Tokyo travelers know well of Don Quijote, Japan’s ridiculously overstimulating retail store chain which holds anything you could ever want, many things you absolutely don’t need, and a surprising number of things you absolutely have to have. However, amidst the racks and racks of merchandise, there are secrets waiting to be uncovered. Why does this Japanese store bear the name of an early-17th century Spanish novel? Who are the iconic penguin characters scattered around the store? Why did they almost go extinct in 2022? Let’s take a deeper look at this well-known Japanese chain below.
Where did the store Don Quijote in Japan come from?
In 1989, the first ever Don Quijote store opened in Fuchu, a suburb of Tokyo, as a new branch of a wholesale company called Just Co., Ltd. The new retail chain was so successful that the company pivoted to focus on retail, and the corporation rebranded as Don Quijote, Ltd. in 1995.
Why is the store called Don Quijote in Japan?
According to the Don Quijote website, the store’s name is directly inspired by the main character of Miguel Cervantes’ story of the same name. Why would the company choose this name for the now-famous retail store?
Inspired by the windmill-charging protagonist, the proprietors had a “wish to create a new distribution format, like Don Quijote, who is an action-oriented idealist and does not bow to conventional wisdom or authority.”
Whatever you think of the store, just one step into Don Quijote’s overwhelming storefront will confirm that they have achieved their goal of breaking with retail convention.
Who are the Don Quijote penguin characters?
The blue penguin character is named Donpen. He wears a red nightcap and his belly is emblazoned with a red “do” character. According to his profile, he was born on September 8th and enjoys taking walks at night.
If you scroll down the character profile page, you will find Donko, the pink penguin character who is described only as being “shrouded by a veil of mystery.” Fortunately, this information blackout is only extended to the English website, as the Japanese profile states that Donko was born on March 3rd and enjoys baths and scrolling Instagram.
We have to ask: why is Donko's true identity being hidden to the rest of the world? The implications are chilling.
What happened to Donpen in 2022?
To add to the mysteries around Don Quijote’s penguin characters, Donpen was involved in a 2022 Twitter firestorm which threatened his very existence.
On December 16, 2022, at 12:01pm, the Don Quijote official Twitter account announced that Donpen would be replaced as Don Quijote's mascot by Do-Jo-chan (ド情ちゃん), a faceless usurper based on the very same katakana letter “do” (ド) which had always adorned the belly of the beloved penguin.
The reason? To promote Donki’s new store brand “Jonetsu Kakaku” (情熱価格), the packaging of which would feature the “do” character ripped so cruelly away from the blue flippered friend. The betrayal was unimaginable, and soon Donpen's legions of fans made his forced retirement the number one trend on Japanese Twitter.
Just one hour later, Naoki Yoshida, CEO of Don Quijote, replied to the tweet and stated that he was unaware of the situation and would be contacting the department in charge of the situation. The situation was escalating, and Donpen's future hung in the balance.
Then, at 7:39pm, less than 8 hours since the initial Tweet was posted, the Don Quijote account put out a new statement. After extensive review of their customers’ response and further consideration, Donpen had reconsidered his retirement and would continue to serve as the store’s mascot.
In an era of climate change and global biodiversity loss, Donpen had looked to be the next species resigned to history. As it became clear that Donpen would be spared from extinction, the world’s environmentalists, penguin-lovers, and fans of cheap knick-knacks rejoiced.
However, another response soon followed. The daring rescue of Donpen had occurred quickly. Almost too quickly. Had Donpen ever really been in danger, or was this a massive publicity stunt?
The True Story of Donpen's Retirement
Signs indicate that Donpen's retirement was really just viral marketing tactic. The wording of the original tweet was eerily unapologetic in proclaiming the doom of an iconic character. The potential for merchandising the Jonetsu Kakaku character, who was basically just a letter of the alphabet, was uninspiring compared to the inherently plushable penguin. The bewildering public response from the CEO was underlined by the fact that his Twitter account had been made only days earlier, and the lunchtime to dinner time reversal seemed too calculated.
Regardless, Donpen’s trend was usurped that evening by another iconic Japanese character’s retirement, as it was announced that Ash (Satoshi) from Pokémon would be ending his decades-long run in the animated series. With that, the Donpen saga was out of the news.
Conclusion
Even though Don Quijote may have gotten in some hot water for their viral marketing tactic, their webbed waddler happily and quietly continues his mascot activities to this day. For fans of Donpen, you can find his goods scattered throughout the many floors of Japan’s technicolor retail wonderland, so see below for a list of some of Donki's most popular locations in Tokyo.
Read More from Your Friend in Tokyo
Hi! I'm a Tokyo local, and I started this blog to share helpful tips that only a local would know and tell some stories of the city's authentic culture. I'd hope you'll take a look around the site and find something that makes your Tokyo experience even more memorable!
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Visit Don Quijote in Tokyo, Japan
Here's a list of Donki locations in popular areas around Tokyo!
Store | Station | Hours | Google Maps |
Donki Shibuya Honten | Shibuya | Open 24 hours, year-round | |
Donki Shinjuku | Shin-Okubo, Shinjuku, Seibu Shinjuku | Open 24 hours, year-round | |
Donki Shinjuku Kabukicho | Shinjuku, Seibu Shinjuku | Open 24 hours, year-round | |
Donki Ikebukuro Nishiguchi | Ikebukuro | Open 24 hours, year-round | |
Donki Akihabara | Akihabara (Electric Town Exit) | Open 24 hours, year-round | |
Donki Ginza Honkan | Ginza, Higashi-ginza, Shinbashi | 7:00am-4:00am, open year-round | |
Donki Roppongi | Roppongi | Open 24 hours, year-round | |
Donki Asakusa | Asakusa, Tahara | Open 24 hours, year-round | |
Donki Ueno | Okachimachi | 9:00am-4:00am, open year-round | |
Donki Gotanda | Gotanda | 8:00am-5:00am, open year-round | |
Donki Shimokitazawa | Shimokitazawa | 8:00am-1:00am, open year-round |
Credits:
All images of Donpen are from donquijote.com and the official Don Quijote Twitter account.
I referenced this article from IT Media News for coverage of the viral Twitter trend in 2022.
