If recent reports are to be believed, tatami, the traditional Japanese flooring made of soft rush straw, may soon be a thing of the past as people begin to favor easier-to-clean western style flooring. It’s really a shame because there’s nothing quite like the smell and natural feel of tatami under your toes. We’ve already seen novel attempts at spicing up the traditional mats with LED lights, but we’re hoping they’ll have more success with these cute decorative tatami featuring Kumamoto Prefecture’s official bear mascot, Kumamon.

Traditionally, the edge of tatami mats were lined with silk or other linen colored with natural dyes. It was also common to decorate the edges with the family crest or symbol indicating the status of the family. Nowadays, plain cloth or none at all are used to protect the sides of the mats.

▼ Just black edges for this home.

Wikipedia (ignis)

However, the Kumamon tatami come in a variety of colors, all featuring the somewhat lifeless and yet still cute face of Kumamoto Prefecture’s popular mascot:

▼ The Kumamon tatami come in four different colors.

So if you’re in the market for a new set of tatami, you might want to add a splash of whimsy and go with the Kumamon variety. Just watch out for the edges of the tatami! You wouldn’t want to stomp on such an adorable face!

Source: Japaaan Magazine

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• Jiggly yellow pear, Funasshi, named top mascot in Japan

Origin: Kumamoto Prefecture’s popular mascot can now be found on your floor
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Over the years the mascot industry in Japan has swelled considerably. An uncountable number of people in big-headed costumes currently represent the nation’s prefectures, cities, government offices and private companies. Then on top of all that we have independent mascots running around too like Funasshi and Teruhiko.

However, the editors at RocketNews24 feel they have come up with something that will bring the entire mascot world down to its knees. His name is Hard Ku**mon and he is prepared to do something that no other mascot has done before: actual labor.

■ Loose Characters

Mascots in Japan go by the name of yuru-kyara which translates to “loose character.” This is probably more a reference to the typically puffy costumes they wear but might also be connected to the work itself.

Being a mascot basically entails wearing a furry costume and stumbling around while waving to strangers. That’s pretty much what I do on a Saturday night anyway except for the licensing deal.

Even our own Mr. Sato has entered the fray as Satosshi, in an effort to make some easy money. During his time in the murky depths of low-ranking yuru-kyara culture he came across another up-and-coming mascot by the name of Hard Ku**mon.

■ Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Hard Ku**mon represents an important evolution in yuru-kyara. Shedding the over-sized fluffy suits and enormous heads he is a streamlined, aerodynamic mascot designed with performance in mind.

Of course he still maintains the yuru-kyara’s signature cuteness atop his head. But that is kept safely out of the way to ensure work gets done.

Unlike any other mascot, he cooks and cleans.

He can also assist people with desk work by providing back rubs while pointing out typos and poor sentence structures.

Indeed Hard Ku**mon has all the functionality of a regular person, making him head and shoulders above a regular yuru-kyara in terms of productivity.

■ Whipping RocketNews24 into shape

One day as Mr. Sato was coming off a shift as Satosshi and into his regular reporter gig, he noticed that his fellow reporter Wasai was dogging it a bit. He felt this was a time to bring in Hard Ku**mon to show him how to work more efficiently.

As we just saw in the video, Hard Ku**mon is first and foremost a mascot, so before showing Wasai how to work his butt off, he was sure to give him gentle caresses with his latex fingers so that Wasai could feel relaxed.

■ Hard Ku**mon’s mission

By now you might be thinking that Hard Ku**mon is a blatant rip-off of Kumamoto Prefecture’s famous mascot Kumamon. It’s hard to argue with that even though Hard Ku**mon can ride a bike way better than Kumamon.

So, Hard Ku**mon will travel to Kumamoto to request his authorization as an official yuru-kyara. If successful, his status in the yuru-kyara world will rise considerably and we will finally be able to remove those annoying asterisks from his name.

Will he succeed? Or will he get run out of town and placed on a sex-offenders’ registry? We will just have to wait and see. In the meantime, you can show your support for Hard Ku**mon on his Facebook page where currently, he has three likes.

Wait a minute… make that four!

Original report by Nakano
Photos and Video: RocketNews24 unless otherwise stated
Dancing Video: YouTube – Kyodo News
Kumamon video: YouTube – Yamaguchi Kazutoshi

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• Hokuto City chooses developmentally challenged sushi as new mascot
• Fake Funasshi fails at function, foiled by fuzz for infringement

Origin: Hard Ku**mon is here to put lazy mascots out of work with his creepy latex hugs
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Say what you will about ‘yuru-kyara‘ – the marketing idea that can be basically summed up as Japan’s “let’s have a cartoon mascot for EVERYTHING!” philosophy – but the vast majority of those funny characters adopted by prefecture and town tourism boards across the nation are nothing if not cute!

Take Princess Miyako, character mascot of Miyako-machi in Fukuoka Prefecture. Designed by illustrator Shiitake, Princess Miyako is the picture of youthful elegance: her fresh purple and green tones are even modelled after the town’s iris flowers.

It’s one thing to design a beautiful anime character in two dimensions. But when that mascot gets transformed into a three-dimensional character costume, bad things can happen. Bad, bad things…

▼ Here’s Princess Miyako, as designed by talented artist Shiitake in 2012.

▼ And here she is today!

Two years, it seems, is a long time in show business.

In case we were in any doubt as to the identity of the mascot before us (seeing as she’s dressed – right down to the bow in her hair – in pink, and is for some unknown reason carrying a basket of stuffed cats), someone has helpfully written “Princess Miyako’s Donation Box” on that cardboard box next to her.

Perhaps Shiitake’s graceful, anime design was part of Princess Miyako’s three-dimensional downfall: it’s easier to make plush adult costumes out of rotund cartoon characters than it is svelte anime princesses, after all.

You can check out more of Shiitake’s beautiful work on her deviantART page or website. Just don’t make any more ‘yuru-kyara’ costumes out of them. Please.

