I can't believe we've got this far as a company in Japan without having our own mascot! Something didn't quite feel right, and it was the fact we didn't have a kawaii character all of our own.
But all that's changed, as we managed to find a brilliant illustrator called Dana Zimmerling to create a custom character - Gengo-chan!
About the illustrator
Dana is the creator of the eclectic zine Damki - but she turns her hand to a wide range of projects - from magazine illustration to brand design to fans. Check out her portfolio here.
She worked with us (tirelessly :) to come up with something that would represent our dedication to getting the world talking, while fitting in with our existing brand. We're super happy with her work.
Dana also created a new set of icons for our three levels of translation (Standard, Pro and Ultra) which we'll be rolling out soon.
So without further ado, we introduce Gengo-chan. He'll be appearing on a bunch more stuff soon - but right now he's just here on the blog, chilling out.
More mascots
Japan is awash with little characters and mascots - you only have to walk down the street to see a couple of new ones every day if you look hard enough. For more info about mascots, check out the following:
Hello, Please is a book dedicated to all the different mascots created by Japanese companies and government agencies. It's a great little gift book for anyone into Japan.
More Japanese mascots at Danny Choo.
