San-X

San-X (サンエックス, San Ekkusu) is a Japanese company known for creating and marketing kawaii (cute) characters. San-X characters are usually anthropomorphic representations of animals or inanimate objects. They are typically laid-back or even lazy, often a bit mysterious or have insecurities.^[1][2][3] Notable San-X characters include Tarepanda from 1998 created by Hikaru Suemasa (ja:末政ひかる), Kogepan from 2000 created by Miki Takahashi (ja:たかはしみき), Rilakkuma from 2003 created by Aki Kondo, Mamegoma from 2005 created by Mayumi Yonemura (ja:ヨネムラマユミ), and Sumikko Gurashi from 2012 created by Yuri Yokomizo.

Various San-X characters in 2008, including Kogepan, Monokuro Boo, Wanroom, Tarepanda and Afro Ken

Since 1979 San-X have produced over 1000 different characters.^[4] In the 1980s, in their early days of character creation, San-X produced only stationery, and created 2-3 new characters per month.^[3] But with the success of Tarepanda in 1998 they shifted to increasingly producing toys and merchandise, as well as media like books, video games and anime. As of 2020, 60-70% of their sales were stuffed toys and household goods.^[3] San-X have gradually changed to investing more deeply in individual characters, and as of the 2020s they were aiming to release one or two new characters per year.^[3][5]

History

San-X was founded in April 1932 as a privately owned business under the name Chida Handler.^[6] In October 1941, Chida Handler became a limited company.^[6] In its early days San-x primarily produced writing paper and envelopes with elaborate designs, selling to stationery stores.^[6] Chida Handler's name was changed to San-X in 1973.^[6] The name San-X was derived from an earlier logo, which was a row of three X characters.^{[citation needed]} San is three in Japanese. The X in the logo is often illustrated as an anthropomorphic four leafed clover.

The first original San-X character was Rompish Clown in 1979.^[7][8] In their early days of creating characters, San-X was still purely a stationery company.^[3] The market demand at the time was for stationery with a variety of designs, and San-X released 2-3 new characters every month.^[3] Some hits from this era include Aquamarine from 1980, Pencil Club from 1984, Pinny-Mu from 1987, and Kaijū Paradise from 1988.^[6][9][10] Withnews describe these early characters, like for example Kaijū Paradise, as having more of a simple cuteness, compared to the characters that would later be seen as typical of San-X.^[6] Esparks, from 1989-1995, a manga series printed on stationery, was the first San-X series aimed at boys and was a bit hit.^[6]

Tarepanda from 1998 was created by Hikaru Suemasa (ja:末政ひかる) and went on to be such a success that San-X turned into a full-scale character development and licensing company.^[3] In the years following, several characters that went on to become hits were released, like Nyan Nyan Nyanko, Afro Ken, and Kogepan which was adapted to an anime series in 2001.^[3] In 2003, Aki Kondo created Rilakkuma, San-X's most successful character to date. Mamegoma was created in 2005 and adapted to an anime series in 2009.

In 2010 The New York Times described San-X as a smaller, nimbler company, with potential to surpass the Sanrio corporation. The San-X characters Tarepanda and Rilakkuma were described as "huge hits in Japan" that were rising in the Character Databank character popularity charts while Sanrio's Hello Kitty character slumped in popularity, especially in Japan.^[11] As of 2019 San-X had about 35 designers, creating original characters and making designs for stationery and other merchandise.^[12] Over time, San-X began to develop a deeper and more long-lasting association with individual characters.^[3][2] In the 2020s San-X was creating about 200 new types of characters in-house yearly, holding in-house competitions five times a year, with the aim of selecting only one or two new characters per year to release publicly.^[3][5] And as of 2020 60-70% of San-X's sales were stuffed toys and household goods, with about half the products produced in-house and half being licensed.^[3]

