trademark

I would like to introduce “Chiikawa,” a character that we have recently seen in various places. Chiikawa, short for “Something Small and Cute,” is a manga work by illustrator Nagano. Chiikawa’s Twitter account (probably another Nagano account), where the manga is posted, has 1,957,000 followers! (as of March 8, 2023) The number of followers shows how popular it is. The main character, a bear, is called “Chiikawa”.

*From the bulletin of Japanese Trademark Registration 6462301

There are 7 original goods stores “Chiikawa land” (permanent stores) in Japan. An animation of Chiikawa land is aired on “Mezamashi TV” every Friday around 7:40 a.m.. I searched J Plat-Pat for “Chiikawa,” which is so popular that it has collaborated with other characters such as Sanrio and Shonen Jump, as well as major companies such as Suntory and Family Mart, and found two “Chiikawa” hits. (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6462303 and Registration No. 6649263) Also, since the right holders of the two trademarks were the same, I searched by the name of the right holder of the trademark, and I found 9 hits. (4 of them were related to Chiikawa)

I have become a big fan of Chiikawa, and now I read the manga on Twitter, watch the anime in real time, and look around for collaboration goods. By the way, my favorite character is Chiikawa’s friend Rabbit. (Rabbit)

　“Blue Lock” is a very popular soccer animation in which one world-class striker is chosen by kicking out 299 out of 300 high school FWs. When we checked the trademark, we found that not only the title “Blue Lock” but also “that mark (*)” consisting of five pentagons was registered as a trademark in graphic form only (Japanese registration 6673890, with colors, registration date: 2023/2/21). Indeed, when I see it, I think “It’s a Blulo!”.
　*The “O” in the “LOCK” logo in the photo. The “O” in the “LOCK” logo in the photo is a single color of blue in the trademark.

　Looking at the application history of this trademark, we see that an amendment was filed in response to a notice of reasons for refusal, and the description of “gemstones” in Class 14 was deleted from the designated goods and services. Coincidentally, I couldn’t help but feel a connection to the fact that Jinpachi Ego, the representative of Blue Lock, calls the gathered high school strikers “gemstones of talent” in the work. (Marron)

Although it will have ended by the time this article is published, February is Valentine’s Day.
I very much look forward to the chocolate fairs held at various department stores every year. This year, in particular, I went to a department store right after the fair started because I had been curious about some chocolates since last year.
The chocolate I had been curious about was the “Suzuno Truffles” sold by the Japanese confectionery Suzukake only during the Valentine’s Day season.

As you can see in the photo above, the truffles come in three different flavors (matcha, hojicha, and brown rice) and are presented in a very cute box with colorful flowers on it.

By the way, when you buy sweets at Suzukake, they put your purchase in a paper bag with the following symbol on it.

The hieroglyphic character for “ka (meaning:confectionery)” is eye-catching, and many people may recognize this logo.
When I see someone carrying this paper bag, my feet naturally turn to the store and I think, “I’ll buy one too…” This logo has a great advertising effect (at least for me).

The “Ka” logo mark has been registered as a trademark for the designated product “confectionery” (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6059376, etc.).
(Sakuramochi)

　The other day, I received a Nagoya Doughnut. The package is very cute with the orca and castle logo. Furthermore, the doughnut is flavored with Ogura(sweet red bean paste) margarine, which is delicious, and I thought it would be a very nice souvenir as a Nagoya specialty. The Nagoya doughnuts are a product of Meihou Foods Inc. There are numerous products, and I am also interested in their dorayaki(a bean-jam pancake) and manju(steamed bun).

　When I checked the trademark registration, Nagoya Donut was not registered, but four of the numerous product names were registered.
　Nagoya Donut is a good name, but I wondered if it would be difficult to register it as a trademark. One of the registered trademarks of Meiho Foods Inc. is “Milky Magic”. This “Milky Magic” is a straw product that changes the taste of milk, and I would like to try drinking milk with this straw.(Raspberry)

Last Christmas, I bought Juchheim ‘s “Der Baumkuchen” as a gift for my family.
I had been interested in it for a long time but never had a chance to buy it, but I happened to see it on a TV program and decided immediately to buy it for Christmas this year!

