DISCOVERING THE YURU-KYARA, THE JAPANESE MASCOTS

In recent years in Japan, the spread of Yuru-Kyara (or Yuru-Chara), short for Yurui Masukotto Kyarakutā , i.e. those tender, soft and "furry" characters, dressed as mascots , has increasingly grown. A phenomenon that has affected the entire Japanese population and culture, so much so that their love for the latter is renowned throughout the world, equally widespread among both children and adults.

Fukkachan poses with Shinjou-Kun © Fukkachan via Twitter

These cute kawaii characters who seem to come from cartoons are ideally associated with anything: in fact, there are mascots for schools, public bodies such as hospitals, companies, events, hotels and every prefecture has its own!

The mere nature of their existence is linked purely to the concept of marketing: these mascots help create advertising, promote tourism or raise public awareness depending on what the character represents: for example Gunma-chan, a mascot with the appearance of a horse, symbolizes Gunma prefecture, famous for its historic horse farms; or Sanomaru, a cute little dog with a bowl of ramen on his head, represents Sano, his hometown, famous for this culinary specialty.

Hikonyan poses with a plush heart in his hand © Oyakata

The curiosity that links each mascot is having a sort of registered identity card comparable to that of natural persons: for each profile the name, age, sex, particular qualities and even the clerical role must be specified, in in case you have one. There are dancing mascots (like Nishiko-kun), wrestlers (like the centipede dinosaur Namisuke) or even yoga instructors for video platforms (like the dog mascot Prince Shimotsukare).

Nishiko-kun exits Nishi-kokubunji Temple © Nishiko-kun via Facebook

Contrary to what you might think, this is not such a recent invention: Yuru-Kyara have in fact existed since the early 2000s and gained popularity only a few years later; in particular in 2004 it was Jun Miura , a Manga author, who coined the current name and spread the development and knowledge of these characters.

Some of them have even achieved international fame : this is the case of Pichon-kun, a tender droplet of water which has become a symbol of promotional advertisements as well as of the Daikin company itself, leader in the air conditioning sector.

Some of the most loved Yuru Kyara pose for a group photo © YURUKYARASHOW

Some of the most beloved characters are the Gotōchi-kyara , the "local characters", or mascots created specifically to promote cities or prefectures. Today it is estimated that there are around 1200 in Japan and many regions share multiple characters that represent them : in 2014 the Osaka region alone had 45 mascots .

A figurine depicting Kumamon © Oyakata

Another very famous mascot is Kumamon , a red-cheeked bear created in 2010 for the imminent inauguration of the Kyūshū Shinkansen, the high-speed train line in Kumamoto Prefecture , the city that the mascot represents. Although the Yuru-kyara were intended to create a connection between audiences and brands, the particularly positive feedback from people for these characters soon created a demand for the creation of a line of clothing, toys and a multitude of accessories, such as key chains and stationery items, branded with the image of a mascot. Merchandise sales reached $16 billion in 2012 , solidifying fan loyalty that has continued to grow over time. The merchandise related to Kumamon is the one that had the greatest economic impact for the country, amounting to approximately 123.2 billion yen, the equivalent of almost 1 billion euros!

Kummamon greets his audience © AFP

In 2011 Kumamon also had particular relevance for having been elected by the voting public as the best mascot of the year at the annual Yuru-kyara Grand Prix event, a large competition in which all the characters participate and where the Japanese people decide the winner .

Every year the number of participants in the event and the number of voters increase considerably, thanks also to online voting. The winner of the 2021 Grand Prix is ​​Bary-San , the chick born in Imbari who wears a crown reminiscent of the shape of the Kurushima-Kaikyō bridge (an architectural construction of particular tourist interest for Ehime prefecture) and who loves to eat and walk.

Barysan is immortalized in his city © Barysan via Twitter

2013 is also a year to remember for the Yuru-kyara: on January 27, 141 mascots entered the history of the Guinness World Record for managing to complete a choreography simultaneously for 5 minutes!

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