Rika-chan finds a playmate in cute Kumamoto character Kumamon
If you’re a girl who grew up with Japanese relatives, then this Rika-chan doll probably brings back some childhood memories. Created in 1967, her popularity in Japan rivals that of Barbie in the West...
View ArticleKumamoto Prefecture’s popular mascot can now be found on your floor
If recent reports are to be believed, tatami, the traditional Japanese flooring made of soft rush straw, may soon be a thing of the past as people begin to favor easier-to-clean western style...
View ArticleHard Ku**mon is here to put lazy mascots out of work with his creepy latex hugs
Over the years the mascot industry in Japan has swelled considerably. An uncountable number of people in big-headed costumes currently represent the nation’s prefectures, cities, government offices...
View ArticleGunma-chan is named the champion of the 2014 mascot character contest
Have you ever wondered how Kumamon suddenly burst into the spotlight back in 2011? It was the result of his victory in the national mascot character contest, the Yuru-kyara Grand Prix. The contest has...
View ArticleKyaraben roundup! We take a look back at 2014’s best packed lunches 【Pics】
The Kyaraben trend is still going strong in Japan, and even though winter has prompted some to make the temporary switch to deco-nabe, the demand for adorable packed lunches shows no signs of abating....
View ArticleKumamon and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day【Video】
Kumamon is the official mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan. Since his debut in 2010, he’s become wildly popular, appearing in all kinds of media and lending his face to uncountable...
View ArticleKumanu!!! Japan’s most popular mascot meets Keanu Reeves at endurance...
Did you know that actor Keanu Reeves has his own motorcycle production company, Arch Motorcycle? We had no idea either, until he made an impromptu appearance at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture...
View ArticleIs Kumamoto City surpassing Tokyo as the fashion capital of Japan?
Kumamoto City, the capital of the Kyushu prefecture of the same name, has always been in a bit of an awkward position. It doesn’t really have the metropolitan appeal of Tokyo, or the world-famous...
View ArticleTouching messages of support for Kumamoto by artists in China and the manga...
A wave of support for the people of Kumamoto has come out of China in the form of warmhearted illustrations featuring the local mascot Kumamon. Although it would be an understatement to say these...
View ArticleNew mascot “Lucky Bear” appearing on Chinese TV looks awfully familiar
A roly-poly bear with red cheeks and white eyebrows recently appeared on a TV program in China, which can mean only one thing: Kumamoto Prefecture traveled six years back in time and ripped them off!...
View ArticlePerhaps the most expensive character bento ever has been sold for a fantastic...
We’re talking about thousands of dollars here! On June 5, the Toshima Ward regional office held a charity concert in support of the victims of the Kumamoto earthquakes. Sporting the theme, “We are...
View ArticleNew green tea Japanese Kit Kat released to raise funds for earthquake-damaged...
Kit Kat joins forces with regional mascot Kumamon to help people in the affected area. Nestlé Japan has added a brand new limited-edition Kit Kat to their “Big Little” product range, and this time the...
View ArticlePokémon GO enters partnership to help disaster-stricken regions of Japan 【Video】
Four prefectures in Japan team up with Pokémon GO developer Niantic to speed up their recovery. A press conference on August 10th in Tokyo revealed a surprising collaboration between the developer of...
View ArticleThis year’s contest to choose Japan’s greatest mascot attracting some shady...
Call me old fashioned but I remember when mascots were meant to be cute, not demons spawned by human weakness or yam ninjas. It’s that time of year again. The time when the nation unites and casts a...
View ArticleJapanese convenience store Christmas cakes are cuter than ever!
This is what Christmas dessert looks like in Japan. Even though Halloween is still over a month away, Lawson convenience stores around the country are already accepting orders for their 2016 Christmas...
View ArticleHard Ku**mon is here to put lazy mascots out of work with his creepy latex hugs
Over the years the mascot industry in Japan has swelled considerably. An uncountable number of people in big-headed costumes currently represent the nation’s prefectures, cities, government offices...
View ArticleGunma-chan is named the champion of the 2014 mascot character contest
Have you ever wondered how Kumamon suddenly burst into the spotlight back in 2011? It was the result of his victory in the national mascot character contest, the Yuru-kyara Grand Prix. The contest has...
View ArticleKyaraben roundup! We take a look back at 2014’s best packed lunches 【Pics】
The Kyaraben trend is still going strong in Japan, and even though winter has prompted some to make the temporary switch to deco-nabe, the demand for adorable packed lunches shows no signs of abating....
View ArticleNew Japanese Kit Kat raises funds for earthquake-damaged Kumamoto region
The brand new flavour tastes just like a famous local specialty from the prefecture. In 2016, Kumamoto, on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, was devastated by a series of earthquakes which were so...
View ArticleKumamon comes under fire for prank against TV presenter, apologizes
Beloved regional mascot admits he’s been a bad, bad bear. In the vast ecosystem of costumed mascots in Japan, the Kumamoto Prefectural character Kumamon probably stands at the top of the food chain....
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