trademark

When I visited Tokyo early this year, I was looking forward to having a ‘chicken lunchbox’ on the bullet train on the way home.
I had seen an exhibition at the Railway Museum about ekiben from all over Japan and was attracted by their retro packaging, and had always wanted to try it.

The pop, retro packaging catches the eye.

The chicken bento contains chicken rice and fried chicken, and is all about chicken.

The ‘chicken bento’ has a long history and has been on sale since 1964.
It is a long-selling product that has been loved for many years, and the taste is needless to say very tasty. If I ever have the chance to visit Tokyo again, I will definitely buy it.

The eye-catching ‘chicken bento’ logo on an orange checkered background is a registered trade mark for ‘box lunch containing a chicken daily dish’ (Japanese Registration No. 6215958).
(Sakuramochi)

　The abien BREAD GRILL is a single-slice toaster that grills bread between the top and bottom plates. It is a new product developed by Abien, famous for its ‘Magic Grill’ (hot plate). From December 2023 to February 2024, the support purchase project has been listed on the crowdfunding management website Makuake..

https://www.makuake.com/project/abien_bread_grill/ (Japanese only)

　The other day, one of our supporters received the goods at my home. The central part of the front of the lid is marked with the word ‘abien’

　Switch on the power and turn the mode selection dial to select the cooking mode QUICK/LOW/HI to preheat the plate. When the preheat complete lamp illuminates, place the bread on the bottom plate, close the lid and press the start button to start baking. When baking is complete and the buzzer sounds, open the lid.

(L:Before baking , R:After baking)

　The bread is baked with both sides in contact with the top and bottom plates, so both sides are baked evenly. As there is no wasted space around the plates, the heat of the plate is efficiently transferred to the bread, it keeps the moisture out. The spring force holding the top and bottom plates together is not too strong, so it keeps the bread fluffy accordingly, without crushing it excessively. The top and bottom plates can be removed and washed in water, making them easy to clean.
　The trademarks ‘abien BREAD GRILL’ and ‘アビエン　ブレッドグリル’ are pending registration (Japanese Application 2023-132897, 2023-132898). (Conan)

(Reference: Trademark URL)
https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/c1801/TR/JP-2023-132897/40/en
https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/c1801/TR/JP-2023-132898/40/en

It was time to replace the preserved food in the emergency bags stockpiled in the firm and I received three types of canned soft bread that reached their expiry date.

These foods can be stored for up to five years, and I eat them while feeling thankful that I have a rolling stock of them without being hit by a disaster.
I started with the egg-free plain, opened the pull-top can and put it out on a plate. It looks like a vertical cupcake.

They were moist, soft and slightly sweet, so I was able to enjoy eating them.
My family also liked them. They are filling and if eaten with preserved water, they will make you feel fuller.

Being able to eat the can as soon as it is opened is a big advantage, but empty cans have concern that they become disaster waste. The paper label could be removed cleanly, which is a good point for easy sorting.

The ‘AST 新・食・缶ベーカリー’ on the paper label is a Japanese registered trademark (No. 5610551).
The emergency bag stockpiled is an emergency backpack with 30 items purchased from Disaster Prevention and Crime Prevention Direct, which won the Good Design Award 2012. ‘防災防犯ダイレクト’ is also a Japanese registered trademark (No. 6423555).
In order to avoid stockpiles becoming unusable, it is important to check the expiry dates of not only foodstuffs, but also equipment.

Later on, I also enjoyed the orange-flavoured canned soft bread with orange peel. I am looking forward to eating the brown sugar canned soft bread as I haven’t had it yet. One tin of canned soft bread has the calories equivalent to about two rice balls, so it is probably best to have it for breakfast or lunch rather than as a snack♪(Cacao)

Canned soft bread 24 cans |Professional Disaster Prevention Shop for Earthquake Preparedness (Japanese only)
Emergency backpack with 30 items |Professional Disaster Prevention Shop for Earthquake Preparedness (Japanese only)

　I often see companies that are celebrating their “100th anniversary”, but I rarely see companies that are celebrating their “200th” or “300th anniversary”. The company I would like to introduce this time, Castella Honke Fukusaya, will celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2024.

