why does japan hate chococat so much?
america claims him tho.
Welcome to soft grunge, the cutest newsletter you’ll ever read. Here, you’ll get all my commentary on the most pressing topics of kawaii culture.
If you love the preppy aesthetic (I mean actually preppy, like Ivy League houndstooth sweater vests and tennis skirts, not TikTok era Drunk Elephant preppy), Rory Gilmore, mocha lattes, spending hours with your nose in a book, cozy fall sweaters, ditsy floral prints, and earth tones—Chococat is exactly your vibe. In our hyper-feminine coquette “I’m just a girl” world, it’s more refreshing than ever to have options. In the 2000s, Hello Kitty had the girly girls in a chokehold with glittery fairy plushies and pink teacup alarm clocks. Meanwhile, Chococat was for everyone in between. His plaid wallets and chunky scarf wearing-plushies stole my heart—only for him to be shoved into Sanrio’s basement and rarely seen again.
I’m not afraid to say it—Chococat will forever be one of the most underrated Sanrio characters. If you were a Sanrio fan in the early 2000s, you’re definitely aware of the adorable black cat. And if you weren’t, you might know him from his recent appearance at Build-A-Bear or his newfound TikTok popularity. (Which is nothing compared to other characters, tbh.) Regardless of your preconceived notions, we can all acknowledge that Chococat is incredibly misunderstood. But, why? Doesn’t he deserve to be loved too?
according to japan, no.
Japan is the birth place of many things—my favorite anime Nana, onigiri, Korean colonization, and of course Sanrio. For most Sanrio characters, Japan is both their birth place and their personal playground. Millions of fans travel to Japan from all over the world to buy Sanrio merch, visit Sanrio theme parks, and eat at Sanrio-themed cafes. But for Chococat, Japan is where he was sent to die.
To put things into perspective, Puroland, the 11 acre Sanrio theme park in Tokyo, has zero evidence of Chococat’s existence. Puroland is pretty much the mecca of all things Sanrio (that being said I’m still dying to go, but I digress), and it quite literally denies anything and everything that has to do with our poor boy Chococat. I mean how hard is it to stick a little statue of him on a ride or sell tiny keychains of him in a single gift shop?
Most people seem to think Japan’s hatred of Chococat is because he doesn’t have the “kawaii look” that sells well in Japan. (Which is just straight colorism in my opinion, Chococat not cute? Are we talking about the same Chococat?) And some argue that black cats are a symbol of bad luck, so Japanese fans simply don’t fw him. Unfortunately for Chococat, this is nothing new. Since the 13th century, black cats have been associated with bad luck—and sometimes, Satan. Because of this outdated superstition, black cats in shelters have the highest rate of euthanasia and the lowest adoption rate of all cats. Chococat isn’t even a real black cat and people still find reasons to shit on him. Worse than that, people in Japan don’t like Chococat because they aren’t even given the option to like him.
i brought the receipts
Every year, Sanrio conducts a ranking where fans vote for their favorite characters. Although Chococat has a sizable fanbase in the US (he ranked third in the US last year 🦅🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸), his lack of popularity is super noticeable on a worldwide scale. Beyond just popularity, this data literally tells Sanrio which characters are making them the most money. And every year without fail, Sanrio learns that Chococat is incredibly unpopular. Despite being ranked third in the US and second in Brazil, he barely cracked the top 50 in 2024.
chococat’s past overall sanrio rankings:
2015: 85th place
2016: 69th place
2017: 59th place
2018: 60th place
2019: 71st place
2020: 63rd place
2021: 64th place
2022: 60th place
2023: 56th place
2024: 46th place
A tooth ranked above Chococat last year. A TOOTH.
basically, chococat is a metaphor for the american dream
So yes, black cats are misunderstood and Chococat’s existence in Japan was doomed from the start. But despite all of that, Chococat has found a new home in the US. Yes, you heard it here first: Chococat is a Japanese immigrant who started a new life for himself in America. (Maybe a poorly timed joke given everything going on rn, so apologies for that.) I do not and will not ever consider myself patriotic, but I do feel a tiny bit of pride knowing that we’re the reason Chococat isn’t headed for the shitter. America might have a hideous past and probably an even worse future, but at least we recognize Chococat for what he truly is—a coffee drinking, plaid-wearing, cutie.
the tooth ranking over chococat was diabolical
JUSTICE FOR CHOCOCAT 😭😭😭