Sources: Hamusoku, Shiitake website
Images: Shiitake via Miyako-machi, Miyako-machi
Featured image: Shiitake via Miyako-machi

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• Teruhiko stirs up controversy on the net and makes a mean yakisoba
• Zuuushiiihokkiii is coming! And his copyrights are as loose as his retinae

Origin: Mascot costume is so far removed from the original, we don’t know whether to laugh or cry
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Earlier this year, we brought you the news that Japan’s wacky anti-piracy ads have turned into something of a cultural phenomenon, with body-popping mascots Camera Otoko and Patrol Lamp Otoko getting their own range of figurines. Now a new ad has been released, which features extra characters Popcorn Otoko and Soda Otoko. But what role do they have to play in this mini crime drama, besides providing delicious refreshment?

In the first part of the ad, Popcorn Otoko and Soda Otoko are the good guys, outraged at Camera Otoko‘s show of blatantly unlawful behavior during the movie they’ve paid good money to see.

▼ Or perhaps they’re just taking offense at his out-there style of dancing?

Popcorn Otoko is so enraged, in fact, that he quite literally blows his top, showering the surrounding seats with kernels of pure indignation.

▼ “Hey, you! Down in front!”

Not to worry, Patrol Lamp Otoko is here to save the day, i.e. drag Camera Otoko kicking and screaming to the authorities.

▼ “Piracy is for losers!”

▼”No! I must dance!”

Looks like Camera Otoko’s days of piracy are over – he’s facing  a maximum fine of 10 million yen (US$100,000)  and/or up to 10 years in jail. Gulp!

In part two of the ad, Popcorn Otoko and Soda Otoko take on the role of master-criminals, dabbling in some online piracy from the comfort of their own home.

▼ Um, how exactly is Soda Otoko operating that tablet with gloves on?

Surprise! Patrol Lamp Otoko smashes his way in to break up the piracy party.

▼This’ll teach you to wait for Game of Thrones, just like everybody else has to!

The new advert was announced by Camera Otoko himself on his official Twitter page, where he thanks his fans for their ongoing support and expresses the hope that the new characters won’t steal too much of his thunder.

|◎|≫ 私どもの新しいCMが公開となりました。新しいキャラクターも登場しております。ますますのご愛顧お願い致します（私より人気が出ませんように…）。 youtu.be/G0GysdoIDPk #映画泥棒 #映画

—
映画泥棒（ことカメラ男） (@eigadorobo) October 27, 2014

We can’t wait for the new mascots to get figurines of their own so we can re-enact all the crime-busting fun ourselves!

Source: Netlabo, YouTube
Screenshots via YouTube

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Origin: Japan’s latest anti-piracy ad features wacky new mascots Popcorn Otoko and Soda Otoko
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Have you ever wondered how Kumamon suddenly burst into the spotlight back in 2011? It was the result of his victory in the national mascot character contest, the Yuru-kyara Grand Prix. The contest has been held every year since 2010 and Kumamon was the first major winner in 2011.

Voting for the annual contest runs from August to October every year and people are eligible to vote for their favorite character (usually the one representing their town or prefecture) once a day for the duration of the contest. Well, the results for the 2014 contest are finally in, and it looks like a certain entrant took the win by a nose.

Congratulations, Gunma-chan!

After taking third prize in both 2012 and 2013, Gunma-chan from, of course, Gunma Prefecture was finally named the champion.

Now, Gunma-chan is no stranger to the spotlight. He’s technically been around since 1983, when he was first created as a mascot for the 38^th National Athletic Festival held in Gunma. He has however, had a huge makeover since then, transforming from a four-legged, blue-maned horse in 1983 to the brown, hind-leg walking pony in the green hat that we know today. He’s had a name change as well; the current model was originally named Yuuma, a mix of Yuuaipikku (the name of the athletic meet for mentally handicapped people which he hosted) and Gunma. It was later changed to the more appropriate Gunma-chan when he took over advertising duties for the entire prefecture in 2008.

Since his renaming, Gunma-chan has been quite busy promoting the different attractions of his homeland. He has his own blog, Facebook page, house (a shop which sells both Gunma prefectural goods), a dance, merchandise, and even cookies! He’s quite the star in his home prefecture and they are proud of him!

Photo: Ancient Botanical Garden

The question of whether or not Gumna-chan will be the next Kumamon is one that only time can answer. But the winners from the past two years, Bari-san from Ehime Prefecture’s Imabari City (2012) and Sanomaru-kun from Tochigi Prefecture (2013) barely scratched the surface of popularity that their senpai has.

▼Bari-san, 2012 winner

▼Sanomaru-kun, 2013 winner

If not Gunma-chan this year, maybe next year’s winner will rise to fame. Although there will always be outliers, this year’s second- and third-place winners, Fukka-chan from Fukaya, Saitama (below-right), and Mikyan from Ehime Prefecture (below-left) respectively, have a good chance.

▼Birthday: Feb 22, 1994
Home: Gunma Prefecture
Age: 7 (for eternity)
Special skill: Metamorphosis

 ▼Name: Fukka
Home: Fukaya, Saitama
Birthday: June 28, 2010
Personality: Kind but very competitive

▼Name: Mikyan
Home: Ehime Prefecture
Birthday: November 11, 2011 (Wan-Wan-Wan-Wan Day)
Charm Point: Heart-shaped nose and mikan (mandarin orange) blossom-shaped tail

If you have a favorite mascot character (I know I do!), make sure to vote for it in the 2015 contest. You never know, maybe you could see your local character plastered all over the country like Kumamon.

Sources: Yurukyara Grand Prix, Gunma Prefecture, Ehime Prefecture, 
Images: Yurukyara Grand Prix

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• Gunma Prefecture’s adorable mascot dances into our hearts and travel plans 【Video】
• Shiraishi Island needs YOUR character ideas!

Origin: Gunma-chan is named the champion of the 2014 mascot character contest
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

The inimitable Mr. Sato is such a big fan of Funasshi, the unofficial jiggly pear mascot of Funabashi City, that he even created his own mascot-to-the-mascot, Satosshi. This Halloween, Satosshi decided to head down to the famous Shibuya crossing to make friends with fellow costume-wearing Tokyoites.

Might there be other, kindred spirit Funasshi fans there? Will Satosshi be busted as an unofficial impersonator? Could Mr. Sato’s journalistic efforts be thwarted by a sudden attack of deadline confusion? And worse still, what if no one recognises him? Join us after the jump for a photo report from Satosshi’s big night out.

