Several weeks ago Fuji TV's morning news show sent a reporter to the Gunma Prefecture "antenna shop" located across the street from the Kabukiza theater in Tokyo's Ginza district. The store, which sells products made in Gunma, pays ¥64 million a year in rent for the small two-floor space, and an independent auditor had concluded it's too much given the prefecture's shakey finances. Though the story reflected negatively on the shop, the manager was happy to talk about it, since it was free air time and, as the saying goes, any publicity is good publicity, but just to play it safe during his interview he was accompanied by the silent, smiling figure of Gunma-chan, the prefecture's official yurukyara, or costume mascot — a squat, bipedal horse.
The presence of a cute character takes the edge off a news report that might be critical in tone, though this strategy could backfire if it gives viewers the impression that the manager wasn't taking the implication of fiscal irresponsibility seriously.
The employment of Gunma-chan in this situation demonstrates the diversity of yurukyaras' PR utility. Ever since Kumamoto Prefecture's bear mascot, Kumamon, achieved superstar status not only in Japan but also abroad, all local governments have pushed their "image characters" relentlessly in order to earn the same sort of brand recognition. The Kumamoto branch of the Bank of Japan estimates that Kumamon brought the prefecture ¥123.2 billion in revenues over a two-year period starting in 2011.