5 year old Fae

I was 5 years old when my family moved to Japan. We settled in Osaka, the second largest city. One look at my small face with big eyes and almost any Japanese who saw me said, “She is cute as Peko-chan”.
Hence, my nick-name, “Peko-chan”. Who/what is Peko-chan?

Peko-chan’s history:
Fujiya Food Service Co., Ltd. is a nationwide chain of confectionery stores and restaurants in Japan. Its first shop was founded in 1910 in Yokohama. Fujiya’s mascot is bobble-head Peko-chan, a girl-doll in pigtails with big eyes and her tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth (as the sign of yummy). The dolls stand 110cm (43”) tall and weigh 11Kg (24 lbs). There are an estimated 650 dolls across the nation (not including the ones outside Japan). Peko-chan is a well-known (and loved) marketing icon in Japan, where mascots are commonly seen nationwide standing outside the chain’s stores. Its/her garments are changed according to season, holiday celebrations and events… variations from school uniform to New Year kimono.

Peko-chan fashion

Eight Peko-chan dolls recovered

Peko-chan in news:
On September 1, 2009, the Wakayama Higashi Police Department arrested Hiroshi Inaba and an accomplice for stealing a number of Peko-chan dolls from Fujiya Arimoto in Wakayama. The police department recovered eight of the Peko-chan dolls that Inaba had stolen. Dolls were being sold for 200,000 Yen ($2000) each in an antique shop in Osaka. Five in Wakayama, three in Osaka, and two in Hyogo were stolen in January and February 2009 alone. You might wonder who wants to own/buy these dolls?

Peko-chan’s Peko-chan doll

Well! I own one 30cm (12”) doll. No, I did not steal it.
Fujiya does not sell dolls of any size used as displays at the stores. Only certain Peko-chan and Poko-chan (the boy version) image items are sold. So how did I obtain the one I have?

My very first job after college was at a Japanese start-up company in Santa Clara, CA. I was hired as the business manager to set up the company. The owner/president of the company, “Shacho-san” (president), an extremely generous and wealthy Japanese man and the lady managing-director of the company “Bucho-san” (director), a perfect combo, were extremely amused to find out that my nickname was Peko-chan. They visited the USA subsidiary once every month. The second time they visited the Santa Clara site, I was astounded to receive the doll as a gift. The story is… Shacho-san and Bucho-san went to one of the largest Fujiya restaurants in Tokyo, shortly before closing. When the waiter came to take the order, Shacho-san said, “ I came to buy a Peko-chan doll”, pointing at the main one standing at the entry. After bowing several times, the waiter stated that the doll was not for sale and no doll ever would be. After going back and forth and insisting, the manager of the store got involved. The manager and the waiter bowed over and over, asking the “customer” (customer is god) to please understand and to refrain. However, Shacho-san did not give up. To make a long story short, the manager brought the 30cm doll and gifted it to Sacho-san, while asking him to leave, as their closing time has passed. This is not common. I am certain that it was the first and last time this has ever happened.

Purin プリン

So, what’s a Peko-chan doll got to do with crème caramel? The very first crème caramel (Japanese call it ‘purin’プリン) I had in my life was at a Fujiya Restaurant in Osaka…   and I was introduced to Peko-chan!

Ken age 4 introduced to Peko-chan at Narita Airport

You may like the recipe for:

Crème Caramel

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So, what’s cooking in your kitchen?

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Check out Fae’s → Recipe Index

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