Reddia and Friendia
The mascot of the Urawa Reds is the only one that clearly predates the creation of the J.League. When the club was still known as Mitsubishi Urawa FC (deliberately employing the initials "MUFC"), their team mascot was a so-called "devil dog" which bore a very strong (and deliberate) resemblance to the Manchester United character. This provided the basis for the slightly less vicious-looking character that is now Redia.
Like many other clubs, Urawa added a female version of their mascot, known as "Frendia" a few years later. In a first for the J.League, the two were given an actual "wedding ceremony" at Komaba Stadium, at halftime of a league match in 2004. Not long afterward, two pups arrived named Schale and Diara. Apart from "Redia", the names of the Reds characters clearly diverge from the usual pattern of basing the mascot names directly on the name of the club. While the meaning of "Friendia" is self-explanatory, no particular explanation has been provided for what "Schale" and "Diara" supposedly mean. But then, why should there be a hidden meaning? The Reds are mysterious and inexplicable enough, already.
Urawa Reds -- Team Uniforms (1993-present)
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