Sumikko Gurashi was created by Yuri Yokomizo in 2012, and beginning in 2019 several animated theatrical feature films with the characters were released.^[13][14] Also in 2019, a stop motion animated series featuring Rilakkuma, called Rilakkuma and Kaoru, began streaming on Netflix.^[15] The short anime Chickip Dancers aired for three seasons between 2021 and 2024, and was the first broadcast TV series with San-X characters.^[16] The Chickip Dancers characters were developed by San-X and launched with the anime, rather than as stationery products, exemplifying the shift of San-X from a stationery company to a character creation company.^[2]

Characters and products

A claw machine with plush Rilakkuma toys

Between 1979 and 2022 San-X created 1000 original characters.^[4] They have been described as different from similar kawaii characters from other companies, coming across as apathetic or lazy, and often having some kind of insecurity.^[2][17] Representatives for San-X have described the characters' ability to visually appeal and evoke emotions as central, and how the characters are often mysterious and have few defined traits, leaving room for imagination and exploration of the characters' backstories.^[3] San-X characters generally do not have voices, although some of them speak in text form.^[3]

In 2020 Withnews said that San-X characters' uniqueness is "that they aren't particularly lively" and "this has an oasis-like appeal in modern society".^[6] San-X head designer and creator of Tarepanda, Hikaru Suemasa said in 1999 that maybe people are exhausted, and that's why they appreciate characters that "do nothing but just stay by your side"^[3] and "It's not just being cute. There is something different - a relaxed look, powerless".^[1] Much of the creation of new characters is left up to the individual designer's judgment, though San-X has some guidelines, and depictions of alcohol, tobacco and violence are not allowed.^[2]

San-X characters can be found on stationery sets and pencils, as collectibles, keychains and stuffed toys. They are sold as blind boxes, gashapon and in UFO catchers and other prize machines in Japan's arcades. There are also anime series, video games and books featuring the characters. Aside from the video games with individual characters listed below, San-X released three games for the Nintendo DS with a variety of characters between 2006 and 2008.^[18][19] The mobile game Sumi Sumi from 2018 also features a variety of San-X characters.^[20]

The list below is chronological and contains media like books, video games, and animation with each character.

1979-1989

Rompish Clown (ロンピッシュクラウン) (1979) was the first original San-X character, a circus clown with designs decorated by stars.^[7][21][5] Typical stationery products like letter sets, pencil caps and pencil cases with Rompish Clown were sold by San-X.^[2][5] The items were sold with the slogan Hajikeru rizumu, piero ga odoru, aka to kuro no hāmonī (はじけるリズム　ピエロが踊る赤と黒のハーモニー, transl. Popping rhythm, a dancing clown, a harmony of red and black).^[7][5]

Aquamarine (アクアマリン) (1980) is a series of marine animals like dolphins and whales.^[22] The design was changed to be more colorful and eye-catching, and it became an early hit for San-X.^[5][6]

Pencil Club (ペンシルクラブ) (1984) are two preschool child characters drawn in crayon style with pastel colors, a boy called Santa kun (さんたくん) and a girl called Pun chan (ぷんちゃん).^[23][24][25] They were created to take advantage of the trend of matching pairs at the time.^[25] The characters were a hit of the era, and in addition to stationery, there were also Pencil Club lunch boxes and piggy banks.^[2][25][24]

Pinny-Mu (ピニームー) (1987) is a bear character, drawn with a bold ink outline.^[26][27] The character was selected in an in-house competition,^[25] was a hit, and the range of products expanded to include mugs and drinking glasses.^[2][28]

Kaijū Paradise (カイジュウパラダイス) (1988) is a monster and space themed group of characters, with the main character named Gao Gao-kun (ガオガオくん).^[29] Kaijū (かいじゅう) means monster. A similar monster character was released by San-X a year earlier, in 1987, under the name ぼく かいじゅうです (Boku Kaijū Desu, I am Monster), but Kaijū Paradise was a bigger hit.^[30][25] In addition to products like a lamp and candy, the Kaijū Paradise characters and settings were developed in detail, and there was manga with Gao Gao-kun.^[31][25] Withnews described Kaijū Paradise as having more of a simple cuteness, compared to the characters that would later be seen as typical of San-X.^[6]

