The Sumikko Gurashi are everywhere in Japan! Created by San-X, the kawaii maker of Rilakkuma, these castaway corner-loving characters have captivated hearts with their shy personalities and quirky charms. In Japanese, Sumikko Gurashi roughly translates to “life in the corner.” There’s something just so loveable about anxious and shy kawaii characters that are afraid of the spotlight.
WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE SUMIKKO GURASHI?
While kawaii fanatics are familiar with the Sumikkos (main characters) and the Minnikos (the sidekicks), most people don’t know that there are even more members of the Sumikko Gurashi! Can you guess how many Sumikko Gurashi there really are?
A lot of people think there are around 15, but there are actually more or less 50 characters in the Sumikko Gurashi! That’s a whole lot! Here are ALL of the characters in the group, starting with the main characters, the Sumikkos!
THE SUMIKKOS
These Sumikko Gurashi cuties are the ones you see almost everywhere in Japan. They’re the main characters of the group, shy and anxious castaways that prefer to stay in the corner instead of the spotlight. The Sumikkos includes Shirokuma the polar bear, Penguin? the fake penguin, Neko the shy cat, Tokage the pretend lizard, and Tonkatsu, the leftover pork cutlet.
Shirokuma (しろくま)
This shy polar bear escaped from the North Pole because of the freezing cold. Shirokuma is a good cook that’s great with its hands! It’s a laid-back cutie that loves hot springs.
Penguin? (ぺんぎん？)
Penguin? has a question mark in its name because its not sure whether it really is a penguin. The cucumber-loving character might be a Kappa (Japanese frog god) but it can’t remember a thing!
Neko (ねこ)
Even though Neko is self-conscious about its round figure, it loves to eat! This hungry and anxious calico cat feels safe when it’s hidden in a tin can or in a small purse.
Tokage (とかげ)
Tokage is a dinosaur who pretends to be a lizard in order to protect its friends. It was separated from its mother at birth. They were later on reunited! <3
Tonkatsu (とんかつ)
Tonkatsu is a piece of pork cutlet that was left uneaten because of its high fat content. It sometimes pours sauce over itself in hopes of that someone might want to eat it!
THE MINNIKOS
Though they’re not as visible as the Sumikkos, the Minnikos are just as cute. These characters are smaller than the Sumikkos and often appear as sidekicks. Furoshiki, Zassou, Ebifurai no Shippo, Tapioca, Hokori, Suzume, Nisetsumuri, Obake, and Yama are all considered Minnikos.
Furoshiki (ふろしき)
Furoshiki is a pink lunch cloth with cream-colored spots. It’s Shirokuma’s most prized possession! Sometimes Shirokuma uses Furoshiki as a blanket, sometimes as a marker!
Zassou (ざっそう)
Zassou wants to be used in a bouquet at the flower shop someday! This character might just be a shrub of weed, but it has big dreams and a super positive attitude!
Ebifurai No Shippo (えびふらいのしっぽ )
Ebifurai no Shippo means the tail of a shrimp tempura when translated to English. Because of its similar fried origins, Ebi is good friends with Tonkatsu.
Tapioca (たぴおか)
Tapioca are tapioca pearls that have been leftover from a cup of milk tea. There’s yellow, pink, and blue Tapioca. The black ones are more rare and more mischievous!
Hokori (ほこり)
There are a lot of Hokori. These round balls are the wisps of dust that accumulate in the corner. They’re not very good with water and they eventually dissipate into the air.
Suzume (すずめ)
This small sparrow is always flying by so that it can try to eat Tonkatsu’s crumbs. It’s friendly and energetic! Suzume is friends with Fukuro.
Nisetsumuri (にせつむり)
Nisetsumuri isn’t a snail! It’s just a slug wearing a shell on its back. Nisetsumuri can relate with Tokage who pretends to be a dinosaur. It’s a very apologetic character!
Obake (おばけ)
Obake lives in a corner of the attic and likes to clean. This timid ghost likes funny things but it can’t laugh so much because it doesn’t want to scare people away.
Yama (やま)
Yama is small white-and-blue mountain that admires Mount Fuji the most. It often can be seen at hot springs where it stands in for the paintings of Mt. Fuji.
THE UMIKKOS
These cuties are the characters that live in the deep blue ocean. Since the Sumikkos don’t travel so much, we don’t get to see them a lot. But when we do, we can’t help but gush over their kawaii faces! The Umikkos include Penguin (Real) the actual penguin, Harisenbon the porcupinefish, Kumanomi the clownfish, Hitode the starfish, Hoshi the fallen star, Kamome the seagull, Kame the turtle, and Kurage, a group of jellyfish!
