What does the Subaru constellation mean?
Subaru refers to the Pleiades star cluster in Japanese, and the carmaker’s six-star logo symbolizes the merger of six companies into Fuji Heavy Industries, the predecessor of Subaru. The name also conveys the idea of gathering together in Japanese.
The astronomical meaning: the Pleiades cluster
The Pleiades, known in Japanese as "Subaru," is one of the closest open star clusters to Earth. It sits in the constellation Taurus, roughly 440 light-years away, and contains hundreds of stars. The most prominent stars form a compact pattern that has inspired myths and navigational use across cultures. In Western tradition it is often called the Seven Sisters, though visibility of stars can vary, making six or seven bright stars noticeable to the naked eye at different times and locations.
Myth and cross-cultural names
In Greek mythology the Pleiades are the seven sisters: Maia, Electra, Celaeno, Taygeta, Asterope, Merope, and sometimes a seventh faint star. Other cultures give the cluster different names, such as Māori who call it Matariki. In Japan, the same stellar grouping is simply known as Subaru, a name chosen for the national star cluster and later adopted by the car brand.
The Subaru logo and branding
Subaru’s emblem features six stars arranged in a tight cluster. The official reading ties the six stars to six corporate entities that merged to form Fuji Heavy Industries in the mid-20th century, the ancestor of Subaru’s automobile business. This symbolism helps explain why the logo shows six stars even though the celestial Pleiades are popularly associated with seven.
Why six stars, not seven?
While the celestial Pleiades are commonly called the Seven Sisters, the Subaru logo uses six stars to reflect the corporate merger that created the company’s modern structure. The design emphasizes unity, memorability, and a clear link to the cluster’s famed stellar grouping.
Before introducing a concise list of core facts, it is useful to summarize how astronomy, language, and branding converge in Subaru’s meaning.
Key facts about Subaru’s meaning and symbol
Here are the core points you should know about the Subaru term and its emblem.
- Subaru is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster (M45).
- The word Subaru also conveys the idea of gathering together or uniting in classical Japanese usage.
- The six-star Subaru logo represents six companies that merged to form Fuji Heavy Industries, the predecessor of Subaru automobiles.
- The Pleiades cluster lies in Taurus, about 440 light-years from Earth, and comprises hundreds of stars; six bright stars are typically visible to the naked eye, reinforcing the logo’s six-star motif.
These points illustrate how the celestial object, its linguistic meaning, and corporate branding intersect in Subaru’s identity.
Summary
Subaru is both a celestial and a corporate name. In astronomy, it designates the Pleiades cluster, a nearby and storied gathering of stars in Taurus. In branding, the six-star logo echoes a historical merger that shaped the company behind Subaru automobiles, while the name itself evokes unity in Japanese. Together, these layers give Subaru its distinctive identity—rooted in a well-known star cluster and reinforced by a symbol of collaboration.