Esparks (ja:エスパークス, Esupākusu) (1989) is a stationery manga series by Hiroshi Soya (征矢浩志, Soya Hiroshi) about a boy hero named Esparks saving the world from destruction.^[32][33] It was originally printed in 1989-1995 on stationery sold by San-X, like notebooks and pencil cases.^[28][34] It includes manga that can be played like sugoroku, a type of board game.^[28] Esparks manga was also serialized in CoroCoro Comic.^[35] Two Esparks video games were released, one for Game Boy in 1992, and one for Super Famicom in 1995.^[36][37][38] It was the first San-X series aimed at boys, and got so popular that some schools banned Esparks stationery.^[6][28][39] In 2009, a revival compilation book was published with the manga that had previously been printed as stationery.^[33][34]

1998-2005

Tarepanda (1998) is a lazy panda.^[40][41][42]

Buru Buru Dog (ぶるぶるどっぐ) (1999) is a small white dog character who cannot stop trembling no matter what happens.^[43][44][45] Buruburu (ぶるぶる) is Japanese onomatopoeia for trembling. The original draft for the character was created by Hikaru Suemasa who also created Tarepanda.^[25] Three Buru Buru Dog picture books by Yukiko Hirano (ひらのゆきこ, Hirano Yukiko) were released in the year 2000.^[33] Described as a hit of the era by Withnews.^[3]

Kogepan (2000) is a burnt red bean bread bun who lives in a bakery, trying to fit in and make friends with the other bread items. Happiness for him is always short-lived, so he has the tendency to get drunk on milk.^[46] Created by Miki Takahashi (ja:たかはしみき, Takahashi Miki) in 2000.^[47] Adapted to an anime series in 2001.^[48] A number of Kogepan books by Takahashi have been published in Japan.^[33]

Nyan Nyan Nyanko (ja:にゃんにゃんにゃんこ) (2000) are small, usually white kittens that imitate various items, most commonly food. They also appear as everyday items, such as toys, school supplies, or household necessities.^[49][50] The term "Nyan" or "nyaa" is a Japanese onomatopoeic word for a cat's meow. "Ko" is a word which in Japanese connotes with "child" or "young." Together they make the childish/cutesy word for kitten. Created by Misuzu Nakajima (なかじまみすず, Nakajima Misuzu) in the year 2000.^[51] Five picture books with Nyan Nyan Nyanko were published in Japan between 2001 and 2007.^[33] A video game called Nyan Nyan Nyanko no Nyan Collection (にゃんにゃんにゃんこのにゃんコレクション) was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2005.^[52][53][18] Nyan Nyan Nyanko were described as a hit of the era by Withnews.^[3]

Afro Ken (ja:アフロ犬) (2001) is a dog with a colorful afro that changes color depending on its surroundings.^{[54][55][56][57]} Ken is one of the readings of 犬 which means dog. Four picture books by Aimi Tetsuro (あいみてつろう) featuring Afro ken were published in Japan.^[33] A video Game called Afro Ken The Puzzle (アフロ犬 The パズル) was released for the PlayStation in 2001.^[58] A 3DCG animated Afro Ken OVA was released in 2001.^[59] Described as a hit of the era by Withnews.^[3]

Amagurichan (あまぐりちゃん) (2001) is a chestnut character, created by Aki Kondo, who also created Rilakkuma.^{[60][61][62][63]} Two picture books by Kondo featuring Amagurichan were published in Japan in 2002 and 2003.^[33]

Koya Inu (小屋犬, Koya Inu) (2001) is a dog who has a roof on its head.^[64][65] A Koya Inu picture book by Mayumi Yonemura (ヨネムラマユミ) was published in Japan in 2001.^[33]