On this adventure, Satosshi is joined by his sidekick Sanmarinasshi, who also shares his love of pears, dancing, and belly flops.

▼ Yoroshiku onegaishimasshi!

▼ Time to leave the office!… (er, sorry, offisshi)

Satosshi and Sanmarinasshi hopped in a cab and rolled on down to Shibuya. They were expecting it to be busy, but they were still amazed by how many people there were! At first, they found themselves in the middle of a crowd of so many people, they couldn’t even move.

▼ “There’s no way we’re going to get acrosshi!”

Just when he was starting to wonder why he’d come at all, Mr. Sato suddenly remembered something even worse – he still had work left to do tonight! Luckily, he had his laptop with him, so he escaped from the crowd, sat down on the pavement and started working.

▼ “I don’t know if I can finisshi!”

Around him, Satosshi heard the voices of passers-by making disgusted comments about something. “What’s that?” they sneered. “So gross!”…”It’s not cute at all!”

Satosshi’s little yellow heart sunk as he realised: people were talking about him. Of course. In Shibuya on Halloween, the standard of costumes is amazingly high. How could he even have thought he could fit in here?

Then, suddenly, Satosshi heard another voice from behind him: “Can we take a picture together?” And then, one after another, a series of beautiful girls came to ask to have their photo taken together! It was like a dream!

▼ Is this the real life? Is this just fantasshi?

▼ They can’t believe their eyesshi!

It was worth coming after all, Satosshi realised, as he and Sanmarinasshi then got to meet hundreds of partiers in awesome costumes.

▼ Satosshi has fans from all walks of life (and death).

▼ They found another costumed pair who’d come as each other’s sidekicks!

▼ Sanmarinasshi tried to pout, too, but his mouth can only make a smile now.

Overall Satosshi was amazed and impressed by the range of costumes on show this Halloween.

▼ Check out the triple Jibanyans in the back!

▼ Well we know Mr. Sato loves coffee, so it stands to reason that Satosshi does too!

▼ Three very tall Marilyns.

▼ Zombie schoolgirls!

▼ Kayakuda Don!

 ▼ And a very cute Princess Fiona!

But best of all, they found a kinsman and friend: a Funasshi!

▼ One of us! One of us!

Although very impressed with the costumes he saw, Satosshi couldn’t help but notice that most of the party-goers who’d really gone all-out were girls. All-in-all, he felt the guys he saw were holding back a little with their outfits. His message for any reluctant male costume-wearers next Halloween? Give a really out-there costume a go! There’s nothing wrong with standing out from the crowd, after all.

All photos (c) RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: Funasshi’s unofficial mascot Satosshi celebrates Halloween 2014 in his own special way!【Photos】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Picture the scene: “Hey, Suzuki-san, we’ve got a special job for you! Inside this box is a Mini Titan costume. This week, you’re going to go around the big anime and manga shops in Tokyo promoting the new Attack on Titan exhibition.”

Suzuki-san runs to the box containing the costume and rips it open excitedly. His face falls…for the creature he finds within is the oddest, ugliest Titan the world has ever seen.

Despite the name, the so-called Mini Titan is pretty big really; taller than this cuddly member of the Survey Corps anyway:

▼ “Putting in an appearance at Animate Ikebukuro. Immediately Mini Titan looks like he’s about to start a fight!”

アニメイト池袋本店に現れたミニ巨人。早速調査兵団に襲われているようです。#巨人展 #ミニ巨人 http://t.co/EMeOWfe3RD

—
「進撃の巨人展」公式アカウント (@kyojinten) November 16, 2014

He wasn’t doing much work though.

▼ “Mini Titan turned up at Sanseido book store…He’s not helping at all though.”

三省堂書店神保町本店に現れたミニ巨人。全く役に立っていない模様。#巨人展 #ミニ巨人 http://t.co/Q8pTPkFdrb

—
「進撃の巨人展」公式アカウント (@kyojinten) November 16, 2014

 ▼ “At Adores Sunshine. He’s playing on the crane game.”

アドアーズサンシャイン店に現れたミニ巨人。クレーンゲームで遊んでいます。#巨人展 #ミニ巨人 http://t.co/theR9zZ3XJ

—
「進撃の巨人展」公式アカウント (@kyojinten) November 16, 2014

Mini Titan is promoting the Attack on Titan exhibition at the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo, which opens Friday, November 28.

▼ “I went to pay for my stuff, but Mini Titan just threw a load of exhibition flyers at me instead.”

レジで会計をしようとしたらミニ巨人に巨人展のフライヤーをドサっと渡されました…@アニメイトAKIBAカルチャーズZONE #巨人展#ミニ巨人 http://t.co/uMfYpib2px

—
「進撃の巨人展」公式アカウント (@kyojinten) November 16, 2014

Which leaves us with just one question: isn’t a mini giant humanoid the same thing as…a human?

Related: Kyojinten (Attack on Titan Exhibition) Official Website, Kyojinten Twitter
Source: Oreteki gēmu sokuhou
Featured image: Kyojinten Twitter

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• Titans attack Lawson convenience stores, bring tons of anime goodies with them
• Check out this Spiderman/Attack on Titan fan art, plus updates on the real Marvel x AoT crossover

Origin: Titan mascot turns up for work in Tokyo bookstore, grosses everyone out
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Recently, we’ve brought you several articles detailing the meteoric rise of new franchise Youkai Watch as it continues to steal fans and attention away from the much-loved institution that is Pokémon. Die-hard Pokémon fans out there may feel safe in the assumption that Youkai Watch, being more traditionally “Japanese” in feel, will never match the success of Pokémon in the West. Be that as it may, we now have conclusive evidence that Pikachu’s time in the Japanese sun is well and truly over as new champion Jibanyan ascends his throne. Join us after the jump for proof!

The evidence in question comes courtesy of these posters for the yearly Next Generation World Hobby Fair. By comparing the posters chronologically, you can literally see Pikachu’s devolution from top mascot to mere filler material as Jibanyan and his Youkai Watch pals muscle their way to center stage.

▼　2012 : Pikachu is battling it out with Japan’s beloved robot-cat, Doraemon, for poster supremacy.

