Cute "YuruKyara" Characters Across Japan Greet You With Spunk and Local Pride!
Taking a deeper look at the cute mascots "YuruKyara" from towns and prefectures around Japan will give you many hints about the special features of that area and they are sure to bring a bright smile as well! Here our Deep Japan Senpai explore the unique world of Yurukyara in Japan and what they mean to this wonderful country.
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Japanese Mascots have gone wild all over Japan! There are literally thousands of them representing local towns and areas, cities, government agencies, banks, products – even prisons! Japanese mascots are called “yuru-chara” in Japan and there are certain guidelines to become one
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Kumamon, the Japanese Bear Character of the Kumamoto Prefecture
Kumamon from Kumamoto Prefecture might be a benchmark for how to bring the genki back to regional areas battling the power drain that comes with ultra-ageing and decreasing populations.I visited the Kumamoto Prefecture Tokyo Representative Office in Nagatacho the other day and “upbeat” is the best way to describe the air in that office.
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Ku-tan Narita International Airport Character in Japan
Continuing in my series of funny, cute and adorable Japanese mascot characters or “Yurukyara”, I would like to introduce you to Ku-tan from Narita Airport. You can see him here with some friends, along with some cool plane-related machines, etc., at a recent Narita Airport Festival.
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“Promotion Daimyo Character” Ieyasu Kun Rallies for your Success in Hamamatsu City, Japan
His “Chon Mage” hair fashion says it all! Look closely at Ieyasu Kun’s head and you will see it is not a black hair knot typical of Samurai in Edo Japan…no it is an Unagi eel smiling happily atop his big round, wise-looking face.
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Meet Yoshida No Udonburi-Chan, Udon Character From Mt. Fuji, Japan!
There is a very famous type of Udon in Yamanashi Prefecture’s Fujiyoshida City. It is a little bit heavier and stronger than regular Udon so when you try to bite through the noodles it will make your teeth work harder. This is called “Koshi no aru” Udon in Japanese.