Mikanbouya (ja:みかんぼうや) (2001) is a group of citrus characters. The main character Mikanbouya is a satsuma mandarin (みかん, mikan).^[66][67][68] Created in 2001 by Aki Kondo who has loved citrus fruit since childhood.^[69][25] Five picture books by Kondo featuring Mikanbouya were published in Japan between 2002 and 2005.^[33] Described as a hit of the era by Withnews.^[3]

Shiawase Nyanko (しあわせにゃんこ) (2001) is a group of cats who want to make people happy.^[70] Two books by Tomoko Matsui (まついともこ) were published in Japan in 2002.^[33]

Cheese Family (チーズ一家, Chīzu ikka) (2002) is a group of cheese characters.^[71][72][73] Two picture books by Tomoka Tamiya (たみやともか) were published in Japan in 2003 and 2005,^[33] with a third book in 2019.^[74]

Nagomimakuri (なごみまくり) (2002) is a mysterious character who resembles a Japanese giant salamander. It has a rounded shape and lives deep in the forest in clear streams. It leads a placid, carefree life and moves around slowly and calmly. San-X describes it as a relaxing and de-stressing character.^[75] The name is a combination of 和む (nagomu) and まくる (makuru) that roughly translates to "intensely calming". A picture book by Shigeko Nagasawa (ながさわ　しげこ) featuring Nagomimakuri was published in Japan in 2002.^[33]

Nijinomukou (ニジノムコウ) (2002) is a group of animals, drawn in a more sketchy style.^[76][77] "Niji no mukō" means the other side of the rainbow. A picture book by Mitsuko Ishizu (いしづ　みつこ) was published in Japan in 2003.^[33]

A Tokyo bus with Rilakkuma themed decor

Rilakkuma (2003) is a brown bear who lives in the house of an office lady (OL) named Kaoru.^[78][79] Created by Aki Kondo.^[63] Numerous books with Rilakkuma by Kondo have been published in Japan.^[33] Several Rilakkuma video games have been released for Nintendo systems, beginning with the Game Boy Advance in 2005.^[18][80] A stop motion animated series called Rilakkuma and Kaoru began streaming on Netflix in 2019.^[81][82] In May 2010, Rilakkuma ranked as the fifth most popular character in Japan in a survey of the Character Databank.^[83] As of March 2020^[update], character merchandise has generated a total of $10 billion in retail sales revenue across Asia.^[84]

Yōguru-kun (ヨーグルくん) (2003) is a yogurt character.^[85][86] A picture book by Misuzu Nakajima (なかじまみすず, Nakajima Misuzu) featuring Yōguru-kun was published in Japan in 2004.^[33]

Momobuta (ja:ももぶた) (2004) is a pig with a head shaped like a peach, who enjoys karaoke and painting her nails.^[87][88][89] Momobuta was released in 2004 as a media mix collaboration between San-X and Sega Toys. A manga by Tomomi Fukube (ja:福米ともみ) was serialized in Ribon magazine beginning in 2004, with Sega Toys selling a related fortune teller toy.^[90] A Momobuta picture book by Yumiko Takeuchi (タケウチ ユミコ) was published in Japan in 2005.^[33]

Necorin (ねこりん) (2004) is a group of playful cats.^[91][92] A picture book by Tomoko Oshino (おしのともこ) was published in Japan in 2005.^[33]

Mamegoma plush toys

Mamegoma (まめゴマ) (2005) is a series of seal characters created by Mayumi Yonemura (ja:ヨネムラマユミ).^[93][94][95] They are depicted as small enough to live in a goldfish bowl.^[96] A 2009 Mamegoma anime series called Kupū~!! Mamegoma! (クプ～！！まめゴマ！) was produced by TMS Entertainment. Four Mamegoma Nintendo DS games were released in Japan between 2007 and 2010, and two 3DS games in 2012 and 2013.^[18][97][98] Several picture books and manga by Yonemura featuring Mamegoma have been published in Japan.^[33]