▼　2013: Pikachu is definitely the star of this year’s event, and isn’t that MewTwo in the background?

▼　2014: Pikachu is squeezed out by Doraemon again (2014 saw the release of the animated Doraemon Movie “Stand by Me Doraemon” after all, so that makes sense. But who is that new orange contender down in the bottom right-hand corner? It’s JIBANYAN!

▼　2015: With the release of the Youkai Watch movie set for December 20, everything’s coming up Jibanyan! Here he is taking his rightful place as the roly-poly central figure of the Winter 2015 Next Generation World Hobby Fair poster. Fellow kitty pal Doraemon is also featured, as well as Youkai Watch regulars Whisper and Fumi-chan (holding a second, tiny Jibanyan in her arms!)

▼　In case you’re having trouble locating everyone’s favorite Pokémon pal in the above picture, here it is again with a giant arrow drawn on it to help you out.

So there you have it! Pictorial proof that the kids love Youkai Watch (and what the kids say, goes!)

Netizens’ reactions to the changing poster line-up were mixed:

“Pokémon is more popular with people who grew up with it, that is to say, adults. It’s the kids who are buying Youkai Watch.”

“Isn’t there a new Pokémon game coming out? Pokémon’s still on top, isn’t it?”

“Youkai Watch‘s main mascot Jibanyan has a tragic past, so that draws people’s sympathies.”

“I feel like Youkai Watch parodying Pokemon has made Pokémon less appealing.”

“Youkai Watch isn’t really known in the West. Internationally speaking, Pokémon is still the most popular.”

“News of Youkai Watch’s popularity and the huge lines of people queuing up for the watches is surely generating a lot of buzz in the west. It’s only a matter of time.”

One twitter user managed to document another sign of the changing times:

品薄になってる妖怪ウォッチパンのすぐ横で値引きシールの貼られた在庫山盛りのポケモンパンが… http://t.co/nXkniCnmHz

—
こやぎ -仕事終わっ…ってなかった！ｰ (@koyagi_) August 04, 2014

▲　”Marked- down Pokémon bread at the convenience store next to full-price Youkai Watch bread…”

Now, we understand that some of you western readers might be starting to feel pretty sorry for Pikachu at this point. After all, we’ve grown up with his adorable “Pikapika!” and cuddly softness, so it’s only natural to be in his corner (“Just who is this orange usurper, anyway?” I hear you cry.) However, you may start to change your minds once you get to know Jibanyan as the kids in Japan have. Here’s his backstory: Jibanyan was once the devoted kitty pet of a little girl called Emi. Jibanyan loved Emi very much and wanted nothing more than to make her happy. But then, one day, poor Jibanyan was hit and killed by a car. And what did little Emi-chan say upon discovering the mangled corpse of her eternally devoted pet? Did she clutch his tiny body and weep? Well, no, she didn’t. Her exact words were: “Pathetic loser cat, dying from a little hit by a car”. But Jibanyan still loved his Emi-chan, and was resurrected as a Jibakurei (residual haunting) to haunt the crossroads where he was killed to wait for her forevermore (or at least until the protagonist of Youkai Watch saves him and gives him a home). Isn’t that the saddest thing you’ve ever heard? And doesn’t Jeeby deserve a little more love? We think so!

Incidentally, if you still can’t decide between them, why not have both?

Source:Hachima Kikou, Naver Matome
Images: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/thenational.ae, Hachima Kikou

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• Artist creates “PokeMonstrosities” that are the stuff of nightmares
• Next Pokémon game to star “Sexual Deviant Pikachu”?

Origin: Jibanyan, Japan chooses you! Pikachu trampled beneath paws of Youkai Watch mascot
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

The Kyaraben trend is still going strong in Japan, and even though winter has prompted some to make the temporary switch to deco-nabe, the demand for adorable packed lunches shows no signs of abating. Today we’d like to take a look back over the best of the past year’s Kyaraben. What can we learn about 2014 in Japan from studying these perfect works of edible art?

The year’s most popular Kyaraben characters can be whittled down to a shortlist of just three. These three mascots dominated lunchboxes in 2014, meaning that if you showed up to elementary school without one of these little critters peeking up at you from a mound of rice and carefully shaped seaweed, well, then you knew you just weren’t one of the cool kids.

In third place, it’s Funassyi! (Un-)officially representing the city of Funabashi, Chiba, this jiggly yellow pear has captured the attention of kids everywhere (as well as inspiring our own Mr Sato to create a homage character), prompting doting parents to endeavour to reproduce its adorableness utilising the medium of bento.

@funassyi 初キャラ弁♪ヽ(´▽｀)/フナッシーキャラ弁作ってみたよー♪ http://t.co/DMfRNTYwwt

—
ｳﾆえりタコ野郎METARUw (@em08043) December 09, 2014

@funassyi おめでとうなっしー♥️ 今日はいいふなの日だから、ふなっしーのキャラ弁作ったなっしー(∗ ˊωˋ ∗) http://t.co/xIPvpAfEJo

—
淀川依存者 (@yodosuke) November 27, 2014

 ▼ This Funassyi looks a little melted!

今話題のふなっしーのキャラ弁です^ - ^ http://t.co/tYpAd50tsM

—
キャラ弁大好き！ (@kyarabentou1110) December 18, 2014

▼ Funassyi and Kumamon (Kumamoto Prefecture’s mascot) collaboration!

キャラ弁✨✨ 今回はふなっしーとくまモン 見た目だけじゃなくて美味しかった～ 俺の好みを考えてくれて、 全部手作りとかほんとすごすぎ！！ またつくってください笑 手紙もありがとうね✉ http://t.co/n9I4l356cv

—
つばさ (@DgEagles) November 30, 2014

【速報】母親が高校最後の弁当についにキャラ弁を作った ふなっしーいただきます http://t.co/HRhDYxppWr

—
かめちっく☆ (@monanday) November 25, 2014

In second place, it could only be Disney’s Frozen! Known in Japan as “Anna and the Snow Queen”, this wintry tale of two sisters has excited little Japanese girls just as much as those in the West.

▼ Elsa looking good enough to eat!

