Takuchan (Japanese: たくちゃん) was the unofficial mascot of the 1972 Winter Olympics held in Sapporo, Japan. An Asian black bear, Takuchan was designed by Seiko, one of the official sponsors of the Games.[1][2]
| Takuchan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Unofficial mascot of the 1972 Winter Olympics (Sapporo) | |
| Creator | Seiko design department |
| Significance | An Asian black bear |
Takuchan was marketed by Seiko exclusively in connection with the Games and in combination with the official emblem, with fabric figures, decals, bags, bath towels and many other souvenirs of Takuchan being sold. Another sponsor, Takushoku Bank, released a series of Takuchan-themed money banks, which depicted Takuchan performing several Winter Olympic sports, and which circulated widely as quasi-totems.[3][4] Pictograms of Takuchan performing Winter Olympic sports were also created.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "Sapporo 1972 – Takuchan (unofficial mascot)". TheOlympicDesign. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ Roche, Lisa Riley (14 November 2022). "The Paris Olympic mascot is ... a hat?". KSL.com. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ Mackay, Duncan (30 August 2020). "Waldi, the first Olympic mascot, turns 50". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ Gerlach, Larry R. (2013). "The Winter Mascots - From Games symbols to historical and cultural representations*" (PDF). International Society of Olympic Historians. Retrieved 6 October 2024.