Monokuro Boo (2005) are two square shaped pigs, one black and one white.^[99] There is usually a bee buzzing around them, and the phrase "Simple is Best" or "Are you happy?"^[100]

Neko no Panya (ねこのパンヤ) (2005) is a cat's bread shop.^[101] A picture book by Naoko Okada (おかだなおこ, Okada Naoko) featuring Neko no Panya was published in Japan in 2008.^[33]

Wanroom (ワンルーム) (2005) is a collection of household items with dog faces. Their slogan is "Let's enjoy Wanroom life!"^[102][103] Each Wanroom character has a name like Inusofa (a couch), Wano'clock (an alarm clock) and Sabowan (a cactus).^[104] A Wanroom picture book by Yumiko Takeuchi (タケウチユミコ, Takeuchi Yumiko) was published in Japan in 2006.^[33]

2006-2010

Jewel Cat (ジュエルキャット) (2006) is a pretty cat whose eyes are made of jewels and lives in a jewel box.^[105][106] A picture book by Naoko Okada (おかだ　なおこ) was published in Japan in 2010.^[33]

Tohoho na Dog (トホホな犬) (2006) is a dog with a tire on its head.^[107][108] Two picture books by Aimi Tetsuro (あいみてつろう) featuring Tohoho na Dog were published in Japan in 2005 and 2007.^[33]

Tsugi no Hi Kerori (ja:次の日ケロリ) (2006) (a frog of tomorrow) Kerori is a frog who is either white or green depending on its mood.^[109][110] Three picture books by Yumiko Takeuchi (タケウチユミコ, Takeuchi Yumiko) with Kerori were published between 2006 and 2008.^[33]

Kamonohashikamo (かものはしかも。) (2007) is a yellow animal character with a beak. He might be a platypus but he is unsure. He is unsure and undecided about most things.^[111][112] "Kamonohashi" is Japanese for platypus, and "kamo" (かも) is short for "perhaps" or "might be", so a rough translation of the name would be "A platypus, perhaps?" Six volumes of Kamonohashikamo yonkoma manga by Chiaki Abe (あべ　ちあき) were published in Japan between 2008 and 2013.^[33] A video game called Kamonohashikamo. Aimai seikatsu no susume (かものはしかも。 あいまい生活のすすめ, transl. Kamonohashikamo. Advice for an Ambiguous Life) was released for the Nintendo DS in 2009.^[18]

Kutsushita Nyanko (ja:靴下にゃんこ) (2007) is a black cat character named Bon Chan who wears white socks. Friends with Norucchi, a smaller fluffy yellow cat.^[113][114] Seven picture books by Yoshie Toya (トヤ　ヨシエ) were published in Japan between 2008 to 2014.^[33] A video game called Kutsushitanyanko ~ shiroi kutsushita o haita neko to kurashi hajimemashita.~ (靴下にゃんこ～白い靴下をはいた猫とくらしはじめました。～, transl. Kutsushita Nyanko: Life with a Cat Who Wears White Socks Has Begun) was released for the Nintendo DS in 2009.^[18]

Sabokappa (サボカッパ) (2008) is a kappa combined with a cactus.^[115] The character was a collaboration project with the Japanese publisher Shufu To Seikatsu Sha (ja:主婦と生活社).^[116] Three Sabokappa picture books by Motoko Abe (あべ　もとこ) were published by Shufu To Seikatsu Sha in Japan between 2009 and 2011.^[33][117]

Kireizukinseikatu (ja:きれいずきん生活) (2009) is a lazy raccoon named Mar who transforms into a hard-worker when wearing a red hood.^[118][119] Two Kireizukinseikatu picture books by Chiaki Abe (あべ　ちあき) were published in Japan in 2009 and 2010.^[33] Two self-titled Kireizukinseikatu games for the Nintendo DS were released in 2010 and 2011.^[18]

