There are a number of different versions going around concerning the origin of the Subaru name and the meaning of the star constellation on the Subaru badge - this is my version.

Ever wonder how the Subaru motor vehicle got its name, what it means, or what the star emblem represents? If so, read on .....

Unlike some other motor companies, such as Ford (founded by Henry) or Suzuki (founded by Michio), Subaru is not named after its founder. "Subaru" is the Japanese word for "Seven Sisters", a common name for the most prominent stars in Pleiades, an open cluster of about 500 young stars (only about 100 million years old), barely visible in our northern sky. At least six of the 500 or so stars are visible to the naked eye, while under moderate conditions the number increases to 9, and under clear dark skies, jumps to more than a dozen. To see the rest, good quality binoculars or a telescope is required; but the cluster is still difficult to locate as it is spread over only 2 degrees - about four times the diameter of the moon.

The name "Pleiades" itself may have been derived from the Greek word for "to sail" or the word "pleios" meaning "full" or "many".   

Another theory is that the cluster is named after the  mythological mother, Pleione, which is also the name of one of the brighter stars. According to Greek mythology, the main, visible stars are named for the seven daughters of "father" Atlas and "mother" Pleione: Alcyone, Asterope (a double star), Electra, Maia. .Merope, Taygeta and Celaeno.

Although somewhat similar to the constellation Crusis, comprising Gacrux, Alpha 1 Crusis, Beta Crusis and a few other unnamed stars, which we know (in Australia) to be the Southern Cross, the Subaru badge represents a totally different group of stars.

But why does the Subaru badge only have six stars?

Ken Takeuchi from Japan has provided this insight, including an alternative background for the star emblem:

To say first, SUBARU may stand for "seven sisters" may be true but the Pleiades stars are also called "Mutsura-Boshi", which means "six gathered stars". The star SUBARU even appears in the lyrics written more than 1000 years ago. The word has some romantic feelings to we Japanese.

Fuji Heavy industries, the maker of SUBARU cars, was known as Nakajima Aircraft before WW II, which made many fighters and bombers. Even the famous Mitsubishi Zero fighter had a Nakajima 14 cylinder engine. After the war, the company was forced to spread into 15 companies to cut the strength of the huge weapon industry. But in the early 1950s, five of the companies gathered into one again to restart as a transportation company. That's FUJI and that's why there are five little stars and one big star.

 So, the present SUBARU emblem represents the company structure rather than the original star cluster image.

Happy star-gazing.

Danny Williams SC412

Finding Pleiades in the (Australian) sky.

If you've read the above and now want to have a look at the stars that give your car its name, here's some basic instructions for finding the Pleiades:-

Normally it is better to look in the summertime as that is when the Pleiades are easy to spot in the evening sky and you won't be freezing your bits off, standing out in the back yard at some ungodly hour of the morning, gazing at the sky.

Pick a clear night and try to position yourself where you can see most of the Northern sky without too many glaring street lights in your vision.  If you have a pair of binoculars - even better.

First we need a starting point.  Everyone knows the constellation of Orion.  Don't they?  The Big Saucepan?  Orion's Belt? Those three bright stars in a straight line overhead in summertime?  If not, ask the person next to you because every second person knows it.

Found it? OK.  Now look to the North (and a smidgen West) about two handspans or so and you will see an orange coloured bright star, it will be with a few other stars forming a sort of a sideways V shape.  That is the star Aldebaran and is the brightest star of the constellation Taurus.

Keep going another wide handspan and you'll faintly make out a set of twinkling stars.  Blue/white in colour.  All close together in less space than your little fingernail takes up on your outstretched arm.  That's It!  Pleiades.

Take a look with the binoculars and you will be able to pick out the separate stars with ease. The brightest one is Alcyone, which is the third-brightest star of the Taurus constellation and incidentally the name Subaru gave the Japanese release of the Vortex.

Good luck.  Hope you find it.

Clint Lovell SC009

A Little More Info on Pleiades

Reg Aubry of WebLantern writes:-

The reason only six sisters are visible even though there are seven is because one of the sisters, Merope, married Sisyphus, a mortal - thus her light, although there, shines the dimmest, and is invisible to the naked eye.  So although they are identified with the seven sisters, the Pleiades only show six traditionally, because Merope is occluded.

This site gives lots of info on how Pleiades fits into Greek mythology.  Happy reading.
Click here and it should open in a new window.