アナと雪の女王エルサのお弁当（キャラ弁）クリスマスバージョン♪＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ #アナと雪の女王#エルサ #ディズニー #ディズニープリンセス #プリンセス #お弁当#キャラ弁#デコ弁 #ランチ#クリスマス #obento #l... http://t.co/6iNzBAncMj

—
Frozen Movie (@FrozenMOVlE) December 09, 2014

スゲー！ アナ雪弁当！→ありのままの弁当（キャラ弁） by momoko☆ - cookpad.com/recipe/2703596 http://t.co/bQ884M5NkF

—
Koichiro Watanabe (@tunecan) July 10, 2014

▼ Plenty of Olaf the goofy snowman, too.

やっとおわたー(￣▽￣) 三人分のキャラ弁はきつい笑 サイドのオラフ横からみたらブス😂👏 食べる頃には崩れてるだろ〜な爆笑 んま味は確かです（≧∇≦） http://t.co/SSRMCSUnyx

—
Bannyy♡ (@Banny64352884) November 13, 2014

▼ He’s made out of fish cakes!

アナ雪のオラフのキャラ弁完成(o'ω')ﾉ 3D風に作った(*´∀｀*)ﾉ あと、ご飯のつぶが見えるの嫌やから はんぺん薄くスライスして ご飯に巻いてみた(●´ー｀●) 今回は、息子も絶賛ww #オラフ #キャラ弁 #アナ雪 http://t.co/67UkM6hW9H

—
ゆうりmama (@yabubu_jump) August 28, 2014

And of course, the clear winner is the monster hit cross-media series, Youkai Watch!

▼ This one is just so perfectly crafted!

妖怪ウォッチのキャラ弁★ めちゃめちゃｶﾜ(・∀・)ｲｲ!! こんなの作れたら女子力高いね♥ http://t.co/bcH3CoDfuy

—
女子力アップ伝授！　 (@dennjyu_josi) December 19, 2014

▼ Whisper made out of an egg!

流行りのやつですね。キャラ弁　⇒　さぁ、今日は運動会行ってお父さんやってくるぞ！ まぁいつもお父さんだけど、こー、定番のお父さんをしっかりやる日は切り替えないと、照れちゃってあまり行動しなくなっちゃうというめんどくさい性格。 http://t.co/2l0Rhm2pjJ

—
田端秀章 (@hideaki825) May 30, 2014

妖怪ウォッチのキャラ弁がかわいすぎる！！ http://t.co/oWXn4bBbRO

—
真似してみたいキャラ弁♫ (@kyara_ben01) December 19, 2014

▼ Crazy seaweed cutting skills here!

妖怪ウォッチ キャラ弁 画像 http://t.co/j6tcXj1Enb

—
キャラ弁大好き！ (@kyarabentou1110) December 19, 2014

And here’s some of the runners-up:

▼ Baymax from Big Hero 6

母直伝✨ 簡単キャラ弁『ベイマックス』 http://t.co/RjEhWR56NI

—
たけすえちなつ (@chinatsu_take76) December 19, 2014

▼ Mickey, still going strong

【ディズニーシリーズ】これも定番、ミッキーのキャラ弁★お弁当の形も可愛いですね★作り方はコチラ→ 　#キャラ弁 http://t.co/QdWB4MzjBT

—
キャラ弁 (@pasepecytyr) December 17, 2014

▼ Aw, how adorable is this kiss?

いやいや、えんじゃけどな…ま、閉まらんでな(´Д` ) RT @basuke_douga: RT @iinovirtue: ミッキーとミニーのハイクオリティなキャラ弁♡ ☆ http://t.co/IFe4rJ790z

—
土屋雄太／コンビニマンションテクニカラー (@hiji_rock) June 12, 2014

▼ Pikachu hanging in there after a rough year

カレーピカチュウ - 定番薄焼き玉子でポケモンキャラ♪ キャラ弁レシピや作り方を検索＆投稿『キャラ弁まにあ』 #kyaraben #charaben #キャラ弁 #お弁当 #ポケモン http://t.co/wXZQIjG6rl

—
もはや芸術！キャラ弁集合 (@chara_ben_) December 05, 2014

▼ This writer’s personal favorite lazy bear, Rilakkuma!

過去のキャラ弁4回目 定番リラックマ。 最近キャラ弁作ってないなぁ…。 今度としおキャラ弁でも作るかな(n´v｀n)むふふ♡ http://t.co/JpXIzff5mP

—
moca@イラストレーター (@mocaouo) October 02, 2014

▼ Toddlers’ favorite Anpanman!

金曜日のキャラ弁〜！次女(年少)の親子遠足やったけん定番のアンパンマンとバイキンマン♪しまじろう撃沈やったけど、これは我ながら可愛く出来て満足♡笑 #キャラ弁 #弁当 http://t.co/w42TclyVXG

—
ジャスミン(亀リプ) (@1212_jy) April 28, 2014

▼ A little more Kumamon!

今日は遠足ーっ。 朝一、つわりきついけど。がんばったよ。かぁちゃん。キャラ弁希望ゆわれたから、くまもんで。 なんとなく、くまもんにみえればよし。 http://t.co/jbl4YOQsVx

—
モミ (@momi_ha_a_ha_a) April 27, 2014

▼ My Neighbor Totoro!

トトロ大集合♥こんな豪華なキャラ弁見たこと無い（n‘∀‘)η http://t.co/XeWvrlrufG

—
女子のちょっと気になる♡♡ (@ashlie547) December 16, 2014

▼ And this incredible Metal Gear Solid 3D bento!

ハイクオリティのキャラ弁w http://t.co/Mbxm0jZB

—
あじさい (@hydrangea_kei) February 10, 2013

We can’t wait to see what new and wonderful Kyaraben 2015 has in store for us!

Source: Naver Matome
Main Image: Twitter @dennjyu/josi

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Origin: Kyaraben roundup! We take a look back at 2014’s best packed lunches 【Pics】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Taiwan has their cute rail mascot, and now China’s getting in on the act, too. Originally doujinshi characters, these anthropomorphised moe anime versions of high-speed trains have now made their debut at an official rail event. Read on to see the cosplaying cuties and their 2-D counterparts.

