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April 28, 2024
 

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MASCOTS

Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 11, 2023
How a 'Muppets' artist became a part of J. League mascot history
Among American writer Guy Gilchrist's achievements over a career that has spanned more than 40 years is the creation of Shimizu S-Pulse mascot Pul-chan.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Nov 15, 2022
Cap that symbolizes French republic chosen as Paris 2024 mascot
Organizers expect toys representing the mascots to generate 'between 20% and 25%' of merchandising revenue.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 23, 2022
Tokyo Games bribery scandal widens to include firm that made stuffed toys of mascots
Prosecutors are probing whether former Games executive Haruyuki Takahashi lobbied the committee to extend favor to Sun Arrow over the sale of stuffed toys for the Games, the sources said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 6, 2022
Kumamoto turns to trusty mascot Kumamon for post-COVID tourism boost
Authorities are developing bear-themed attractions across the region, betting they will spur an influx of overseas visitors when some of the world's strictest border restrictions ease.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 2, 2021
The bike safety campaign that backfired
The Chiba Prefectural Police hoped an animated avatar would help with bicycle safety but wound up wading into a long-running debate over misogyny.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 28, 2021
The Olympic mascots aren’t winning any medals
Before the pandemic, the Japanese designer who created the Olympic and Paralympic mascots predicted that they would become the 'face of the Games.” It hasn't quite turned out that way.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2021
Backlash hits mascot designed to sell Fukushima water release
'If (the government) thinks it can get the general public to understand just by creating a cute character, it is making a mockery of risk communication,' one critic tweeted.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2020
Iwate Prefecture's Yumechan wins Japan's final mascot competition
The winning mascot has ears modeled after pines in a grove that was swept away during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2020
Coronavirus scuppers Kumamon's 10th birthday party celebrations
Iconic mascot Kumamon, a cuddly black bear-like character that has gained worldwide fame, marked his 10th birthday on Thursday, although celebrations scheduled to be held on the weekend have been postponed in light of the spread of COVID-19.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2020
Sales of Kumamon-brand goods hit record ¥158 billion in 2019
Products bearing the image of Kumamon, the black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, racked up sales of at least ¥157.9 billion ($1.4 billion) in 2019, the Kumamoto Prefectural Government said Friday.
Japan Times
LIFE / 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW,2010s: Decade in review
Nov 7, 2019
Mascots: The secret weapon in Japan's soft power arsenal
What makes a good mascot? It used to be that being cute was enough, but 'yuru-kyara' in the 2010s needed storylines and Instagram followings if they want to make a mark.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 4, 2019
Chubby Nagano Prefecture bear beats nearly 800 other characters to win annual mascot competition
Arukuma, a chubby, green-colored bear wearing a red hood in the shape of an apple around its face and head, was the winner of a high-profile annual contest held in the city of Nagano on Sunday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 8, 2019
At the birthplace of instant noodles, Chicken Ramen mascot Hiyoko-chan is immortalized on manhole covers
The city of Ikeda in Osaka Prefecture, known as the birthplace of instant noodles, has started using manhole covers featuring Hiyoko-chan, the mascot of Chicken Ramen brand instant noodles, in front of the city's popular cup noodle museum.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 12, 2019
Tokyo government ridiculed for mistake suggesting mascot supports child abuse
A Tokyo government website tasked with tackling child abuse unintentionally appeared to do the exact opposite, when a caption under an image of a mascot skipped a vital word, government officials acknowledged Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 25, 2019
Susaki mascot Chiitan runs afoul of Twitter's social media rules
Chiitan the otter was riding high this spring. After becoming one of the most popular characters in the country thanks to its chaotic online behavior, Chiitan started appearing everywhere in the media.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Mar 11, 2019
Have Japan's yuru-kyara reached critical mass? Minds behind the mascots discuss
Over the past few decades, towns, cities and prefectures throughout Japan have been churning out mascots to represent and promote themselves, resulting in an annual contest, the Yuru-kyara Grand Prix, that has come to symbolize their popularity.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 24, 2018
Kaparu's victory in 2018 mascot awards gives Saitama a reason to shine
The Yuru-kyara (Promotional Mascot) Grand Prix in Japan has become one of the internet’s most anticipated events of the year. The 2018 edition lived up to expectations, and even featured a little voting drama. In the end, the city of Shiki’s Kaparu captured the crown.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 19, 2018
Saitama city's Kaparu beats out organized voting to win grand prix title at annual mascot contest
Kaparu from Shiki, a city in Saitama Prefecture, won the 2018 Yuru-kyara Grand Prix (Soft Character Grand Prix) title in the regional division on Sunday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE NOTES
Sep 13, 2018
Could Domo-kun at 20 mean Domo-kun 2.0?
Whatever happened to Domo-kun, the furry brown monster with the jagged maw? When I first got to Japan I used to see him everywhere. Now Chiitan, the masochistic Otter who reps the city of Susaki in Kochi Prefecture, stacks my social media feeds with memes, and Unari-kun, from Narita, is the current reigning champion of the Mascot Grand Prix. Domo-kun has some serious competition.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 22, 2018
Iconic Japanese mascot Kumamon to become YouTuber
Kumamon, the popular black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, will debut as a YouTuber next month, sharing online its experiences with sports, arts and crafts in multiple languages, the local government said Wednesday.
New JAL chief concerned about yen’s ‘excessive’ weakness
Mitsuko Tottori became Japan Airlines’ first female CEO on April 1, having risen through the ranks as a flight attendant and heading the flight attendant and customer experience divisions.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Yen inches closer to intervention point as BOJ meeting starts
The rate of the yen against the U.S. dollar is displayed in the trading room at foreign exchange brokerage Gaitame.com in Tokyo on Thursday.
Princess Aiko makes debut at imperial garden party
Princess Aiko attends an imperial garden party in Tokyo on Tuesday.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
Tokyo's Koto Ward by-election a race unlike any other
Natsumi Sakai, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s candidate and one of four female candidates running in the by-election, touts her experience as a cancer survivor and midwife as having prepared her to tackle issues that women currently face.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Top U.S. and China diplomats talk tough amid warnings of new ‘downward spiral’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Friday
Kyotographie's strong 12th edition shines light into the margins
Yassine Alaoui Ismaili, who goes by Yoriyas, turned to photography, shooting motion while in motion himself, after an injury forced him to give up his career as a professional breakdancer.

Podcast

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[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Vol. 34: Tokyo, a vanguard city for sustainability
Vol. 34: Tokyo, a vanguard city for sustainability

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