Index
1. Our Hope to Reduce Traffic Accidents Involving Children
As new first graders head to schools across Japan, many of their brand-new backpacks have a special “Yellow Pikachu Badge on them.
We created this limited edition to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the "Yellow Badge" initiative, distributing it to over one million children nationwide.
The Yellow Badges campaign was launched 60 years ago as a joint effort between Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (Mizuho FG), Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. (Sompo Japan), Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company, and The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited. Beyond alerting drivers and residents to the presence of young pedestrians, these badges provide traffic accident insurance to support families in the event of an emergency.
When the Yellow Badges initiative was started in 1965, more than 10,000 people were dying every year as a result of traffic accidents. An employee at the former Fuji Bank (now Mizuho FG) read a newspaper article about a mother who had lost her child to a traffic accident and petitioned the Prime Minister to end such tragedies.
From this single news story, financial and insurance institutions realized that having children wear something highly visible could protect them, and so they established the “Yellow Badge” distribution program.
2. A Yellow Pokémon for a Yellow Badge
Unfortunately, in the years since the Yellow Badges program was started, although the number of traffic accidents has gradually come down, the percentage of accidents involving new first graders has remained high. Secondly, although the badge itself is widely recognized, many people are still unaware of the included insurance.
As the partners involved considered ways to solve these issues, an employee of Sompo Japan Insurance made a suggestion that led to the development of the “Yellow Pikachu Badge.”
A representative explained, “With the 60th anniversary approaching, we wanted a new way to increase awareness. One of our employees suggested that since Pikachu is yellow like the badge, a collaboration could be the answer.”
Pikachu is familiar to people of all ages Project members believed that Pikachu’s presence would generate conversations within families and neighborhoods, raising awareness of the badges and improving community-wide traffic safety.
The project to add Pikachu to the design of the Yellow Safety Badges was formally proposed to The Pokémon Company.
3. The Heart Behind the "Yellow Badges"
At The Pokémon Company, members of “My First Pokémon Project,” which focuses on creating early contact points with Pokémon, managed the proposal. As parents themselves, these employees clearly remembered their own children wearing the badges.
As one project member noted, “Learning the history behind this program and the desire to help protect children was deeply moving for me. I realized that even I didn’t know much about the insurance aspect. We accepted the proposal, hoping Pikachu could help shine a light on the yellow badges once again.”
We developed a new design featuring Pikachu’s image with the traditional design of the badges. We even printed Pikachu on the distribution envelopes to ensure children would be excited about receiving them.
4. Pikachu as a Guardian for Children
As the new school year began, first graders all around Japan could be seen wearing their new Yellow Pikachu Badges.
Parents of the new first graders have shared heartening feedback, noting that their children were excited to wear the badges and feel motivated to go to school “together with Pikachu.”
In March 2024, Pikachu made a surprise appearance at the presentation ceremony in Tokyo, creating a timeless memory for the children during this important milestone in their lives.
An unwavering dedication to child safety has sustained the Yellow Badge program for decades. We hope the Yellow Pikachu Badges continue this tradition of protecting the happiness and safety of children everywhere for many years to come.