The event in question was held in December as a PR event for the opening of the Nanning-Guangzhou high-speed railway. It aimed to raise awareness of the high-speed rail services on offer and show off their convenience, especially for people heading back to their home areas for the New Year. They must have thought that standard advertising methods just wouldn’t cut it this time, or perhaps someone on the PR team is an otaku, because their strategy included cute cosplaying girls!

These characters are actually anthropomorphised versions of trains! Whether they actually resemble the trains in any way is dubious, but perhaps it’s obvious to people more in tune with the personality traits of individual trains than I am. They were originally created by doujinshi circle Moe North Railway who draw adorable anime-style girls based on trains against gorgeous backgrounds. Their designs are super high quality and they’re popular in Japan too; the circle as sold their illustration books and dakimakura covers at Comiket. And now they’ve collaborated with the China Railway Corporation to debut their characters in an official setting.

▼This beautiful image is the cover of one of Moe North Railway’s illustration books.

目前简体中文版《天朝铁道少女：南车篇》已经售完，我们将会准备制作日文版《中华铁道少女：南车篇》，提供给海外朋友们。预计在日本东京 Comic Market 87首发。韩国首尔和中国香港的 Comic World，中国台北FF也会参加。 http://t.co/9S8AD3XFgB

—
萌え北鉄道@一日目西か-18a (@moerail) October 03, 2014

Each character is based on a particular train and has her own name, and interestingly these names include Western and Japanese names as well as Chinese names. Chinese anime fans seem to have welcomed the collaboration and, although it seems like the collaboration only covered this one particular event, it’s plausible to think that China Rail might officially take on the characters as mascots in the future. Just think of the potential for merch!

Below you can check out the photos of the cosplaying ladies, as well as the original illustrations they’re based on. Which character is your favourite?

Source: Sina Games, Sina Weibo, Moe Rail Blog
Images: Cosplay photos: Sina Weibo, Illustrations: Moe Rail Blog
[ Read in Japanese ]

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Origin: High-speed rail in China just got moe-fied
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

Last year, Taiwanese netizens went gaga when one of the local subway systems, the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT), introduced two moe mascots to liven up their stations. The two anime girls, Xiao Qiong and Emilia, stirred up such a huge sensation, it seemed as if they were the only example of their kind in the country, but Taiwan has more moe than that!

If moe culture is your cup of tea, you’ll probably like this because we’ve got more Taiwanese anime mascots after the jump!

Just to start the ball rolling, here are the “K.R.T. Girls”, Xiao Qiong and Emilia, who previously stirred up a moe storm in Taiwan. Do you remember them?

▼ Xiao Qiong

▼ Emilia

Even before Xiao Qiong and Emilia made their debut in 2014, Taiwan Railway had already been incorporating moe culture into their promotional regime. Since 2012, the rail operator has had not just two, but five adorable mascots under its wing!

▼ Collectively known as Miss Taiwan Railway

▼ Rail (芮兒), a chief conductor.

▼ Alice (愛麗絲), a railway attendant who’s also the younger twin sister of fellow Miss Taiwan Railway Dorothy.

▼ Chef Hsia (阿霞師), who is a chef, of course. Someone has to prepare all the delicacies served onboard.

▼ Dorothy (桃樂絲), who is also a railway attendant like her just barely younger twin sister Alice.

▼ Railway (芮薇), a conductor. Her name may be similar to Rail, but they are unrelated.

▼ It’s not just the trains that have cute girls holding the fort, Microsoft Silverlight too has a Taiwan-exclusive anime cover girl named Hikaru Aizawa (蓝泽光) who has been around since 2010.

▼ She even sings!

Also conceptualized by Simon, the company which created the K.R.T. Girls, are the following moe girls who have been actively promoting various events and campaigns.

▼ Xuan Ying (絢櫻) the shrimp girl who is the culture and tourism mascot of Ping Tung County, inspired by the area’s abundant production of sakura shrimp.

▼ Magi (玛姬/迷路小瑪) endorses the annual Christmas event that takes place in Wanchin District of Ping Tung County.

▼ And finally, Air (艾兒), who was created for an advocacy campaign proposed by the Vehicle Engineering Faculty of the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology.

Looks like it won’t be long before Taiwan blossoms into a moe-land that is only second to the ultimate land of cute, Japan!

Related: Facebook pages for K.R.T. Girls, Miss Taiwan Railway, Hikaru Aizawa, Xuan Ying, Magi, Air
Source: Zhaizhai News
Images: Miss Taiwan Railway on Facebook

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• Moe Madness: Government Realizes Selling Power of Cute 2D Girls

Origin: Moe, more moe! Taiwan is in the running to be the next moe-land with these cute anime mascots!
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

A new superhero has arrived to save the people of Osaka from evildoers. This is great because just the other day some savage left an empty can in my bicycle’s basket while I parked it.

Unfortunately for me, his beat is just on the Rapi:t express train running between downtown’s Namba Station and Kansai International Airport. But if you happen to find trouble on the way to or from KIX there’s only one name to call out for help: Rapi…Ra…Rapee-itl-dee-yer!!?

Thanks to the Japanese spelling we can get a good sense of his name. In Japanese the “t” is pronounced like “toe” so the ending would be like “-toldier” very similar to “soldier.” However, even knowing this it’s still a bit of a mouthful to say “Ra-pee-tol-jer” and without a working knowledge of Japanese katakana one would be even more in the dark.

Also, as you probably assumed, the errant colon in his name is because of the Rapi:t train that he represents. This is a rapid service from Namba to the airport that will get you there or back in a little over 30 minutes. Its name is German for “rapid” and the “i:” is an approximation of the International Phonetic Alphabet symbol for an “ee” sound.

Of course when making a mascot aimed at foreigners it’s important to have a catchy name that takes two paragraphs to explain. But that’s not all to Rapi:tldier’s charm! His head is also modeled after the locomotive of the Rapi:t and he’s sporting a cape with leopard print lining. This is a pattern beloved by many an upper-middle-aged Osaka woman.

Okay! Now that we’re all up to speed, please watch this 20 minute video showing us The Birth of Rapi:tldier.

Pretty awesome, right? In the off chance that you didn’t watch the entire video, Rapi:tldier was built by Doctor H of the Osaka Secret Police. (Hey, if they’re good enough for Nazi Germany, Nigeria and North Korea, why not Osaka too?)

