Our Sake Mascot — Where Bavaria Meets Japan

Every good story begins with a character. Ours begins with a fox.

Meet Beppou — a red fox with a serious weakness for sake, a Bavarian-inspired wardrobe, and a heart that belongs to two countries at the same time. He is from now on the official mascot of Sake Lovers München, and he has been a long-cherished dream of ours: a Sake-chan of our very own, brought to life to mark our fifth anniversary as an association.

What’s in a Name?

Beppou is a name that could only exist between our two worlds. It blends Beppo — a wonderfully typical Bavarian name — with Beppu, the famous hot-spring city on the Japanese island of Kyushu. Two names, two cultures, one character. Say it once and you’ve already crossed the bridge.

Why a Fox?

The choice was anything but accidental. The fox is a familiar and much-loved animal in both Germany and Japan — clever, curious, and completely at home in either landscape. In Japan, foxes carry a rich cultural resonance; in Bavaria, they roam the same forests our members walk through on the way to a good glass of Nihonshu. If any creature could belong to both places at once, it would be this one.

Born in Japan, Dressed in Munich

For a project this close to our hearts, working with a genuine Japanese artist was essential. We are delighted that mashking — President & CEO of MASH WORKS Co., Ltd. — took on the task.

mashking moved to Osaka at eighteen to attend vocational school, where he began his street art activities as a student and never looked back. He later became a designer for the sticker brand B-SIDE LABEL, immersing himself deeply in the sticker industry. Drawing influence from rock music, pop culture, street culture and character design, he has continually widened the scope of his artistic expression. Today he writes the manga Mochizaemon and Kappa no Heiji, produces and sells original character merchandise such as stickers and soft vinyl figures, and regularly takes part in exhibitions, live painting events and sales events.

In his own words on creating Beppou:

„When creating Beppou, I used a fox as the main motif and aimed to blend the atmospheres of Germany and Japan. Beppou is a red fox who enjoys sake. He wears clothing inspired by Munich fashion with a traditional Japanese happi coat draped over it. His tail features a pattern reminiscent of the red hues of Mount Fuji. Because he loves alcohol so much, he can’t help reaching for a bottle of sake whenever he sees one. One of his greatest pleasures is slowly sipping sake, pouring just a little at a time into a small ochoko cup.“

Look closely and you’ll find it all: the feathered Bavarian hat, the happi worn over lederhosen, the Fuji-red tail — and, of course, the bottle he simply couldn’t walk past.

橋渡し — Building Bridges

Beppou is more than a friendly face on our website. He is a small, cheerful embodiment of what our association is about: bringing Japan and Bavaria a little closer together, one ochoko at a time. He doesn’t rush. He pours slowly, savours deeply, and enjoys the company.

We think that’s rather good advice.

Kanpai, Beppou! 🍶 乾杯