和製カンガルー

Japan has an unlikely array of its own kangaroo logos, from delivery and construction companies to sports teams and care services. Find out more about them here.
日本には、宅配や建設会社からスポーツチーム、介護サービスまで、意外なほど多くのカンガルー・ロゴがあります。ここでその魅力を詳しく紹介します

  • Kangaroo Crank

    Continuing on from yesterday’s entry, there’s more Maruishi Cycle brilliance on show. Here is a bicycle crank featuring a kangaroo motif. This work is especially notable as it was done before World War II. Also note the kangaroo print on the pedal shaft. Pretty amazing bit of work, though the kangaroo connection remains a bit of a mystery, yet once again forms a link between Japan and Australia.

  • Kangaroos Have a Proud History Adorning Japanese Marushi Bicycles

    Maruishi Cycle Ltd. is a prestigious bicycle manufacturer perhaps best-known today for its vintage models that until late in the 20th century also included penny farthings. Maruishi continues to make fine touring bikes in Japan. The company’s history dates back to 1894, though it has been Chinese-owned since 2006. Of greatest interest for Kangaeroo readers, though, is that Maruishi’s symbol throughout its history has been a kangaroo! Why Maruishi chose a kangaroo remains a mystery, though its cycles are renowned for their luggage-bearing capability, which probably goes some way toward providing an explanation. Although current Maruishi kangaroo displays appear largely limited to bicycle decals and store signage, marsupial images once…

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    Crafted Kangaroos and Tiger Shoes

    I was delighted to discover an arty ceramic kangaroo being sold at a store near the office, but the asking price put it out of my range despite my desire to possess anything marsupial. I also got to witness the upshot of a drunk driver who rammed into a Shinjuku restaurant, incurring the wrath of another bystander when I took a photo of the carnage (with no human casualties). And a workmate and I crafted a pair of tiger striped shoes! (She did most of the work, and ALL of it that required any dexterity).