JAPAN Design Resource Database

02

Database / I I I I

Design Resources: Digital Archive

  • Pelican Pot

Holdings Classification (Registered Name)

Pelican Pot

Pelican Pot

Holding Institution

Mahobin Memorial Museum (Vacuum Bottle Museum)

Category
  • #Product
Year of Production (First Edition)

1948

Release Year

1948

Manufacturer

Ichikawa Brothers & Co. (now Zojirushi Corporation)

Distributor

Ichikawa Brothers & Co. (now Zojirushi Corporation)

Dimensions

115×145×250 

Design Registration Number

Unknown

Portrait and Publicity Rights Holder

Not applicable

Copyright Registration Number

Not registered

Inquiries

Mahobin Memorial Museum (Vacuum Bottle Museum)

Data Source

Internal company materials (company history, product catalogs, etc.)

A friendly form inspired by the shape of a pelican’s beak.

Description

Released in 1948, this tabletop pot was Zojirushi’s first postwar product. At the time, the lid, shoulder, body, and base were finished in chrome-plated brass, while the handle was made using die casting. The distinctive head shape, reminiscent of a pelican’s beak, gave rise to the name Pelican Pot.

Although it was a period when daily necessities were still difficult to obtain in postwar Japan, the pot’s innovative and approachable design was quickly embraced by households across the country. It became a long-selling product that remained popular until 1956. A reissued edition was later released in 1988, underscoring the enduring appeal of its design.