▼ You know it’s the secret police because they have a sign on on the gate and flags that say “welcome.”

This cyborg’s prime directive is “to defeat goblins.” Osaka residents probably recall Mayor Hashimoto’s campaign promise to reduce goblin shenanigans by at least 27% throughout the city.

Then, one day an idol named Yumi was asking a man in blackface directions to the airport.

Little did she know, that was just a mild-mannered racist disguise to lure her in. He was actually Gokibler, the goblin king of cockroaches. He and his Mexican wrestler thugs injected Yumi with cockroach extract to make her into his love-slave.

▼ Rent on hideouts in downtown Osaka is through the roof at the moment forcing villains to do their evil deeds out on the street in broad daylight.

Then a bunch of stuff happens and Rapi:tldier is forced into early action. He dashes to the scene while passing by many of the lovely facilities and attractions Namba Station has to offer potential tourists.

Then he reserves a seat on the Rapi:t and all of its efficient luxuriousness.

They fight.

And the cockgoblin is defeated causing Yumi to revert back to her regular self.

In all seriousness if you haven’t watched the video, it’s very cute and I do seriously recommend it. It’s endearing that the staff of Nankai Electric Railway (at least I hope that’s just the Nankai staff) did the entire production in English.

In the meantime Rapi:tldier will be making appearances at various international travel events to promote Osaka and their train. Keep an eye out for him and be sure to practice how to pronounce his name in case you ever do run into him.

▼ By the way, we’ve been receiving thousands of emails wondering how to get a Rapi:tldier wallpaper for your iPhone or Android device. Don’t worry, they’re available on his website!

Source: How To Enjoy Osaka, Namba Keizai Shimbun (Japanese)
Video: YouTube – How to Enjoy Osaka (Nankai Railway)

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Origin: Osaka railway creates superhero to attract foreign tourists, makes name unintelligible to them
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

When you think about Japan’s obsession with the yuru-kyara, you will notice a few pretty common characteristics between the mascots, especially when looking at the past grand prix winners. Kumamon, Sanomaru, Gunma-chan, and Bary-san are all large, cute, fuzzy and somewhat aloof. Which is why it’s so strange to see one of the newest yuru-kyaras to debut.

Warabi Maiko-chan doesn’t seem that cute or fuzzy. In fact, whatever characteristics this new mascot is supposed to have, we can clearly say, we can see right through her.

Anyone who is familiar with warabimochi from Kyoto has probably seen through our clever play on words. This famous food from Kyoto (and Okinawa) is a kind of mochi that you can coat with different flavorful toppings. The interesting thing is in its original form, warabimochi is transparent. Combining this food with something else that Kyoto is famous for, the maiko (apprentice geisha), and you’ve got the brand new Warabi Maiko-chan!

This new yuru-kyara has gained some popularity since she opened a Twitter account on March 3, 2015. However, kudos to the designers; there is no way to mistake this as anything but a rectangular warabimochi with maiko makeup.

今日は沖縄のお友達といっぱい会えてよかった〜 また来たいな〜 はんなり〜はいさい〜 http://t.co/fyDjzhmSso

—
わらび舞妓ちゃん【公式】 (@kyotowmc) March 14, 2015

Their marketing campaign is clearly working, because plenty of people are talking about Warabi Maiko-chan. Comments left online range from the bewildered…

“What the heck is that?!”
“Won’t the person in the middle suffocate?”
“Use a bit more money and then come up with a new design.”

…to some not-so-subtle suggestions.

“At least put a girl in the middle.”
“In the summer it should be a girl in a swimsuit.”
“This is the first time I’ve wanted to meet a yuru-kyara.”

沖縄花月でお友達と会えました〜 ほんま嬉しい〜 はんなりはんなり〜 http://t.co/xt4y05TMn0

—
わらび舞妓ちゃん【公式】 (@kyotowmc) March 13, 2015

No matter how popular this character gets, no one is going to forget the see-through unofficial mascot of Kyoto. Whether or not that translates into merchandise sales or nationwide popularity will be left completely up to the public.

Do you think this is going to become a big yuru-kyara hit? Or should they have just left this design on the drawing board? Leave us a comment!

今日は幕張イオンモール劇場にお邪魔しました〜 幕張のお友達にも会えてよかった〜 はんなりはんなり〜 http://t.co/a6XtG0NPHY

—
わらび舞妓ちゃん【公式】 (@kyotowmc) March 16, 2015

Source: Twitter (@kyotowmc) via Itai News
Images: Twitter (@kyotowmc)

Origin: A new yuru-kyara from Kyoto you have to see to believe
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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When it comes to food, presentation is everything, especially in Japan. You only have to stroll through a department store’s food floor to see how beautifully packaged and arranged everything is. And DIY food decorating is something that a lot of people really get into, whether it’s kyara-ben, deco-nabe, or artfully arranged curry rice.

And speaking of curry rice, here’s how to create an eye-catching deco-curry featuring one of Japan’s most beloved and cuddly mascot characters, Rilakkuma!

The following video comes courtesy of the Studio Lorien YouTube channel. Studio Lorien is run by, in their own words, a “fun-loving couple from Japan” and their channel is stuffed full of cute and fun videos on everything from cooking Japanese dishes to discussing Japanese toys, candy and snacks, and introducing various aspects of Japanese culture. It’s really a treasure trove of amazing stuff for any Japanophile, so we definitely recommend checking it out.

▼ Your guides to the weird and wonderful world of Japanese snackery!

But first, Rilakkuma bath-time curry! For those who are unfamiliar with Rilakkuma, he’s a popular character mascot from company San-X, an offshoot of Sanrio. Rilakkuma, a portmanteau of “relax” and “kuma” (bear) has grown in a short time to become one of Japan’s most popular mascots, with his own line of manga books and a huge range of goods. He’s even got his own special stores in Tokyo and Osaka.

Rilakkuma spends his time lazing, lounging and napping, soaking in hot springs, and of course stuffing his face with all his favourite treats like pudding and omurice. He’s basically a spirit animal for anyone who loves being lazy and consuming carbs. He’s often accompanied by a younger, female bear known as Korilakkuma, (little Rilakkuma) and his long-suffering and level-headed feathered friend, Kiiroitori (lit. “yellow bird”).