Iiwaken (いいわけん) (2010) is a Shiba Inu.^[120] A manga with Iiwaken by Imako (イマコ) was published in Japan in 2016.^[121]

Omusubiyasan (おむすびやさん) (2010) is a character series where the setting is a vendor that sells omusubi (rice balls) with different types of Omusubi characters.^[122][123] A picture book by Mayumi Morita (モリタ マユミ) was published in Japan in 2005.^[33][124]

Sentimental Circus (ja:センチメンタルサーカス) (2010) is a group of worn out and forgotten stuffed toys who run a circus at night. Their leader is the pink patchwork rabbit character Shappo.^{[125][126][127]} Beginning in 2011, several books by Haruko Ichikawa (市川　晴子) have been published in Japan, including four picture books and two volumes of manga.^[128] According to a 2017 report in Japan, the popularity of Sentimental Circus was on par with that of Rilakkuma and Sumikko Gurashi.^[129]

2011-2020

Chocopa (チョコパ) (2011) is a panda who eats so much chocolate that she sometimes turns into a brown bear.^[130] A picture book by Chiaki Abe (あべ　ちあき) was published in Japan in 2012.^[33]

Sumikko Gurashi (2012) is a group of animals (and food items) with personality issues that like corners ^[131] Created by Yuri Yokomizo in 2012, and beginning in 2019 several animated theatrical feature films with the characters were released.^[132][133] The first Sumikko Gurashi books were released in 2014, and as of 2018 over 30 different books have been released, including story books, fan books, activity books, and mooks with enclosed items.^[134] There have also been several Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch games, and several mobile games, including Sumikko Gurashi—Our Puzzling Ways and SumiSumi.^{[135][136][137]} According to San-X, in 2015, Sumikko Gurashi stood for 30% of sales of their original merchandise or about 5 billion yen.^[138] As of 2019, sales of Sumikko products were worth about 20 billion yen a year. Eight million plush toys and 3 million books had been sold.^[139] Sumikko Gurashi was ranked #10 in 2016, and #5 in 2018 on character popularity charts from Bandai, based on surveys of parents of children under 12 in Japan.^{[140][141][142]} In 2019, Sumikko Gurashi won the Grand Prize at the Japan Character Awards.^[143]

Jinbesan (じんべえさん) (2015) is a whale shark character that swims silently in the sea, with many friends gathering around it to relax.^[144][145] The name comes from jinbesame (ジンベエザメ), the Japanese name for whale shark. The creation of Jinbesan was inspired by the large size and elegance of a whale shark at an aquarium.^[146] The first product was a market test memo pad which sold well.^[146] Jinbesan manga has been serialized in Nene (ja:ね〜ね〜) magazine, where Jinbesan was also consistently voted among the top five characters.^[147] Two Jinbesan picture books, with yonkoma manga, by Yumiko Takeuchi (タケウチユミコ) were published in Japan in 2019 and 2022.^{[148][149][147]} The character also appeared in collaborations with aquariums, and at a Jinbesan themed cafe at Iwashita's New Ginger museum (ja:岩下の新生姜ミュージアム).^[146][147]

Corocoro Coronya (ころころコロニャ) (2017) is a cat who hides in a corone bread.^[150] Two books with Corocoro Coronya by Komugiko (こむぎこ) were published in Japan in 2018 and 2020.^[151]

Funwari Necoron (ふんわりねころん) (2017) is a group of round fluffy cat characters, who have tails with a light fragrance of things like flowers, soap and berries.^[152][153] ふんわり (funwari) is an emphasized version of ふわり (fuwari) which means soft and fluffy,^[154] and ねころん (Necoron) is a combination of neko (ねこ, cat) and koron (コロン, cologne).^[155] A yonkoma manga book by Yuki Fuwa (ふわゆき, Fuwa Yuki) with the title Funwari Necoron: Fuwatto Kaoru Yasashī Kimochi (ふんわりねころん ふわっとかおるやさしいキモチ, transl. Funwari Necoron: A Gently Fragrant Soft Feeling) was published in 2025.^[156][157] The book follows the daily life of the characters through the four seasons.^[153]

