Tag: Hanyu

World Mascot Summit 2017

Koakkuma, Funassyi, and Akkuma rock out on stage.

The annual “World Character Summit” took place last weekend, in Hanyu City, Saitama. It’s Japan’s biggest gathering of mascots, attracting 360 assorted yuruchara from all over the country. Kumamon was absent this year, as was the newly-crowned Yuruchara Grand Prix champion, Unari-kun, but most of the other well-known characters were there, posing for pictures with fans and performing on stage.  It was a nice sunny day and I had a ton of fun. Here are a few of the mascots I encountered:

Sanuki, the udon noodle fairy.

Kure City’s dance-loving mascot, Kure-shi.

Gatagoro, a fish from Saga Prefecture’s Ariake Sea, and mascot-loving pop-idol, Yufu Terashima.

Teletama-kun, the cracked-egg mascot of Television Saitama, poses next to a sweet set of wheels (a Ferrarri 308 GTS).

Kamagaya City’s mascot, Kamatan, shows off a fancy classic car.

Akasaka Man strikes a pose.

Kaparu feeds Inanosuke his cucumber.

Hii-kun, Muu-chan, and Kaa-kun, the three dancing dogs from Miyazaki.

Huge party goods store mascot, Pier Nishiki, meets tiny kimono-clad safflower, Oke-chan.

Riku, Umi, and Sora, the self-defence force mascots for Saitama Prefecture, look like an awesome rhino version of the Village People.

Jepilie is the mascot for Japan Property Returns.

Ryuouh Sakura-chan in traditional dress.

Chip-kun, dabbing.

Bonsai-kun, a rhino with a bonsai tree instead of a horn.

Kumokkuro the cloud child (mascot of the Shibuya Flower Project, who plant flowers in the city) meets Peccary (mascot of both Japan’s Ecuadorean embassy and the city of Bizen, in Okayama).

Honda mascot, Kurutam.

Oyamakuma, the pink-cheeked bear from Oyama City, Tochigi.

Funyassi, Isa-King, Funassyi, Chicchai-Ossan, and Funagoro put on a show.

Spanky, Shinjou-kun, Osaki Ichibataro, and Nonko act out a sketch.

Tsurugon (with Shimaneko behind him).

Nakanon: a giant, waddling lotus flower fairy from Nagaoka, Niigata.

Mandarin-orange-headed Ehime Prefecture mascot, Mikyan, and his evil nemesis, Dark Mikyan.

Looking like an indecisive person’s Halloween costume, Francoise Biwa (mascot of Minamichita, Aichi) is a loquat tree fairy, and self-proclaimed princess of the fruit kingdom.

World Character Summit 2016 in Hanyu (Part 3)

Here is a final selection of pictures of obscure mascots from the recent World Character Summit in Hanyu, Saitama.

Muzumuzu-kun

Muzumuzu-kun, king of Imizu City. Bring back monastic rule and put this guy in charge!

Hinojagakun and Sainobuntakun

 On the right is the potato-headed perpetual 22-year-old mascot of Hinohara Village on the edge of Tokyo. On the left is Sainobuntakun, the rhinoceros mascot of a Saitama newspaper. Imagine their children!
Sasadangon

Sasadangon of Niigata (based on the local treat, sasadango) strikes a sexy pose. Phwoar!

Wataru

The Honshu-Shikoku Bridge mascot is called Wataru. Wataru is a normal Japanese guy’s name, a peculiar choice for a being that looks like a mattress.

 Ma-Kun and Ayumin

Higashimatsuyama’s twin mascots, Ma-kun and (hiding behind her brother) Ayumin.
Oripy

Sayama city’s cherubic Oripy.

 

Tomo

Tomo is the mascot for Tomoe Milk in Koga City, Ibaragi. I got a free sample of the milk and it was very yummy.

Happy Hanyu Hanyu

“Happy Hanyu Hanyu” is the mascot of Hanyu General Hospital. Who knows what diabolical genetics experiments are going on there, if Happy is any indication?

Black Bancho

Black Bancho is a super-cool squid from Itoigawa city.

Oke-Chan

Oke-Chan is a safflower in a kimono, and hails from Okegawa city in Saitama.(There is no shortage of mascots in Saitama.)

Mochi Usagi

Niigata’s Mochi Usagi is bunny with a rice cake for a head. Is it bad that I am suddenly hungry?

 

Skinny

This eerie and enigmatic figure is named Skinny, and that’s about all I know about him. The yuru-chara equivalent of Slenderman.

Papa Tako

Papa Tako, the octopus mascot of Akashi city in Hyogo. He would make a good partner in crime for Black Bancho.

Ninjaemon

Koka City in Shiga is famous for all things ninja. Hence the mascot, Ninjaemon. It’s hard to imagine this character stealthily creeping into your house at midnight, though.

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