Penguin (Real) (ぺんぎん(本物))
As the name implies, Penguin (Real) is the real penguin of the Sumikko Gurashi. Friendly and approachable, this cutie is actually a friend of Shirokuma from the North Pole.
Kamome (カモメ)
Kamome is a round seagull that got chubby from eating a whole lot of fish. This Umikko is so fat that it can barely fly over the surface of the water!
Kurage (クラゲ)
The Kurage were found by the Sumikkos when they went to research the Ocean with Penguin. These colorful jellyfish stay in the corner because they don’t want to be swept away by the waves.
Umigame (ウミガメ)
This sea turtle with a fearful personality really admires the brave land turtles. It hides in its shell when it’s afraid! Umigame has a mouth that’s wider than the Sumikkos and Minnikos!
Kumanomi (クマノミ)
Kumanomi is a shy clownfish that lives in the ocean. The Sumikko Gurashi spotted it after it decided to come out of its small corner in the sea anemone.
Chinanago (Real) (チンアナゴ（本物)
The Chinanago are two salt water eels. One is a polka-dotted eel with gray eyes. The other is a striped eel with an orange body and dark orange eyes.
Harisenbon (ハリセンボン)
Harisenbon is a kind and sweet porcupine fish that has a round plump body with blue spots on its light blue skin. This Umikko does not want to get mistaken for a pufferfish!
Chinanago (チンアナゴ)
This Umikko is actually a Tapioca ball disguising itself as an eel. It probably liked the Ocean a little bit too much. Lol.
THE SONOHOKA / OTHERS
These are the minor characters that aren’t Minnikos that you rarely ever get to see! The Sonohoka appear from time to time in a few Sumikko Gurashi themes and merchandise. They’re a sight to behold when you spot them!
Arm (アーム)
This robot arm is a lot like the one you see in a UFO catcher. It occasionally snatches the Sumikko because they try to steal the corner away. Penguin? is its favorite catch.
Mogura (もぐら)
Mogura used to live underground but decided to come up because it was curious about the commotion in the upper world. This mole likes to wear red boots.
Fukuro (ふくろう)
You don’t see Fukuro a lot. This nocturnal owl tries its best though to stay awake during the daytime.
Sumi-ssie (スミッシー)
Sumi-ssie is Tokage’s long-lost mother. This gentle dinosaur suddenly appeared in Sumik-ko (corner lake) to visit her son.
Tokage (Real) (とかげ(本物))
This cutie is the real lizard who lives in the forest. A friend of Tokage (the fake one), this lizard has a carefree personality and doesn't care about the details.
Mamemaster (まめマスタ)
Mamemaster is a black coffee bean character. It’s the master at the Kissa Sumikko cafe where Obake works!
Aji Furai No Shippo (あじ ふらい の しっぽ )
One of the few positive and upbeat characters in the Sumikko Gurashi, Aji Furai no Shippo always has a wide grin. This cutie comes from deep fried horse mackarel!
Agedama (あげだま)
The Agedama are crunchy bits of deep-fried flour batter used in Japanese cuisine. Like Ebifurai no Shippo, they are leftover fried food that dream to be eaten one day!
Hazurebou (はずれぼう)
Hazerebou is a popsicle stick that you lose in ice cream stick games.Hearing that if you collect 10 stray popsicle sticks you’ll get a win, Hazurebou keeps looking for other popsicle friends.
Ataribou (あたりぼう)
This castaway is the popsicle stick that actually wins in ice cream stick games. Getting Ataribou means that you’ll get an extra stick of ice cream!
Sumi Kamisama & Deshi (すみ神様)
Sumiko Kamisama is the corner god that appears only once every five years. It’s always watching over the gang from somewhere. Deshi is the disciple of Sumi Kamisama. It’s training to master the corner just like the corner god.
Sunayama (すなやま)
This minor Sumikko Gurashi character is a small sand dune that looks close to a pyramid. Sunayama is Yama’s friend. In collaboration with a museum, Sunayama once became an actual pyramid!
Gari & Wasabi (がり＆わさび)
These two are the sweet and sour ginger gari and the wasabi that one often leaves in the corner of the plate. They’re good friends with Tonkatsu and Ebi Furai no Shippo.
Cotton (わた)
Cotton is a special creature that can only be found in treasured stuffed animals. It came from the stuffed toy made by Shirokuma. Cotton looks like a happier version of Hokori!
Neko no Kyodai (ねこのきょうだい)
Neko no Kyodai is the group name for Neko’s long-lost siblings. Gray is a gray-colored cat that’s filled with curiosity and a lot of energy. Tiger is a cat with a mottled coat that’s super laid-back and is always sleepy. They’re both are hungry all the time!
