Some children in the quake-hit town of Mashiki were happy to see Kumamoto Prefecture's popular black bear mascot Kumamon on Thursday after its first public appearance since the deadly April 14 earthquake.

At around 2 p.m., Kumamon appeared at the town's convention hall, where many families are keeping their cars to sleep in as aftershocks continue rattling the area.

As of Friday, 1,266 tremors had been logged since April 14.