sagawa danshi 2

A short while ago, a group of men belonging to a particular delivery service company became hot news in Japan, not for their sterling courier service as you might expect, but, to put it bluntly, for their dashing good looks. Yes, as silly as it may sound, good-looking delivery men, specifically those working for major Japanese delivery company Sagawa Express, have been making many a Japanese woman swoon.

But then again, perhaps it isn’t too surprising that these “Sagawa Danshi” (literally, “the Sagawa men”), as they have come to be collectively known, have been in the media spotlight, as plenty of hot men are indeed in the employ of Sagawa Express, and the busy delivery work tends to keep them physically fit and energetic looking. However, all of this attention now seems to have resulted in a rather unfortunate phenomenon for some Sagawa delivery men.

According to a recent article appearing in News Post Seven, some Sagawa delivery men have been distraught of late as women receiving deliveries have been showing expressions of abject disappointment when the appearance of the delivery staff isn’t quite “up to their expectations”. The poor men! Here’s what one Sagawa delivery man had to say:

“I know I’m not an ike-men (good-looking guy) like the delivery guys who appeared in the media. And I think that’s maybe why some women who receive packages from me look so obviously disappointed. Some of them even come out wearing carefully applied makeup, quite possibly because they’re expecting some hot hunk of a guy. Well, I’m sorry to have to disappoint them, but hey, my feelings get hurt, too!”

While we sympathize with this delivery man, it’s also true that when Sagawa Danshi fever was at its peak, some of these guys were treated like idols.

One of the more fortunate Sagawa employees says in the article, “Yes, there were ladies who gave me their telephone numbers or gifts. Some of them even called for package pick-up everyday. I was flattered, but I have to say I was at a loss as to how to respond.”

▼The dashing men of Sagawa Express in action
ssagawa danshi top

And what does the PR department at Sagawa Express have to say about all this? “It’s our policy not to take requests for specific delivery personnel. Our delivery staff do not give their name or distribute name cards to customers. They also don’t wear name badges while making deliveries, although not in order to specifically prevent customers from requesting a particular delivery person.” So, apparently the folks at Sagawa have taken measures not to let the craze escalate too far.

Hmm … I, for one, would hate to have to make a package delivery and see the look of disappointment on a customer’s face when they caught sight of me. Let’s hope that the ladies of Japan give the hard-working Sagawa delivery men a break and receive the men in blue and white stripes with a big smile!

Source: News Post Seven (Japanese)
Top Image and Inset Photo: Hachimakiko

For some extra viewing material, here’s a short video featuring a few of the Sagawa Danshi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0AMlEjNNhzY