　In 1624, the year of the company’s foundation, the Tokugawa Shogunate banned the arrival of Spanish ships and broke off diplomatic relations with Spain. That was a long time ago.
　At the time of its foundation, the company was dealing in sugar and rice, but it started making castella and other Nanban confectionery, which was handed down from the Portuguese. At present, it mainly sells castella cake.

　The other day I bought a lovely castella cake called ‘Fukusaya Cube’. The small cube-shaped box contains two slices of castella cake and is just the right size to eat up in one sitting. The box pattern is seasonally adapted to match the season, making it a limited edition seasonal product.

　According to my research, these castella cakes are made from start to finish by a one baker and are additive-free. The taste is elegantly sweet and it is ideal for giving away individually.

　Since the 12th generation of Seitaro in the Meiji era, the company has held an annual ‘egg memorial service’ in May every year to thank the eggs and make an offering to them, as well as to teach them to treat things with care and to pray for the health of their employees and the development of the company’s business. I felt that the company has continued to be a long-established business for 400 years because it has always maintained this kind of sincere attitude.
(Time)

Registered trademark: フクサヤキューブ＼FUKUSAYACUBE
Japanese Registration number: No. 5385297
Date of registration: 21 January 2011
Right Holder: Castella Honke Fukusaya Co.
(J-PlatPat)
https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/c1801/TR/JP-2010-051409/40/en

　The other day, I received a tax return gift from a municipality in Fukuoka Prefecture to which I donated last year. They are “Hakata Amaou” strawberries.

　My children were delighted with the bright red, large strawberries. They ate them in no time.
　The name “Amaou” is said to stand for the initial letters of the words “red, round, large, and delicious,” which represent the characteristics of this strawberry (variety), as well as a wish that it will become the king of sweet strawberries.

　“Hakata Amaou” is the brand name used by the JA Group in Fukuoka Prefecture for sales, and is registered as a trademark (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 5042710) for “fruits” and other designated products. “Amaou” was also registered as a trademark for the designated goods such as fruits before “Hakata Amaou” (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 4615573).
　Under the Trademark Law, the name of the variety cannot be registered as a trademark, but in the case of “Amaou,” the application for variety registration was filed before the product name was decided, so the variety name (“Fukuoka S6”) and the product name (“Amaou”) were different, and as a result, “Amaou” could be registered as a trademark and the brand could be improved. This resulted in the registration of “Amaou” as a trademark, and also led to brand enhancement (Hiro).

Hakata Amaou website
Amaou (Wikipedia: Japanese only)

The other day, I received some sweets with a rather unusual name. It is a souvenir from Ehime　Prefecture, and its name is “I~yokan shika shinai!”.

I~yokan shika shinai! is a flavorful madeleine filled with the peel and juice of Iyokan citrus produced in Ehime Prefecture, and is a product of Ichiroku Co., Ltd, a well-known confectionery in Shikoku and Ehime known for its Ichiroku Tart. I don’t think an explanation is necessary, but it is a combination of “Iyokan” and “iiyokan” which meaning good feeling.

Actually, I had known about this product for a long time and thought it was a bright and bold name. The fact that it is limited and emphasized with “shika(only)” is also good.

I was definitely going to buy it when I go on a trip to Ehime, but I realized that this is a great name for a souvenir that makes you feel happy when you receive it. Because I have only a good feeling about it!
Naming is very important. I have a feeling that something good will happen. (Syszo)

I~yokan shika shinai! is a registered trademark (J-PlatPat).
Would you like to protect your company’s important product or service name by registering it as a trademark?
Please feel free to contact us for further information and consultation.

Last year I travelled to Fukui Prefecture.
Fukui is called the Dinosaur Kingdom. I saw many things about dinosaurs both inside and outside JR Fukui Station.

