Japan’s weirdest Yuru Kyara mascot

I recently visited Shikoku for the first time, taking the train to Kochi to attend the 2024 Post-Contact Characters Festival in Susaki. More than 75 mascots from all over Japan participated in the event. I am more inclined to kawaii Ehime Prefecture’s Mikyan, a mandarin duck puppy hybrid with leafy ears and a flowery tail, and local host Shinjo-kun, an otter wearing a ramen hat who you may already know from the HBO show John Oliver Last Week Tonight and his intricate relationship with Chaos. What’s your job?.

Japanese mascots are often called Yuru Keira. Japanese words Yurui Translated as “loose” or “shaky,” but can also be interpreted as soft, relaxed, or fragile. The term was coined and trademarked by illustrator and Japanese pop culture critic Jun Miura, who is often regarded as the “original yuru kyara otaku”.

Miura believes that the three main characteristics of yuru kyara are: a strong sense of excitement about the local area, clumsy movements and behaviors, and a laid-back and cute personality. Because of this trait, you’ll often see Japanese mascots waddling around like little kids or innocently getting into silly pranks.

Yuru kyara have become increasingly popular over the past decade or so, starting with Kumamon, a big-eyed black bear from Kumamoto City who is often seen dancing and has a slightly mischievous personality.

After winning the second annual Yuru Kyara Grand Prix in 2011, Kumamon brought in an eye-popping 11.8 billion yen in merchandise sales in the first six months of 2012 alone. He became an icon not only in Kumamoto but in Japan. A whole.

There are many different mascots across the country, and they often have very creative backstories in their profiles. Read on to learn about some of the strangest yet lovable characters I’ve encountered during my adventures and research into yuru kyara.

funasi

Just like Kumamon and Chiitan, funasi Already enjoy a global reputation. The mascot represents Funabashi City in Chiba Prefecture, which is famous for its pears. According to her official biography, Fornacy was neither male nor female, but a magical pear fairy. The yuru kyara tends to be silent, while the funassyi has a distinctive high-pitched scream. Its chaotic energy is conveyed through excited screams and head banging.

Funassyi is actually an unofficial mascot of the city, created in 2011 by a local businessman to promote stores. It screams its signature”Nahijiru Bush!” greets customers (roughly, “I’m going to explode from my pear juice!”). The creator decided to remain anonymous.

While still officially “unofficial,” Funassyi has made a life of her own, starring in multiple commercials, appearing on television, winning awards and opening several funasi land Retail stores are located throughout the country. Funassyi Empire reports profit $8 million Only in terms of merchandise sales in 2013.

Nehara-kun

Nehara-kunintroduced to me by a colleague tokyo weekendis the Natto Fairy representing Ibaraki Prefecture. According to official information, Nehara-kun is 710 years old and has the title of the communicator of Ibaraki’s charm. It is said that contacting or taking a photo with Nebara-kun will bring good luck.

Nebaaru-kun is inspired by natto, a spicy fermented soybean originating from Ibaraki Prefecture. The name of the mascot comes from sky skyan onomatopoeia for a sticky, gelatinous texture, perfectly captures the stringy, sticky nature of natto. root tension (sticky) also means sticky in Japanese. Nebaaru-kun looks relatively innocent, but he likes to surprise (and possibly scare) people with a secret trick – he can jump to a height of about 3 meters.

Nebaaru-kun’s YouTube channel NebaNebaTV has over 390,000 subscribers and over 600 million total views.

Udon Nou

UdonovSometimes translated as “udon noodle,” it is the mascot of Kagawa Prefecture, which has more than 600 udon restaurants.

This yuru kyara uses Hehe The onomatopoeia of noodle-smoking expresses its never-ending obsession with noodles, even incorporating it into its full name: Tsuru-kyara Udonnoww. Since the character’s head contains only udon and no actual brain cells, it is portrayed as a fool with limited memory. Udonnoww even has his own theory of evolution.

Udonnoww takes first place in the 2023 Yuru-Verse competition, a new version of the Yuru Kyara Grand Prix that has The last event of 2020 It was terminated after criticism for an overly heated campaign and a shocking vote-rigging scandal.

