co., Ltd. has a network of more than hundred branches across the country. Their overall logo for identification is a panda with a huge head, sitting comfily and smiling! It is said that some people choose this moving service only because they want to have cardboard boxes designed with this character…

Such a big panda - from a moving service that doesn’t draw only kids to this logo.

The pandas are helping your move, by carrying a truck. See how they really make an effort, sweating all over!

This is the cardboard with a familiar panda illustration. Who wouldn’t want to use this?

Ants are known as hard workers. So, naturally, the Ari-san-marked Moving Service started their business in Nagoya-shi, Aichi, and since use these little work forces as their logo. The company’s name means “Mr. Ant.”

This little ant in the movers’ logo winks his eye and shows a brisk smile… Well, in advance…

Oh my god! They are working so hard carrying your stuff!

We knew about the work ethics of ants, but we didn’t realise that koalas are actually equally hard workers (usually on their trees…) when we look at the logo of the Family Moving Service Co., Ltd. from Saitama. Poor little animal, since it has to compete with the speedy leopard that Tonami Transportation Co., Ltd. from Toyama prefecture uses as logo (though it says ‘panther’.)


Cutsie cute! These koalas are eager to help your moving.

A running leopard drawn with powerful touches. Only, why does it say ‘panther’ then?

Finally, we come to our most beloved character: the famous Doraemon which is used by the Art Corporation.

The Art Corporation’s logo: a Doraemon showing us his back! Only to show us how busy he is with moving, of course.

In the back side of a truck, Doraemon is having a little break eating a bean-jam pancake. We hope he does get everything finished in time!

We bet that animals as logos for delivery services exist everywhere else in the world too! Go ahead, show us the cute ones in your country then!

78 Comments

  1. Sagawa changed to that logo years ago.

    Posted by: okazakiOm on December 13th, 2007 at 7:58 pm

  2. “Dorayaki” always on time!

    Posted by: nyuudo on December 13th, 2007 at 8:19 pm

  3. fantastically good articel!!!
    jump with joy!

    Posted by: horst on December 13th, 2007 at 8:35 pm

  4. kawaii ^_____^

    Posted by: 100kr on December 13th, 2007 at 10:53 pm

  5. Nande daroo, nande daroo.

    Thanks for the article.

    Posted by: charles on December 13th, 2007 at 11:39 pm

  6. Nice article and logos. I was surprised when I visited Japan this year at just how many products and companies use native Australian wildlife for their mascots. It felt really bizarre to see them all! :D

    Posted by: Stewart on December 14th, 2007 at 1:36 am

  7. Aren’t you supposed to touch Sagawa-man’s shorts for good luck? I know I always do

    Posted by: Richard on December 14th, 2007 at 1:44 am

  8. Sagawa is a front company for the Inagawa crime syndicate. No joke.

    Posted by: Inagawa on December 14th, 2007 at 10:05 am

  9. Hello

    Bye

    Posted by: Test on December 14th, 2007 at 1:40 pm

  10. Love your site, HATE your “commenters”.

    “so cute, I love it!”. “Greate Article!”.

    <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

    bleck.

    Posted by: that_guy on December 15th, 2007 at 5:08 am

  11. Hahaha so cute! Really appealing.
    lol at the “panther”

    Posted by: Akai on December 15th, 2007 at 8:00 am

  12. Very cute, I love Japanese illustrations.

    Posted by: Japan Photos on December 15th, 2007 at 7:07 pm

  13. the URL for “Art Corporation” is misstyped… it says “ttp://www.the0123.com/”

    Posted by: Rodrigo Peñalba on December 17th, 2007 at 10:28 am

  14. This is what I LOVE about Japan. Full of cutie and colorful characters around. FUN!~!

    Posted by: nico on December 17th, 2007 at 2:39 pm

  15. I used to love watching doraemon. Ah, memories.

    Posted by: Kimonostereo on December 26th, 2007 at 8:26 pm

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