During my trip, I had the opportunity to ride on the “Echizen Railway”, a regional railway that runs through Fukui Prefecture.
The exterior of Fukui Station on the Echizen Railway is a soothing red color, and the interior of the station building is made from lots of wood, making it a very nice station building.

IC cards are not accepted, so I bought a ticket and boarded the train.

I rode only two stations this time, but the “Echizen Railway” has the Katsuyama Eiheiji Line heading towards Eiheiji and Katsuyama and the Mikuni Awara Line heading towards Awara Onsen, which seems convenient for sightseeing. Next time, I would like to take the “Echizen Railway” and tour around Fukui Prefecture at a leisurely pace.

“Echizen Railway” and the mark, which appears to be a graphic representation of the letter E, were registered as a trademark on 5 September 2003 for the designated services, including “transport by rail” (Japanese Registration No. 4706690, Registration No. 4706691).
(Sakuramochi)

At the beginning of February, the water heater in my home broke down and I had to replace it.
I have replaced my EcoCute, which was first installed in 2010.
It broke down suddenly without warning, so we didn’t have time to consider the manufacturer, model, etc. The contractor suggested the quickest possible installation, which was completed in five days.

(Example of EcoCute)

EcoCute has an image of being both environmentally and wallet-friendly, but I took the opportunity to find out a little more about it.

According to Wikipedia, the official name of EcoCute is “natural refrigerant heat pump water heater” and the name “EcoCute” is a registered trademark of Kansai Electric Power Company, a nickname used by Japanese power and water heater manufacturers. In April 2001, based on a basic patent from Denso and other companies, CORONA CORPORATION launched the world’s first EcoCute, and I was suddenly interested to learn that our client Denso was involved in its development.
Further investigation revealed that research technology aimed at developing car air-conditioners using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a natural refrigerant had caught the attention of researchers at the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, who were studying next-generation hot-water supply systems, and members of a TEPCO research team who were looking for new product development, and they decided to launch a project called “Heat pump water heater using natural refrigerants” by three companies from different industries. (For more information, see website below).
Denso EcoCute Development Story｜Technology｜Natural Refrigerant Water Heater EcoCute | Denso (denso.com) (Japanese only)

One of the notable advantages of EcoCute is that it is equipped with an emergency water intake tap, so that the water in the tank can be used as domestic water when the water supply is cut off due to a disaster.
Daikin’s official website states that a 370-litre hot water storage tank can provide a family of four with about three days’ worth of water for emergency use.
Preparing for Disasters with EcoCute｜EcoCute｜Daikin Industries, Ltd. (daikin.co.jp) (Japanese only)
EcoCute is expected to become more and more popular as it reduces the environmental burden, lowers utility costs and helps to mitigate disasters.

By the way, did you know that ‘Kyuto in Japanese, Cute’ in EcoCute is taken from the word ‘Kyutou in Japanese, hot water supply’? I hadn’t noticed that at all! It’s a very good name♪ (cacao)

When I go to a supermarket or a discount store, freshly baked sweet potatoes are sold regardless of summer or winter, and a delicious smell drifts around the baked sweet potato machine, and I end up buying it.
The other day, I found the familiar ‘Calbee’ logo of the famous snack food company ‘Calbee, Inc.’ on the back of a bag of baked sweet potato I had purchased.

Curious, I looked up the printed part ‘Calbee Kaitsuka Sweet Potato’ and found that the company was ‘Calbee Kaitsuka Sweet Potato Co’. This company is an affiliate of ‘Calbee, Inc.’, and was the largest sweet potato company in Ibaraki Prefecture, but became ‘Calbee Kaitsuka Sweet Potato, Inc.’.
The baked sweet potato purchased this time is registered as a trademark under the product name ‘Beni Tenshi’. (Time)

●Japanese registered trademark:
Standard character trademark: Beni Tenshi
Registration number: No. 6759317
Date of registration: 4 December 2023
Trademark proprietor: Calbee Kaitsuka Sweet Potato, Inc.
https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/c1800/TR/JP-2023-070198/36693255AF0B68F3576D5DF184115144024C69B862FA852775912DE698002B61/40/en