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Japan has produced many cute characters, including Domo, Kirby, Totoro, Doraemon, Pikachu, and many more.
Today, with so many cute characters from Japan, the international audience often thinks that these characters come from the same company. In particular, many mix up Sanrio and San-X characters, thinking they all come from the same brand.
Despite both brands producing cute characters, Sanrio and San-X are two completely different and unrelated companies. Sanrio is a company introduced in the 1960s and is best known for Hello Kitty. On the other hand, San-X is an older company established in the 1930s, best known for Rilakkuma and Tarepanda.
Sanrio and San-X have similar themes, which is why foreign audiences often confuse them. Both brands create cute characters based on animals and inanimate objects such as food. In addition, the modern art style of the two companies is quite similar.
And lastly, both brands have “San” in their name, which can confuse those unfamiliar with either of these two brands. In this article, we will discuss the main differences between Sanrio and San-X. We will also introduce you to the characters and products of each brand to help you further understand the differences between Sanrio and San-X.
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Are Sanrio and San-X the Same?
Today, Sanrio and San-X share many similarities, which is why foreigners often think they are the same company. Both companies specialize in designing “kawaii” (cute) characters based on animals and inanimate objects.
These characters have become such a big hit in Japan that they essentially got their own line of products and have become Japanese pop culture icons. And, of course, both companies have branched out to produce media, such as anime and manga.
Despite their many similarities, Sanrio and San-X are completely unrelated to each other. San-X was a stationery company founded in 1932 under the name “Chida Handler”. They then rebranded into “San-X” in May of 1973.
The company’s new name was based on its logo, which featured three Xs. And when combined with the Japanese word 三 “san”, which translates to “three”, San-X literally means “three Xs”.
From the company’s founding until the 1990s, San-X primarily focused on creating stationery featuring Japanese scenery. In 1995, the company had a major breakthrough when the Japanese artist Hikaru Suemasa created Tarepanda.
This lazy panda was an instant hit. In 1998, San-X dedicated its efforts to creating more cute characters that would be incorporated into its products. In 2003, San-X created Rilakkuma, who became the company’s most well-known character.
Also Read: How To Buy From Sanrio Japan Online (And More!)
Sanrio, on the other hand, was established much later. Sanrio was founded in 1960 by Shintaro Tsuji. The company’s original name was Yamanashi Silk Company, and they primarily focused on creating silk-based products.
The Yamanashi Silk Company later expanded into creating rubber products, including sandals. The company also started incorporating cute characters into its products, greatly increasing its sales.
In 1973, The Yamanashi Silk Company rebranded into Sanrio and dedicated all efforts to producing cute characters. The company’s new name is derived from the Spanish “San Rio”, which translates to “Saint River”. A year after rebranding in 1974, Sanrio created Hello Kitty, which singlehandedly helped Sanrio reach global success.
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Sanrio Characters
Aside from Hello Kitty, Sanrio has a huge roster of iconic characters. Since Hello Kitty’s debut in 1974, Sanrio has introduced over 450 original characters. Sanrio’s roster of cute and lovable characters keeps increasing as the company constantly introduces new characters that appeal to a global audience.
Some well-known Sanrio characters include the adorable Golden retriever Pompompurin, the lovable My Melody, the Lazy Gudetama, the mischievous Badtz-Maru, the villainous Kuromi, Aggretsuko and many more.
Sanrio’s popularity in Japan has helped create several attractions, such as theme parks and restaurants, TV shows and movies based on their characters. There is a Gudetama Cafe in Osaka and Sanrio’s Puroland theme park in Tokyo.
Also Read: Your Guide to the “Sanrio Danshi” Anime
San-X Characters
Despite being an older company than Sanrio, San-X didn’t start creating original characters until the 1990s. Today, San-X doesn’t have as many characters as Sanrio, however they still have plenty of cute and adorable characters that are very popular in Japan.
Rilakkuma (リラックマ) is arguably San X’s most popular character and has been featured in different kinds of merchandise and collaboration cafes. Rilakkuma was created by Japanese illustrator Aki Kondo.
Rilakkuma’s name comes from the Japanese words for “relax” (リラックス or “rirakkusu”) and “bear” (熊 or “kuma”). Rilakkuma often hangs out with his friends, Korilakkuma and Kiiroitori. Korilakkuma (コリラックマ) is a mischievous white bear cub who loves to play pranks. Similar to Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma’s name roughly translates to “Little Relaxed Bear”.
Kiiroitori (キイロイトリ) is a yellow chick who is the exact opposite of Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma. Unlike the two relaxed bears, Kiiroitori is hardworking and fond of cleaning.
Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, and Kiiroitori appear with their human friend Kaoru in the Netflix stop-motion animation “Rilakkuma and Kaoru”. Before Rilakkuma captured the hearts of Japanese audiences in 2003, San-X had a different mascot. The first character that San-X introduced in 1995 was the adorable Tarepanda.
Also Read: Top 20 Cute Character-Themed Cafes To Visit In Japan
Like Rilakkuma, Tarepanda is a relaxed, lazy panda often drawn lying down. This lazy bear who moves by rolling, designed by Hikaru Suemasa, resonated with the Japanese audience at the time. Tarepanda products earned 30 billion yen in 1999, prompting San-X to design new characters. Now their roster includes many other adorable characters including Sumikko Gurashi, Nyan Nyan Nyanko, Kogepan, Afrodog (Afro-Inu), Sentimental Circus, Chikippu Dancers, and many more.
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Sanrio and San-X Products
Just like their characters, Sanrio and San-X products are quite similar. Both companies produce general goods and merchandise based on their characters, such as plushies, apparel, etc. However, Sanrio’s products are arguably more diverse and reach a wider audience.
Sanrio has collaborated with various Japanese brands, further increasing their popularity in their home country. Japanese Sanrio collaborations include Mobile Suit Gundam, Mazinger Z, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Naruto, Jujutsu Kaisen, Nintendo, and many more.
Sanrio has also collaborated with many Western brands to bring Hello Kitty and her friends to the Western world. Some brands they have collaborated with include Adidas, Converse, Doc Martens, Crocs, Fender/Squire, Funko, Citizen, and many more.
Also Read: Cute Sanrio Crossover Merch You Didn’t Know You Needed
In comparison, San-X has mostly been selling its products to the Japanese market. Their products include stickers, stationeries, bags, purses, school supplies, plushies, keychains, and many more.
San-X has collaborated with international brands, such as Uniqlo. Together with Uniqlo, they released the Sumikkogurashi collection. These collaborations and the Rilakkuma Netflix show have helped introduce San-X to the global audience. But in comparison to Sanrio, San-X doesn’t have as many collaboration projects and is still mostly intended for the Japanese market.
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