The outer box is Christmas-specific and cute.
The Der Baum, with its attractive bumpy mountain shape, is said to be baked using the same recipe and production method as in the past. As you can see from the names of the ingredients in the images, they do not use vegetable fats such as margarine and shortening, but use butter and no food additives such as expanders, and are made using only natural ingredients, showing their strong commitment to making safe and secure sweets.

The head office is located in Kobe City, but the central factory is actually located in Anjo City, Aichi Prefecture.
I first learned that Juchheim ‘s confectionery was adopted as a tax return gift from Anjo City.

It has been 100 years since Karl Juchheim, the founder of Juchheim, decided to settle permanently in Japan and opened the first Juchheim store in Japan in Yokohama. In 2009, the 100th anniversary of the company’s founding, a trademark application was filed for the Juchheim logo, including “SEIT 1909” printed on the outer box, and a design that appears to represent the bumpy surfaces of a Der Baumkuchen. (Japanese Registration No. 5299158)

I ate too much cake and chicken for Christmas, so it will be a little while before I can enjoy Der Baum with my family. I am very much looking forward to it♪ (Cacao)

The History of Juchheim | Juchheim
Juchheim Der Baum (L) – Details of the gift – Satofull (satofull.jp)

Caramel is a popular flavor of popcorn, but sometimes I feel like eating caramel itself.
When I think of caramel, the yellow box of “Morinaga Milk Caramel” comes to mind.
The design of the box is interesting to look at because of its history, but when I bought it after a long time, I found that the package had become a “3D art” package that could be enjoyed.

Pictures of people and animals are printed on the outer film, which is superimposed on the background printed on the inside of the box to create a space with depth.
It is a simple but exciting device. Hats off to a great idea.

This package won the Bronze Prize in the confectionery category of the “Japan Package Design Award 2023” in 2022. (Time)

Japanese Registered Trademark
Registration number: No. 89075
Registration date: November 6, 1917

　I would like to introduce some snacks I recently ate, and thought were delicious.
　They are “SABACHI” mackerel chips and “TUNACHI” tuna chips.

　They are crispy and have a light salty taste, while the ” SABACHI ” has a slight sweetness as well. Each is made with 70% mackerel and tuna, respectively, so the fish flavor is amazing. They are like the mackerel and tuna versions of Bankaku’s Yukari, a famous snack in the Tokai region (a rice cracker richly flavored with shrimp). The fact that it looks healthy is also a great point.

　It is a little hard to tell, but the reddish one is “TUNACHI”. In my family, the “TUNACHI” is more popular by three to one.

　On the package, there is an indication “Trademark registration pending,” but the trademark for the letters “SABACHI” (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6321782) and the package (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6437358) and the trademark for the letters “TUNACHI” (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6376443) and the package (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6361490) have been registered, respectively. The “SABACHI” and “TUNACHI” trademarks were registered.

　“SABACHI” and “TUNACHI” seem to have been coined by abbreviating the ending (PS) of “SABACHIPS” and “TUNACHIPS,” respectively, but if “SABACHIPS” or “TUNACHIPS” had been applied for, the application would have been rejected under Article 3(1)(iii) of the Trademark Law (a trademark that merely indicates the quality of goods in a common manner). Whether or not it was to avoid this reason for refusal is not known, but the above trademarks were applied for under “SABACHI” and “TUNACHI” by devising the naming, and the registration was granted without receiving any notice of reason for refusal (Hiro).

It is the end of the year.
In 2022, I ate various snacks, both Japanese and Western, and I would like to introduce the one that left the greatest impression on me.
It is the “Zunda Shake” from Zunda Saryo, which is run by Sendai-based Kasho Sanzen Co., Ltd.
Zunda Shake is a sweet vanilla shake mixed with Zunda (mashed edamame beans). It is said that many people are captivated by this exquisite combination.

I have been wanting to try it for several years but have never had the chance, but I finally had the chance to drink it at the Great Tohoku Exhibition held at JR Nagoya Takashimaya in November this year.
Zunda Shake was as delicious as I had hoped it would be over the years, and I downed it in no time at all. (A few days later, I went back to buy some more…)
I hope to have another such delicious encounter next year.

The trademark in the photo, consisting of “a figure of edamame (*)” and “ZUNDA SARYO,” was registered on October 22, 2004 for the designated service “provision of food and drink” (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 4812488).

* The graphic portion is yellowish green in the photo, but is represented in yellow in the registered trademark.

(Sakuramochi)