The sign only changes from its original format to celebrate noteworthy events and Sato winning the Indy 500 twice is definitely one of those times.
Takuma Sato is literally a national treasure for Japan, so to commemorate winning the Indy 500 race for the second time, Glico, the Japanese confectionary company, is honoring Sato by splicing in shots of his victory pose on their infamous Dotonbori Glico Sign. Quite literally, Sato will be the Glico man in Japan for the next two weeks.
Check out Glico’s congratulatory tweet and video below.
佐藤琢磨さん @TakumaSatoRacer のインディ500、2度目の優勝を祝し、道頓堀グリコサインでスペシャル映像を上映します！9/4～17の2週間、時間は日没30分後～22時の間、15分毎の上映です。現地に来られない方もこちらの動画にてお楽しみください！Glicoはこれからもココロとカラダの健康を応援します！ pic.twitter.com/7eZZbWlQrI
— Glico PR Japan (@GlicoPRJP) September 4, 2020
The message reads,
Takuma Sato @TakumaSatoRacer Indy 500 will celebrate the second victory and a special video will be shown at Dotonbori Glico Sign! It will be screened every 15 minutes from 30 minutes after sunset to 22:00 for 2 weeks from 9/4 to 17th. If you can’t come to the site, please enjoy this video too! Glico will continue to support the health of your heart and body!
When Takuma Sato won the Indy 500 three years ago, according to Glico fans, if Sato raised one of his feet, it would look an awful lot like the Glico Man. Sato, at the time, jokingly agreed that the next time he won he’d raise one of his legs.
Embed from Getty ImagesFast forward to 2020 and Sato delivered, taking the checkered flag under caution, an Indy 500 win nonetheless. This time, remembering what he said three years ago, he raised one of his legs to copy the Glico man pose.
Fate, kismet, whatever you call it, it was meant to be.
Embed from Getty ImagesHere’s what it looks like at night on Google Maps.
Glico man has a rich history in Japan that goes all the way back to 1935. The company itself is much older, first making candy in 1922. While based in Japan, their products are found all over the world and even in the United States. You might find Glico’s Pocky candy, one of their more global products, in your local supermarket and even in 7-11.
According to Formula1-data.com,
Ezaki Glico has supported Takuma Sato since 2010, when he started the challenge for the IndyCar series.
