is a fictional character which serves as the mascot for Nagoya Municipal Subway

Nagoya Municipal Subway

is the subway system that serves the Nagoya, Aichi, Japan area. Like other large Japanese cities, Greater Nagoya's subways are heavily complemented by suburban rail, forming an extensive network of 47 lines rivaling cities such as New York and London...

.

Inspiration

Nagoya Municipal Subway

Nagoya Municipal Subway

is the subway system that serves the Nagoya, Aichi, Japan area. Like other large Japanese cities, Greater Nagoya's subways are heavily complemented by suburban rail, forming an extensive network of 47 lines rivaling cities such as New York and London...

 adopted the character named Hatchii to commemorate their 80th year of operation on . The character has a human form wearing the uniform of an employee of Nagoya City Subway, with the head of a Shachihoko

Shachihoko

A is an animal in Japanese folklore with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp. It was believed that this animal could cause the rain to fall, and as such, temples and castles were often adorned with roof ornaments crafted in the form of a shachihoko, in order to protect them from fire.The...

, a mythical character which is often used to represent Nagoya. In particular, Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Castle

is a Japanese castle located in Nagoya, central Japan. During the Edo period, Nagoya Castle was the center of one of the most important castle towns in Japan—Nagoya-juku— and it included the most important stops along the Minoji, which linked the Tōkaidō with the Nakasendō.-History:In...

is famous for its large, golden figures of Shachihoko. The name is a combination of the "shachi" in Shachihoko and the "hachi" in Maruhachi, which is the official symbol of Nagoya.

External links

• Hatchii's official web page