The Rehabilitation Penguins
If you spend enough time in everyday Japan, among the corner shops and supermarkets and post offices and city buildings that serve the people who call this place home, then you might come across the Rehabilitation Penguins. Smiling from posters and banners and pamphlets, Hogo-chan and Sara-chan offer support and encouragement to those who may have lost their way. They are the mascots for Japan’s Brighter Society Campaign.
I first encountered Hogo-chan on a train station poster, flying with a feather clutched in one flipper, Dumbo the elephant style. I didn’t think much of it; Japan (as my blog my show) is filled with whimsical advertisements and fanciful characters. It was on a visit to city hall that I discovered some pamphlets depicting the science-defying penguin on a journey of renewal. I decided then that I needed to know more.
Not much information is available about these characters in English; the primary audience, after all, is residents of Japan. My grasp of the language is poor at best, but through the magic of Google translate and some critical thinking, I was able to piece the story together.
Please note: this translation is not official in any way, shape or form.
Hogo-chan was a delinquent penguin who found himself in trouble with the law. "I'm sorry for all the bad things!" he says tearfully, and sets down the path to rehabilitation ("I will become a rehabilitated penguin!"). Unfortunately, he has nowhere to go and no one to talk to. Unable to find work, Hogo-chan finds himself stuck in a negative cycle and ends up back to his delinquent ways.
But through the Brighter Society Campaign, there is hope for penguins like Hogo-chan. Following his incarceration, Hogo-chan is welcomed into a Rehabilitation shelter, where Mr. Whale the probation officer provides guidance. Hogo-chan is able to get employment through the supportive Mr. Sea Lion. Community volunteers like Ms. Stoat of the Women's Association for Rehabilitiation Protection and Mr. Dolphin of the Big Brothers and Sisters Movement offer encouragement and friendship along the way, and finally Hogo-chan and those like him are able to reach the goal: A Brighter Society.
I got a little teary up writing this, but then, I always get emotional when it comes to penguins getting a second chance on life.
