Signboard Girl

A signboard girl (看板娘, kanban musume) is a woman who attracts customers to their store. In the Edo period (1603-1867), pictures that served as signboards for stores were called signboard pictures (看板絵), and people who were popular in Kabuki and other theaters were called big signboards (大看板). A signboard girl is considered to be one of them. A person who attracts many people.

People who are called signboard girls often refer to young women who serve customers in private stores, coffee shops, and restaurants. It can also include women in snack bars and kyabakuras (cabarets). A signboard girl is considered to have the role of being the face of the store and attracting customers.

The purpose of employment varies from being a family member of the owner of a private store to simply a part-time job. There are no restrictions on age (as long as it is within the bounds of common sense). From young girls who help their fathers to young housewives who work part-time, all are included in the category of signboard girls.

Incidentally, a male employee is sometimes called a signboard man, but unlike a signboard girls, this term is not so common.

Since they basically do their jobs just like other employees, they are distinct from crowd pullers, but sometimes animals are used as signboard girls, such as signboard cats and dogs. In addition, corporate mascot characters (image characters) such as Melon-chan from Melon Books and Di Gi Charat by Broccoli are sometimes referred to as signboard girls by comparing them to signboard girls in reality.

Signboard Man　Signboard　Girl

Muteki Kanban Musume - A manga and anime about a signboard girl.

1. Everything written in the Overview content is translated from the NicoNico Encyclopedia article.

看板娘