They steal Fujiya Peko chan dolls

A 31 year old guy was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison for stealing a Peko-chan doll. Peko-chan is a famous character of the sweets maker Fujiya. Today another guy who lead the plot by mail was sentenced to 7 years in prison. A UK news site reported "Japanese man gets jail time for 'kidnapping' dolls". Ha ha ha! But why did they steal Peko-chan?

Fujiya is a pioneer of western sweets in Japan. They started to sell shortcakes in 1922, back in the days when the Japanese hardly ate western cakes. After WW2 cakes became more common in Japanese food life. Actually in those days, speaking of cake, it was Fujiya. When I was a kid, mom ordered birthday cakes from Fujiya and dad somtimes picked up cake and some ice cream after work. Yes I must tell you, for children of the Showa era (1926-1988), Fujiya was something special and it still has a sweet, nostalgic air with distant childhood memories even now.

Since we now have a lot of good Patisseries and cake shops, I must tell you that I can't remember the last time I ate a Fujiya cake. But peko-chan is really a big collecter's item for all generations. She was born in 1950 and after that she has always been a symbol of Fujiya. She is on candy packaging, candy bottles, other sweets. This September Fujiya opened a Peko-chan online shop where they sell only peko-chan goods (no sweets there.) However, the most valuable item is this "not for sale" Peko-chan doll in front of fujiya shops. (Here is another good article.) The guys have to go to prison for stealing 9 peko-chans worth about 320,000yen. They sold them for about 800,000yen on the internet. Their target was this very old type. Poor peko-chans. Many peko-chans are now chained up, I heard.

Yes I don't collect but I like Peko-chan. But this Peko-chan is scary. Ah when I looked for good Peko-chan picture, I found these Real Crayon Shin-chan and Real Pikachu. ha ha ha pretty.

Comments

Gorilla costumes have to...

[Monica]

What a sad... crime.
Peko-chan is adorable and so full of childhood memories.

[Mari]

Hi There
My favorite sweet is Japanese sweet anko. But when I was kids, I love cake and chocolate most. Maybe Japanese sweet's natural taste is better for me now. This summer I am so into MIZUYOKAN. I try to make it.

[cecile]

i love MILKY!! i have about 3 packs inside my office drawers everyday. Peko chan is so cute! maybe i'll get myself something from the peko chan store. hehe

[Martin]

Yes, dark chocolate is great. The best I ever had was in Venezuela, where they sold "single beans" chocolates. Great stuff. Different beans, different flavours... I will never forget that...

[Jedicraft]

Sorry but Japan has a lot of silly laws. The police here seem more interested in Bicycle theft than organized crime....

[Dan]

i like cake.

but i like fried chicken, in a sweet tangy sauce even more than i like cake.

if i died and lost my body, and had only a spirit, my mind would be through and through nothing but a sweet nostalgic air with distant memory of filling my mouth with dark chocolate.

not cake. just dark chocolate.

"semi-sweet"

i don't have any Peko-chan dolls. but if i did, and someone stole them, i'd say "take them away. take them away."

[huang]

This made me think that the designer was really really good in coming up with an everlasting image that lasted generations and changing tastes. Quite a contrast to brands that tinker with their corporate colours and packaging far too often these days.

I love the pic you chose for this post; I'm using her as my blog's mascot for the time being. ^-^