KAZE NOKO (風の子, translates from Japanese to English as Wind Child), also known collectively as "The Wind Child and His Mysterious Friends", are a group of Sanrio characters created in collaboration with the Japanese railway company JR Kyushu (JR九州) in 1991. These mascot characters made appearances on promotional goods and advertising during their short-lived existence. According to JR Kyushu, the message of the KAZE NOKO characters is "Small adventures, big futures." They were created to appeal to children in Kyushu, promoting "love, dreams, adventure, courage, romance, and a kind-hearted humanity".
The characters are young spirits that were born from the natural elements that make up the island of Kyushu: wind, trees, light, water, clouds, flowers, stones, stars, and fire. The Wind Child is the main character, created to represent JR Kyushu's stance of wanting to foster kindness in the community together with the local people.
Characters[]
Wind Child (風の子): Cheerful and full of energy. They love the island of Kyushu, and they are eager to learn and see everything about it. Flies around the island daily, meeting various friends and helping them, such as assisting the Stone Child and taking care of the Fire Child.
Light Child (光の子): Doesn't get discouraged or depressed by small things. A passionate child who believes in the power of friendship and has the ability to erase bad feelings and timid hearts. They resemble the sun.
Flower Child (花の子): A kind and considerate, honest child. A little bit of a show-off and a brat. They can make a lot of flowers bloom in the hearts of lonely people and comfort them. Has a pink flower around their head.
Stone Child (石の子): Stubborn and strong-willed, but actually has a very good personality. Hates crooked things. Things are either right or wrong, and they will never help with bad deeds. They resemble a gray stone.
Cloud Child (雲の子): Always follows the Water Child and is impressed by everything they say. When angry, they can become a storm, but they are a carefree child who loves to float around lazily. They resemble a cloud.
Tree Child (木の子): Easygoing and patient. A little bit of a goofball, but they are the most knowledgeable of all. They always listen to various stories from the oldest tree on the island. Resembles a tree trunk, with shrubbery forming at the top.Star Child (星の子): Very romantic and a bit lonely. A crybaby who sheds tears immediately, whether out of sadness or emotion. They have the power to grant the wishes of children full of dreams. Looks like a yellow star.
Water Child (水の子): A great friend to the animals that come to the waterfront. They like to quietly think at the bottom of the clear water or in the shade of a tree by the river. But sometimes they doze off; an unpretentious, friendly child. The Water Child appears to be a blue kappa.
Fire Child (火の子): An innocent and competitive hard worker. They have been reborn many times and are actually very long-lived, so they have immense power, but they are completely unaware of it. Resembles a pink snail.
Story[]
Far to the west, a magnificent wind blowing from the Chinese mainland and a gentle wind that had traveled across a vast, distant sea met on a lush, beautiful island, and the Wind Child was born. The energetic Wind Child loves the island of Kyushu where they were born. They can't wait to learn and see everything about this island.
Every day, the Wind Child flies around the island, meeting wonderful and mysterious friends everywhere. When they raced through the ancient primeval forest, the one begging for old stories from the island's oldest tree was the Tree Child. When they slapped the surface of a clear, pristine river and made a splash, the Water Child floated up from the bottom of the water with a sleepy voice, saying, "Who's there?" Flying around their head, startled by the sound of the water, was the Cloud Child. In a brilliant flower field, they met the cheerful Light Child and the Flower Child, who were dancing.
While flying and getting distracted by the beauty of the island of Kyushu, they crashed into a tall stone wall. The one who helped them was the strong Stone Child. They met the Fire Child during a small commotion. The Fire Child, who was checking on the condition of the volcano, made a mistake with the adjustment, and a large fire was about to rage out of control. Fortunately, with everyone's help, it didn't become a serious problem, but since then, the Wind Child has been especially looking after the Fire Child. The first time they met the Star Child was in the daytime sky, where the Star Child was shyly hiding in the shadow of the sun's mantle. The Wind Child heard the Star Child's small voice saying, "Come again at night," and they became friends. Everyone is a wonderful friend of the Wind Child. They are always somewhere, anywhere on this beautiful island. Kyushu is full of dreams and hope because the Wind Children and their friends pool their powers of nature to protect it.
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