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What Does the Word Subaru Mean in Japanese

Whether you own a Subaru or you know a friend how does, you can't help but notice the logo. It's almost hard to identify it because it only features a blue oval with one big star and five little ones. Not only will we let people like you in the Montclair, Clifton and Bloomfield area know what this symbol means, but we'll also give you the back story behind it.

The Meaning Behind Subaru

In the Japanese language, the word "Subaru" means "united." The word "Subaru," in Japanese, is used to describe the Pleiades star constellation. This "united" collection of stars is said to have been formed over 100 million years ago in the galaxy of Taurus. This is one of the closest star clusters to our planet that we can see with the naked eye.

The name Pleiades is taken from Greek Mythology. It's the name of the seven daughters of Atlas, who is known as the Titan of endurance and astronomy. Atlas, along with the other Titans, went to war against Mount Olympus and the Gods who dwelled there. Atlas was later punished by Zeus, who made Atlas carry the world on his shoulders, to separate the heavens from the Earth.

After Atlas was forced to carry the heavens on his shoulders, Orion actively sought out the Pleiades. To comfort Atlas, Zeus transformed all seven of Atlas's daughters into stars, so they could be safe from Orion. Ever since this mythological story began, the cluster of the seven stars was since referred to as Pleiades by early astronomers, believing that these stars represented the nymphs that Atlas fathered.

The Japanese Meaning Behind Subaru

Because Pleiades is a star cluster, it's easy to see why people refer to these stars as "united." The reason that Subaru took its name from this star cluster is to represent the companies that formed together to create Fuji Heavy Industries. Once this conglomerate was created, it adopted Subaru as its automobile manufacturer. It even took an illustration of the Pleiades star constellation and incorporated it into it's the Subaru logo. This demonstrates the strength and unity that went into creating Fuji Heavy Industries.

When Fuji Heavy Industries first formed, CEO Kenji Kita wanted the company to get involved into car manufacturing. After struggling to find a name for its first car that sounded better than "P-1," Kita settled on Subaru, after the cluster of stars that he admired as a child. The first car created by the company was named the Subaru 1500. It wasn't before long that Subaru became one of the biggest and most respected names in the automotive industry.

Today, Subaru is known as an automotive company that produces top-of-the-line vehicles that are not only highly rated, but are also some of the safest automobiles on the market. Subaru vehicles have received more Insurance Institute for Highway Safety top safety picks in 2016 than any other automotive brand.

To learn more about Subaru's fascinating history, or to get behind the wheel of one yourself, contact us at Lynnes Subaru. We're proud to help people like you in the Montclair, Clifton and Bloomfield area.

What Does the Word Subaru Mean in Japanese

Source: https://www.lynnessubaru.com/blog/2016/march/29/meaning-behind-subarus-logo.htm