trademark

The other day, a theater company I know was going to put on a performance in my hometown, and as the performance date drew near and all the members gathered in my hometown, I wanted to give them a gift, and after some thought, I decided on Nagoya souvenirs in the form of sweets.
As many of the members live in the Kansai region, I thought that they would be happy to receive Nagoya souvenirs that they could also enjoy looking at, so I went to a shop in Nagoya Station, where there were so many different kinds of souvenir sweets on display that it was hard to choose just one.
I chose these three types because I thought they were individually wrapped, so they would keep for a long time and could be stored at room temperature, and they were also easy to eat without getting your hands dirty.

Nagoya-jo, Shachi Sable, and Three Great Warlords Okaki.

NAGOYA JO (logo) and SANDAIBUSYO OKAKI (standard characters) are registered trademarks.
The entire package of SHACHI SABLE is being applied for a trademark, and as of February 5th, a decision of grant registration has been issued. (Japanese Trademark Application No. 2024-067295)
Shachi Sablé was originally applied for in Class 30 (sablés), but a notice of reasons for refusal was issued, and the application was amended to “sablés manufactured or sold in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture”, and was approved for registration.

Incidentally, the original Shachi Monaka of the company that makes Shachi Sablé, Ganso Shachi Monaka Honten, was chosen as the “Shobu Oyatsu (game snack)”of the seven-crown winner Souta Fujii in 2022.
It’s not often that you get the chance to try local souvenirs, but I’d like to try them again under the pretext of tasting them to give as a gift or to take as a souvenir♪ (Cacao)

The other day, I had the opportunity to visit Handa City in Aichi Prefecture, and on the way there I saw a sign for “Nama Senbei”. My imagination ran wild: “Nama” means “raw”, so I wondered if it was a rice cracker that had not yet been baked, or if it was a soft, raw-looking rice cracker with a soft filling. When I discovered and bought some at a souvenir shop, I found that they looked unexpectedly square and were like thin yokan (sweet bean jelly) in black and white.

When I tried it, it was chewy and filling, and the white one had a subtle sweetness from the sugar and honey, while the black one had a savory flavor from the brown sugar and honey, and it was a nostalgic-tasting snack that even children would enjoy. I thought it was similar to the “uirou” that you often see in Nagoya.

After doing some research, I found out that it is a specialty confectionary from the Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture, and that it is a semi-dry confectionary with a chewy texture similar to rice cakes, and a rich flavor with a subtle sweetness from the brown sugar and honey that spreads in the mouth.
According to the story behind the origin of “Nama Senbei”, the seller says, “When Tokugawa Ieyasu helped Imagawa Yoshimoto in the Battle of Okehazama, he arrived in Handa City on his way to the Chita Peninsula and asked for some fresh senbei that were hanging to dry in a peasant’s house. He then happily gobbled them up.

The mark on the top of the packaging for the rice crackers was applied for trademark registration on October 12th, 1957, and the rights to it are still in effect (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 523200).

It’s a good product with a long history, so why not try it when you visit Handa City? (Chamomile)
Nama Senbei webisite (only in Japanese)

Happy New Year! Thank you for your continued support.

Although it’s a little bit of a time-travel, I bought a product called the “abien HOME DRYER” from our client, abien Co., Ltd., as a Christmas present for my family last year.

It’s very stylish, with a shape like an ammonite.
It also has seven modes!

• SPEED mode: Quickly warms bedding and the room, high air volume x medium temperature
• DRY mode: Warms bedding thoroughly, medium air volume x medium temperature
• MITE mode: Can be used to combat mites that hide in bedding, etc.
• WARM mode: Can be used for spot heating, such as under the feet, with low air volume and high air temperature
• CIRCULATE mode: Suitable for circulating the air in the room or using a fan, with low air volume and low air temperature
• CLOTHING mode: For drying clothes and shoes indoors, with high air volume and high air temperature
• PET mode: Can blow air at a frequency and low noise that animals don’t mind, with low air volume and low air temperature

At my house, we mainly use the WARM and CIRCULATE modes.
The WARM mode is very useful in the living room and bathroom in the cold winter, and the airflow is strong and very warm. The CIRCULATE mode is used by installing it under the air conditioner or in a corner of the room to improve the air quality.
We don’t have any pets, so we don’t get to use the PET mode, but we still have four other modes left to try, so we’re looking forward to using them all.

The trademarks “ａｂｉｅｎ　ＨＯＭＥＤＲＹＥＲ (standard characters)” (Japanese Trademark Registration no. 6835200) and “アビエン　ホームドライヤー (standard characters)” (Japanese Trademark Registration no. 6835201) were registered at our firm.
If you are considering registering a trademark or other intellectual property for your company’s products, please contact us. (Rabbit)

It’s that time of year when you start to see strawberries in the grocery stores and supermarkets.
When I see strawberries, I get excited thinking “I can eat those again”.

There is a Japanese confectionery that makes me feel that way, and that is “Ichigo Habutae” from Kitagawa Co, which is located in Kita-ku, Nagoya, Aichi prefecture.
As it is only available during the strawberry season, the specific date of its release is announced on the official website every year. I heard that it had gone on sale this year, so I went out and bought some straight away.

According to the official website (https://www.owarigashi-kitagawa.jp/ichigohabutae) of Kitagawa Co, the strawberry covered in a haubutae blanket from above is the official image.

