News Release

Yanmar Opens Voting for New Design of “Yanboh and Marboh” Characters

November 15, 2023
Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd.

Yanmar’s much loved Yanboh and Marboh characters will be redesigned by public vote.

Osaka, Japan (November 16, 2023) - Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd. has initiated a global public online poll today to choose the new design of the Yanmar Group’s corporate mascots, Yanboh and Marboh. The new design will be chosen from three options, with the results to be announced in January 2024.

Yanmar’s mission is centered around resolving customer challenges in the food and energy sectors, ultimately striving to create "A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE" through the pursuit of newfound prosperity. Guided by the values of faith in human potential and unwavering support for people’s endeavors, Yanmar adapts to the rapidly evolving social landscape and addresses challenges by heeding the voices of its customers.

In accordance with this mission, Yanmar's June announcement about its original commercial anime, Miru, attracted substantial attention from global audiences. This renewed focus, particularly on social media, revitalized interest in Yanboh and Marboh. At the same time, there has been a growing expectation from within the company for further utilization of Yanboh and Marboh especially outside Japan. In response to these internal and external demands, Yanmar has decided to revamp the Yanboh and Marboh designs through a public vote, aiming to create characters that reflect the voices and sentiments of a wide range of generations, irrespective of nationality or region, and challenge the possibilities of the future.

Yanboh and Marboh made their debut in the "Yanboh and Marboh Weather Forecast" on Japanese television in 1959 have been beloved anime characters in Japan for over half a century. The newly selected design will become the 9th generation of the character’s designs. In an era where Japanese content such as manga and anime wields significant influence internationally, Yanboh and Marboh will evolve into characters that are “Moving Hearts, Moving Towards the Future”, and will strive together with people from various backgrounds, countries, and regions towards the realization of “A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE”. Furthermore, the new Yanboh and Marboh are slated to feature in the anime Miru.

Voting Details:

Voting Period (Japan Time):
Voting opens November 16, 2023, and concludes on December 7, 2023, at 11:59 PM.

Result Announcement:
The design receiving the highest number of votes will be adopted as the new design, with results slated for release on Yanmar's website in January 2024. Voters can cast their ballots multiple times, with a daily limit, during the application period. The count of one vote per day resets at midnight Japan time.

Eligibility:
Everyone is eligible to vote through the special website.

How to Vote:
Votes can be cast for the preferred design via an online form at the website below:

https://www.yanmar.com/global/about/yanboh_marboh/vote/

Design:

About the New Yanboh and Marboh Character Design:

The new design is a collaborative effort between Yanmar's own designers and an external creative team, including YKBX, who was responsible for the Anime Expo 2023 key visual and the concept movie for the anime Miru, creative director Kouta Hikichi, and btrax as the project coordinator. This is a fresh interpretation of the Yanboh and Marboh characters, who represent the concept of “Moving Hearts, Moving Towards the Future”. The design is characterized by an enthusiastic spirit that thrives on challenge and is unyielding in the face of failure. Bursting with unbridled creativity, they will join forces with the emerging society and new generation to bravely embrace the future.

Creators for the Yanboh Marboh Character Design Renewal:

Brand Direction: Design Office, Brand Division, Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd.
Planning/Production: btrax Japan LLC
Creative Direction: Kouta Hikichi
Visual Direction and Character Design: YKBX

About Yanmar

With beginnings in Osaka, Japan, in 1912, Yanmar was the first ever to succeed in making a compact diesel engine of a practical size in 1933. A pioneer in diesel engine technology, Yanmar is a global innovator in a wide range of industrial equipment, from small and large engines, agricultural machinery and facilities, construction equipment, energy systems, marine, to machine tools, and components — Yanmar’s global business operations span seven domains. On land, at sea, and in the city, Yanmar provides advanced solutions to the challenges customers face, towards realizing A Sustainable Future. For more details, please visit the official website of Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd. https://www.yanmar.com/global/about/