Each November I head to Hanyu City in Saitama to attend the “World Character Summit”, a sort of Comic Con for Japanese mascots, where 150 or so of them sell merchandise from booths, pose for pictures, and dance to their theme songs on stage. Here are some of the yuru-chara I encountered:
Kappa Kotaro, the mascot for Tokyo’s Sumida WardToma-chan, Oke-chan, and SokanyanKoapyon, a bear in a bunny costume, is the mascot for the village of Kamikoani in Akita Prefecture.Kitekeru-kun, the mascot of Yamagata Prefecture, is shaped like the outline of Yamagata, and carries local produce in a suitcase.Kikunon, a green tea fairy with a teacup on his head, is the mascot of Kikugawa City.Kyabettsu-san, a mascot from West Tokyo, is a hybrid of a cat and a cabbage and loves singing.Korou-kun, Musashi Ranmaru, and Konyudou-kunMomo, from Hong Kong, meets Micchan, from Kyoto.Hirokuma, the new mascot for Hiroshima Prefecture, is a lemon-scented bear.Jingisukan No Jin-kun is a sheep from Sapporo City.Yokojiro, from Ochi Town in Kochi Prefecture, meets Kapal, from Shiki City.Toyotama, a spherical chicken with cars for feet, is the mascot for Toyota motors in Saitama Prefecture.Sadandy, a bird fairy with a lighthouse on its head, is the mascot for Sadamisaki Peninsula.Nuts-kun, a squirrel with tree hair, is a mascot from the town of Satosho in Okayama Prefecture.
My name is Ruth Flowers, I’m a ceramicist and illustrator based in County Durham, UK.
I was pointed in your direction by Professor Joshua Dale as I am interested in cuteness and nostalgia as tools for revitalisation. I’m in the process of planning a research trip to Japan and wondered if had any suggestions for locations/venues/events of interest. I’m certainly going to try attend this mascot summit – it looks amazing!!! Your photos are very inspiring.
Hello, Ruth.
Sorry, I missed your comment until now!
Quite a few events like this take place around the country (mostly in the Autumn, for some reason). If you remind me nearer the time of your trip, I can tell you about any events I’m aware of.
Most towns and cities have something cute or nostalgic to see. Local mascots appear on manhole covers, for example. Towns also often have public art and monuments based on the work of local manga artists.
Many mascots were created by towns in the Tohoku area after the 2011 earthquake/tsunami, specifically for the purpose of revitalisation, so if you go to those places, you can probably spot lots of cute characters imagery.
Ruth Flowers
Hello Chris,
My name is Ruth Flowers, I’m a ceramicist and illustrator based in County Durham, UK.
I was pointed in your direction by Professor Joshua Dale as I am interested in cuteness and nostalgia as tools for revitalisation. I’m in the process of planning a research trip to Japan and wondered if had any suggestions for locations/venues/events of interest. I’m certainly going to try attend this mascot summit – it looks amazing!!! Your photos are very inspiring.
Many thanks for reading,
Ruth
Chris
Hello, Ruth.
Sorry, I missed your comment until now!
Quite a few events like this take place around the country (mostly in the Autumn, for some reason). If you remind me nearer the time of your trip, I can tell you about any events I’m aware of.
Most towns and cities have something cute or nostalgic to see. Local mascots appear on manhole covers, for example. Towns also often have public art and monuments based on the work of local manga artists.
Many mascots were created by towns in the Tohoku area after the 2011 earthquake/tsunami, specifically for the purpose of revitalisation, so if you go to those places, you can probably spot lots of cute characters imagery.