What is the purpose of yuru-kyara?
What is the purpose of yuru-kyara?
Yuru-kyara (ゆるキャラ), literally ‘loose characters’, are cute, friendly and sometimes bizarre mascots created in Japan by government organizations, local governments, companies and individuals for the purpose of public relations.
When did yuru-chara begin?
This is the heart of “yuru-chara,” the championing of mascots as part of everyday life. Japanese artist Jun Miura is widely credited with coining the term in 2009, outlining three fundamental components of a yuru-chara mascot: It must convey a strong message of love for one’s hometown.
What is the most famous Yurukyara in Japan?
Funassyi is one of the most popular yuru-kyara in Japan, but remains an unofficial representative of Funabashi, Chiba.
What was the first Yurukyara?
The city of Hikone, in Shiga Prefecture, is considered the pioneer of the modern yurukyara boom. When first introduced in 2007, the local mascot, Hikonyan, brought a surge of visitors to Hikone Castle and sales of branded goods greatly helped the city’s economy.
What is the national animal of Japan?
Japanese macaque
What animals are Japan’s national symbols? The so-called snow monkey, the Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata), is Japan’s national animal. Japan also has a national bird – the Japanese pheasant or green pheasant (Phasianus versicolor).
How many Yuru Kyara are there in Japan?
Yuru-chara has become a popular and lucrative business, with character-driven sales reaching nearly $16 billion in Japan in 2012….Yuru-chara Grand Prix.
| Year | Entrants | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1,580 | Sanomaru (Sano, Tochigi) |
| 2014 | 1,699 | Gunma-chan (Gunma Prefecture) |
What was the last year of the Yuru Chara Grand Prix?
Since 2010, mascots from across Japan have gathered for an annual event, known as the Yura-Chara Grand Prix to vote for the year’s most popular mascot. Sadly, the 2020 Yura-Chara Grand Prix will be the final of these events, heightening the significance the year’s competition.
What does Domo Kun represent?
Domo kun is a combination of the Japanese words Dōmo konnichiwa + Kun. The first words could be translated as “A very good day to you”, and Kun is an honorary title used to refer to young men in Japan.
What animal is Kumamon?
A mascot character named Kumamon represents Kumamoto prefecture in the Kyushu region, southwestern part of Japan.
What is Chiitan the mascot of?
Chiitan, the unofficial otter mascot of Susaki in Kochi Prefecture who gained international fame for her hilarious stunt videos, released a statement on the worldwide protests and Black Lives Matter movement on June 5. Japan are your friends!
Why does Japan have a mascot for everything?
The popularity of mascots/yuru-kyara in Japan has been linked to Japan’s historically emotional bonds and ties to non-human characters. In fact, the yuru-kyara has been so ingrained in Japanese culture that they hold a yuru chara grand prix every year to decide on the annual number one mascot in Japan!
What is a yuru kyara?
Japan is home to an astounding number of promotional mascots, or yuru kyara, cute (and sometimes not-so-cute) costumed characters created to promote everything from prefectures and cities to products and services.
Are yuru-chara looked down upon in Japan?
However, today yuru-chara are not looked down on and are actually adored for their cute, but amateurish designs. yuru-Chara was first coined by illustrator and culture critic Jun Miura, when he described a mascot character called Bunkakki. Bunkakki was an oyster with a maple leaf hat, who was created for a festival in Hiroshima in 2000.
Are all mascots in Japan yuru-chara?
Mascots have been an important part of Japan’s culture for a very long time, and it’s important to note that not all mascots are yuru-chara. Japan has leveraged the marketing power of mascots since the 1950s and there are a lot of big mascots that aren’t yuru-chara.
What is gotōchi kyara katarogu?
Gotōchi-chara Catalogue (ご当地キャラカタログ, gotōchi kyara katarogu) is an online database which collects information about gotōchi-chara, yuru-chara and local heroes from user submissions. On October 2014 it surpassed 3,000 character entries.