Gesshizu (げっしーず) (2018) are a group of mysterious iyashikei (healing) characters, who resemble many different animals and are many different colors, but all have prominent front teeth.^[158][159] The name derives from the Japanese word "gesshirui" (げっしるい) which means rodent.^[160] They were developed as a joint project between San-X and Nippon Columbia.^[161] Three games for the Nintendo Switch and a mobile game app have been released between 2018 and 2022.^[162] A Gesshizu novelization was published in Japan in 2019.^[163] It was written by Yoshinao Shimada (しまだよしなお) who produced the first Gesshizu game, and illustrated by Shiroi Omochi (しろいおもち), a designer at San-X who worked on the Gesshizu character design.^[163][164] A Gesshizu manga has been serialized in Ciao magazine.^[165][166] Another manga was serialized in Nene (ja:ね〜ね〜) magazine.^[165][167]

2021-

Kokoroaraiguma (ココロアライグマ) (2020) is a racoon character who washes sadness away.^[168] The name of this character was decided before the appearance.^[169] A book with Kokoroaraiguma was published in Japan in 2022.^[170]

Chickip Dancers (ja:チキップダンサーズ, Chikippu Dansāzu) (2021) is a group of anthropomorphized food characters who dance.^[171][172] Characters include Chicken Bone (ほねチキン), a bone-in chicken, Candy Apple (りんごあめ), a candy apple, Kushikatsu (くしかつ), a kushikatsu deep fried meat skewer, and Coach Skipping Frog (スキップガエル先生) a frog who is the group's dance teacher.^{[173][174][175]} The short five minutes per episode anime series Chickip Dancers aired for three seasons on NHK Educational TV 2021 to 2024. It was produced by Fanworks and was the first broadcast TV anime with San-X characters.^[16] A Chickip Dancers video game for Nintendo Switch and a soundtrack CD were released in 2022.^{[176][177][178]} Several children's books based on the characters were published in Japan by Shogakukan between 2022 and 2024.^[178][179]

Kumausa (くまうさ) (2022) is a rabbit character who is big like a bear.^[180] The name is a combination of kuma (くま, bear) and うさ (usa) short for usagi (うさぎ, rabbit). In 2022 a Kumausa picture book was published in collaboration with the YouTuber エミリン (Emirin) (ja:大松絵美) called Kumausa Mimichan Iyaiya Dotchi? (くまうさミミちゃん　いやいやどっち？, transl. Kumausa Mimi-chan: No, No, Which One?).^[181][182] Kumausa is an example of a character developed by San-X that was launched as a media product, rather than as stationery.^[2]

Ishiyowa-chan (いしよわちゃん) (2024) is a dog character who is self-indulgent and gives up easily.^[183] The name is a colloquial version of ishi ga yowai (意志が弱い, weak-willed). A book called Ishiyowa-chan: Ashita no Jibun ni Makasemasu (いしよわちゃん 明日のじぶんにまかせます, transl. Ishiyowa-chan: I'll Do It Tomorrow) was published in 2025.^[184][185] It follows Ishiyowa-chan at the office and at home, and includes an advice column.^[185] Realsound (ja:リアルサウンド) recommended the book for people who feel fatigued.^[185] Ishiyowa-chan gained 65 000 followers on X (formerly Twitter) within nine months of release.^[185][186] Temporary Ishiyowa-chan themed cafes were opened in 2025 in Tokyo and Osaka.^[186]

Sugarcocomuu (シュガーココムー) (2024) is a cotton candy rabbit character who minds a sweets shop.^[187] A childrens novel with Sugarcocomuu was published in Japan in 2024.^[188][189]