Japan's cute bear mascot impresses the empress
He is instantly recognised all over Japan, generates millions of dollars of merchandising sales, and has 300,000 Twitter followers. Now Kumamon, an oversized cartoon bear, has a new fan: the empress.
He is instantly recognised all over Japan, generates millions of dollars of merchandising sales, and has 300,000 Twitter followers. Now Kumamon, an oversized cartoon bear, has a new fan: the empress.
Michiko and her husband Emperor Akihito got what was almost certainly their first taste of the adult-sized mascot when they met him on a visit to his home city of Kumamoto.
Kumamon - whose name blends his birthplace with the local dialect word for "person" - performed a dance for the imperial couple, reproducing the steps he performs in a video that has already garnered nearly two million viewings on YouTube.
"Thank you, Kumamon-san," said the 79-year-old empress.
The ruddy-cheeked bear is the most popular of Japan's ubiquitous mascots that are pressed into service to represent everything from regions to companies or even prisons, in a country where cute is king.
Since his birth in 2011, Kumamon has become the official marketing manager for the local government, charged with boosting sales of regional produce and attracting tourists.