The fluffy habutae rice cake, the elegant sweetness of the red bean paste filling, and the juicy strawberries are the perfect combination. In particular, the smooth, fluffy texture of the habutae rice cake is has an impact every time.

Another of Kitagawa’s signature sweets is the “Hesokuri Mochi”.
This is a product that is sold all year round, and a kumquat preserved in syrup is hidden inside the soft, fluffy habutae rice cake.

I forgot to take a photo of the filling…

Hesokuri Mochi is very popular all over Japan, and it seems to sell like hotcakes at events all over the country.
Hesokuri Mochi is a registered trademark (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 4774453) for “sweets and bread” and other designated products, as of May 28, 2004.

Why not register your important product or service names as trademarks?
For consultations and requests regarding trademark registration, please feel free to contact us here.
Of course, we also welcome individual customers. (Sakuramochi)

The other day, I received a can of mackerel.
It had a label with the mark ‘STONE ROLLS’.

…STONE ROLLS?
It’s a strange-looking mark, and it seems strange as English too.
I was intrigued, so I did a little research.

The label also says “Kinka mackerel, landed in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture”.
I realized when I looked up this information that Kinka mackerel is a local brand product of Ishinomaki, and is being promoted together with Kinka gin and Kinka bonito…

Is STONE ROLLS a pun on the direct translation of Ishinomaki?
When I searched for STONE ROLLS itself, it came up!

According to the can label and this website, it seems that STONE ROLLS is read as “stonroruzu”. However, it is registered as “stone rolls” in the standard characters on J-PlatPat.

The waters around Kinkasan Island, a small island off the coast of Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture, are rich in fish,
“The mackerel that live in the reefs around Kinkasan Island and do not migrate are shipped under the Kinkasan Mackerel brand. Originally, they were called the ‘reef mackerel’ that come up to Ishinomaki Port.“
Although ‘Kinkasan Mackerel’ is not a regional collective trademark, it seems to be expected as a regional brand. ‘Large-sized mackerel that are caught off the coast of Kinkasan Island and landed at Ishinomaki Port in season’. I’m looking forward to tasting them now. (blink)

It’s me, Swimmer.
I went to Hakuba Village in Nagano Prefecture over the autumn holidays.
The beautiful village, with its magnificent mountain views, has great hot springs and food, and it’s a place I often visit with my family.

When I think of Hakuba Village, I think of the ski events at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, but it’s amazing to think that it’s already been a quarter of a century since those exciting events.
The other day I saw on TV that the land prices in Hakuba Village were rising. When I drive around the village, I notice several new holiday home developments and stylish commercial facilities under construction, and I can feel that the value of the village is increasing.
This kind of redevelopment is good for the local economy, with places to work and tourists, but of course the rising land prices could damage the image of Hakuba Village that has been built up until now.

Well, when I got back, I immediately searched for “Hakuba Village” on J-PlatPat and found seven trademarks. It seems that Hakuba Village, the surrounding area, the tourist bureau, and everyone else are all working together to protect the Hakuba brand.

The Hakuba Village character, which seems a little relaxed… It’s been made into various goods. I think it’s cute.
§Victoire Cheval Blanc Murao III

The other day, when I was looking for a souvenir for my colleagues after a trip to Akita Prefecture, I came across a snack called “Hatahata Pie”.

I thought “I know about eel pie, but hatahata?”, however I was attracted by the eye-catching packaging and bought it, wondering what it would taste like.

After looking it up later, I found out that “Hatahata Pie” is a famous Akita confectionery that was created in 1977, and that it is made using salt from the Oga Workshop and “Shibata Yakiniku no Tare (Shibata Yakiniku sauce)” from Yokote city, and is baked into a shape that resembles hatahata, and then coated with “shottsuru”, a traditional fermented seasoning from Akita. Hatahata (Japanese sandfish) is the prefectural fish of Akita.

The founder of Kimuraya, which now includes the Hatahata Pie as one of its signature products, Kusuke Yamashita, trained at the famous Kimuraya in Tokyo, where he learned the art of making anpan (sweet buns filled with bean jam), and is said to have invented the wrapping material of aluminum foil used to wrap yokan (sweet bean jelly) and the oburato (wafer paper) used to wrap medicine.

“Hatahata Pie” was registered as a trademark in 2015 for designated products as a pie pastry (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 5730530).

The “Hatahata Pie”, which makes full use of the characteristics of the local area, was a delicious snack with a subtle salty flavor and a delicious aroma.

The prefectural fish of Aichi is the Japanese tiger prawn, and there are many snacks such as shrimp crackers, so please take them as a souvenir when you visit Aichi. (Syszo)

I downloaded the Duolingo app after hearing about it in a TV commercial.
Duolingo is a language education app, and the app’s logo is a registered trademark (International Registration No. 1640955).

It seems that if the language setting of the app is Japanese, you can only choose from four languages (English, Chinese, Korean, French), but because I have set the app language to English, I was able to choose from other languages (about 40 languages).
Among them, I am taking a course in Spanish, which I studied a little when I was a student, and French out of curiosity.
Spanish is fun because I can recognize some familiar words, but I’m struggling with French because the pronunciation and spelling of the words are difficult.
The learning method is not just translation, and there are also games and conversations with the computer in the lessons, so it’s very interesting.
What’s more, this app is free!

I never thought I’d have the chance to study a new language as an adult, but I’m going to do my best to become a trilingual or quadrilingual with Duolingo! (Rabbit)