There are also melons

There are also melons Infamous for being one of Japan’s most terrifying mascots. The melon bear hybrid is the unofficial representative of the terrifying Yubari City in Hokkaido. Yubari’s specialty is melons, a pair of which sold for a staggering price at an auction in 2017 1.5 million yen.

The bear’s head is huge, and the ridges of the melon look like veins. Impressive realistic bear design complete with claws and fangs. Melon Bear loves to eat melons, and his companion yuru kyara is even a guest. Even children are not immune to the mascot’s horrific attacks.

Marimokoli

MarimokoliA merchandise character created in 2005 by souvenir wholesaler Kyowa Co. Ltd., it is another questionable and controversial character in Hokkaido. The name is a combination of in and Mokoli. Nodules are green algae balls that grow in lakes in Hokkaido. And mokkori – well, that’s slang for an erection.

Marimokkori has green skin, a wide grin, and a very noticeable bulge in her pants. Initially, souvenir shops rejected Marimokkori due to his vulgarity, but he gradually became popular throughout Hokkaido as he was spotted on TV shows with celebrities.

Kyowa carries a wide variety of Marimokkori merchandise, from pens and towels to boxer shorts.

Mr. Eel

Mr. Eel Special Tourism Ambassador of Narita City, Chiba Prefecture. At first glance, Unari-kun appears to be an airplane due to its appearance and the city’s close connection to Narita International Airport. But according to his biography, Unari-kun is actually an alien who was born on the planet Unari and landed at Narita Airport. After discovering that Narita has a wonderful community, friendly people, and delicious food, Unari-kun decides to stay on Earth. He said he even got a residence card.

Unari-kun was named by eel (Japanese freshwater eel) – a local delicacy – and “Narita”. Unari-kun is the winner of the 2017 Yuru Kyara Grand Prix.

Reruhisan

Reruhisan Born on the 100th anniversary of skiing in Japan. The mascot is based on Theodore von Lhehe, a major general in the Austro-Hungarian Army and the first recorded ski instructor in Niigata Prefecture. As part of an officer exchange, the major visited Japan and was invited to teach the sport to regiments and later to civilians, giving ski lessons at Mount Kanaya. Now, Reruhi-san is a representative of Japan’s ski history, working to revitalize Niigata’s winter tourism industry.

Reruhi-san is an inflatable mascot with an impressive height, taller than other yuru kyara. It is rare to find Yurugaro who is not only in human form but also based on a historical figure.

The mascot’s voice is rather timid, but his stage presence is quite impressive. I spotted him in Narita, where Reluhisan surprised the audience by bending down and starting crawling backwards on all fours.

eastward travel mulberry

eastward travel mulberry There’s a very simple background: he’s just a box of soy milk – wearing matching teal Crocs! Like Unari-kun, Tounyu-san is an alien who came to Earth from the planet Soymilk about 12 years ago. He now lives in Akihabara Electric City and is officially recognized by the Japan Soymilk Maker Association.

Although he is only Soy Milk, Dongyou Sang has a lively personality. He is often seen taking his face off and then putting it back on upside down.

Harima and Yabashi

Here are two new creatures that will give you nightmares: Harima and Yabashiare a creepy, toothy duo local to Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture, Shikoku. Harima and Yabashi was created by Hitoshi Shimoo and Yuya Okanoue to promote Harimaya Bridge and Jinzenju Café.

The bright red Harima Bridge is the backdrop for a legendary love story between a monk and a local woman, and is a popular tourist attraction. However, it is also considered one of Japan’s most disappointing tourist destinations. Initially inspired by bridge pillars, Harima and Yabashi’s costume designs began appearing as a response to irate tourists, launching an initiative to bring more interest to the nearby iconic bridge.

Despite their scary appearance, Harima and Yabashi won some hearts. They sing and dance at various events to spread the word Disaster prevention awareness among children.

Yuru Kyara Festival

Mascot festivals like Suzaki are great fun and a great way to learn more about what different regions of Japan have to offer through tourism promotion programs. Festivals and community events continue throughout the year, so be sure to follow along on social media and tokyo weekend‘s events calendar for updates on the latest yuru kyara sightings.

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