Speedy! Animal Characters As Japanese Shipping Logos
Category: Features, Illustration, Japan
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: theSagawa 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.
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!
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…
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!
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…
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.”
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.
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!