Pan Tenchou (パン店長)
This cutie is a French baker that was originally unsold bread. Now, it works as the manager of the Bakery Sumikko. Pan Tenchou takes milk baths to keep from drying out and cracking!
Kawauso (かわうそ)
Kawauso is a species of otter once thought to be extinct. This curious little thing moves from place to place so as not to get caught. It got to know the Sumikko Gurashi during the camping adventure since it couldn’t help but be curious about the shy group.
Corn (こーん)
Corn was found in the corner of the plate after the Sumikkos ate corn soup. Like Tapioca there are many corn characters. They live in places like pizza, corn soup cans, and steak!
Kuri Tenchou (くり駅長)
Kuri Tenchou is a chestnut that became a station manager after it showed interest in shiny Hanyu train. It’s a model station master that can tell you all about the timetables, sights, and specialties along the line.
Usagi Meister (うさぎマイスター)
A rabbit with light purple fur that appears in the depths of the forest from time to time. Usagi no Meister is great at growing flowers and brewing tea! It’s old friends with Mamemaster.
Minara Iko Usagi (みならいこうさぎ)
Minara Iko Usagi is a group of rabbits that guide the Sumikkos in the depth of the forest. The energetic one has white hair. The pink rabbit is shy! The one with brown hair and droopy ears is a little bit absent-minded.
Hoshi (Hitode?) ( ほし（ひとで？))
Hoshi (Hitode?)forgot who it was and asked the Sumikko for help. Once it finally remembered that it was a star, it returned to the sky. Hoshi took the Sumikko gang on a starry sky walk as thanks!
Hoshisan Kyodai (ほしさんきょうだい)
Hoshisan Kyodai are star brothers that met Hoshi (Hitode?) in the sky to guide the Sumikkos on a starry sky walk. This group is made up of Ichabanboshi, Nibanboshi , and Sanbanboshi.
Sato Tenchou & Sato Fuku Tenchou (さとう店長、さとう副店長 )
These two are unused sugar that are served with coffee. Sato Tenchou is a white sugar cube while Sato Fuku Tenchou is a brown sugar cube. They have a shop called Patiserie Sumikko.
Popcorn (ぽっぷこーん)
First appearing in the “Sumikko Movie Theater” theme, these cuties are popcorn that fell in the corner of the seat. Each one has a fun expression since they get to watch a lot of movies!
Koinu & Inu (こいぬ、いぬ)
Koinu is actually a wolf, but ever since Inu helped it in its past, this cutie has been longing to become a dog. Inu is a gentle and generous dog that loves rice balls. It’s full of energy and has very soft cheeks!
Obake no Nakama (おばけのなかま)
These are Obake’s friends. There’s a large purple ghost, a small blue ghost that’s good at imitating things, and an orange ghost with a long body that likes playing around!
FUSHIGI NA TOMODACHI
These are the mysterious friends that the Sumikko met when they got sucked into a UFO in the sky. These strange but kawaii characters were looking for their lost friend when they sucked the Sumikko Gurashi by accident. Because of them, the Sumikkos were introduced to fascinating things in space!
Tsuchinoko
This cutie is the ghost or vision of a Tsuchinoko, a snake-like being in Japanese folklore. It tries its best to live quietly so it won't get caught! Tsuchinoko can run fast!
Sumieti
Another mysterious creature, Sumieti lives in the snowy mountains of Japan. Small and vulnerable to cold weather, Sumieti is a creature that my look frightening at times but is actually very kind.
Sumifoot
Said to live in the mountains, Sumifoot is actually small even though it has big legs. People might get frightened by Sumifoot but this strange friend is actually pretty carefree.
Tapi Alien
These cuties look just like Tapioca! Tapi Alien came from Tapi Star. They were the ones that accidentally sucked the Sumikkos into a spaceship.
UFO
A mysterious creature that flies in the sky, UFO looks just like a claw from a claw machine. It catches anything interesting immediately.
Sumiran Pasaran
Fluffy and mysterious, Sumiran Pasaran is a being of good luck. They say that if you find one, you'll find happiness!
There you have it! Those are all of the Sumikko Gurashi characters that you probably have never heard of. Which ones are your favorites in the Umikko? Which of the Sonohoka characters do you like? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also, if you want to read more about the Sumikko Gurashi, you can check The Ultimate Sumikko Gurashi Guide! It tackles all the big questions everyone asks about the Sumikko Gurashi, like what the name means, the characters’ genders, and why the group is famous. Until the next blog post, stay in the corner of cuteness like the Sumikko Gurashi!
i didn’t know the FUSHIGI NA TOMODACHI at all! :)
Nut on
Very good!
Bob Harold on