Let’s check out the video!

Hmm, is it just us, or does this look incredibly easy? Basically all you need to do is make several sized rice balls, stick on some cheese and seaweed, and then drown ’em in the curry!

Since taking a hot bath and eating yummy food are Rilakkuma’s two favourite things, it makes total sense that he’d love soaking in a huge vat of warm curry, too. Just remember to eat it quickly before Rilakkuma and his little buddy disintegrate into the curry!

If you’re desperate for more ideas to help you play with your food, here’s another Studio Lorien video, this time showing you how to make “Hello Kitty Cream Stew”!

This baby panda deco-ben video is also all kinds of adorable!

Do you like to play with your food, or are you one of these people who prefers to keep things practical?

Source: YouTube- Studio Lorien via Otahoo
Images: Screenshot via YouTube- Studio Lorien

Origin: Deco-curry 101: How to make “Rilakkuma bath-time curry” at home
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Kumamon is the official mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan. Since his debut in 2010, he’s become wildly popular, appearing in all kinds of media and lending his face to uncountable products. By some estimates, he’s pulling down hundreds of billions of yen a year. He’s given a guest lecture at Harvard, despite being mute, and has even met the imperial couple.

But despite this blessed existence, even mascots have bad days. And being in the public eye, those bad days are immortalized on film.

Kumamon is a veteran of many television appearances, but you might not have guessed it from his recent performance on a variety show. Twitter user @eriinuam posted a clip with the comment, “I saw Kumamon on TV for the first time in a while and it was so tragic I laughed out loud.”

久しぶりにテレビ見てて声出して笑ってしまったくまモンさんの悲劇🐻 http://t.co/zY5VYUWSmd

—
えり (@eriinuam) July 06, 2015

Poor Kumamon. First he takes a tumble alighting from the train. No one looks cool when they fall, but it looks even more awkward when you are wearing a big bulky bear costume. At least there’s a little padding there, though.

Then, Kumamon tries to regain his composure by helping out at a mochi factory, only to lose a glove to the machinery! At least it wasn’t his hand, but the staff still don’t look very happy.

I know his face is made in a static smile, but I swear that is a look of existential despair.

Aw, buck up, Kumamon! You are still insanely rich and widely popular. And tomorrow is another day.

Top image: Kumamon

Origin: Kumamon and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day【Video】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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It seems to be that moe girls, those cute, sometimes slightly sexualized, doe-eyed animated characters, have spread from their origin in Japan throughout Asia. Not only have we seen them being used to mock government initiatives in Indonesia. In Taiwan, they’ve been employed extensively as subway mascots, and now the Department of Technology in Taipei has joined the moe bandwagon with 230-chan.

▼ Well, hello 230-chan.

The new hit moe girl, 230-chan, pronounced in Chinese as “èr sān líng”-chan, is the mascot for the telecommunications department of Taiwan’s capital city. She made her debut on the department’s Facebook page recently and has become a city-wide and international sensation.

230-chan’s beauty isn’t the only thing that’s out of this world, though, since she is also technically an alien. She came to Taipei from a galaxy far away and is visiting as an information trainee, presumably to take her new-found knowledge back to her home planet with her…but if she got here in the first place, you’d think they’d be far more advanced than us, so maybe she wants to specialize in archaic forms of communication?

Accompanying 230-chan on her Earth adventure is her adorable AI rabbit, but’s not her robot pet nor her alien background that is charming people though, it’s her long black hair and cute bangs, her adorable pilot suit, and, of course, those sparkling, giant turquoise eyes.

▼ She’s so cute!

The city-folk seem to be quite smitten with their new Information Technology mascot, as are netizens from all over:

“Extremely cute!”
“I’ve been waiting for this!”
“Does she have a theme song?”
“I’m interested to learn who designed her.”
“I’m looking forward to further developments! Good luck!”

Moe girls seem to be taking over Asia. We wonder how long until we start seeing such personifications and mascot characters enter the mainstream in the Western world too!

Source: IT Media
Images: Facebook/台北市政府資訊局

Origin: New anime-style mascot character for Taipei government is an out-of-this-world cutie
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Domo-kun is down on the ice and can’t get up! Who can save the furry, brown monster mascot?!?

During the recent NHK Trophy figure skating event, some of Japan’s more popular mascots took to the ice in an exhibition that showed off their masterful skating skills.

Unfortunately, Domo-kun, the mascot for Japan’s national public broadcaster NHK, found himself in a terrible situation during his program, Domo-kun On Ice, when he missed his trick and fell down on his back, unable to get up.

▼ “See me glide, like a majestic eagle wearing ice-skates!”

▼ “Oh, crap!”

▼ “Maybe if I can’t see people, they can’t see me either…”

▼ “This is definitely going to end up on RocketNews24.”

Usaji, the old-man bunny and Tashanna, the weasel in the pink dress, skated to Domo-kun’s side to try and help him get back on his skates, but they were having no better luck. But as the saying goes, “the show must go on,” so Tashanna continued acting as if it was all part of the program and Usaji desperately called others to help Domo-kun.

Who can you call in such a dire situation? Only a knight in shining armor will do, so bring on the skater with the goldest armor and the most flair.

Yuzuru Hanyu, who absolutely crushed the competition at the event with over 300 points, came to bring Domo-kun back to his feet. It only seems fitting as Yuzuru always brings the audience to their feet, so Domo-kun could only follow suit.

H/T: Kotaku UK
Top Image: Twitter/@unta0430

Origin: Fail News: Popular Japanese mascot falls during ice-skating routine, can’t get up【Video】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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Meet the bear that’s making women say: “I wanna fall prey to him!”

Until today, I’d never really understood the concept of a “man-crush,” but this promotional character for the prefecture of Kagoshima pretty much embodies everything I aspire to be: he’s a snappy dresser and he’s an evil bear. Yes, I have very simple goals.

But apparently I’m not alone, as Twitter has lit up with comments of praise for this stylish bear dubbing him “Ikébear” which is a play on the word “ikemen” (hot guy). He’s quite a departure from other regional mascots or “yuru-kyara” as their called in Japanese known for the gigantic heads and floppy cloth bodies.

So where did this sexy beast come from?

To answer that we first have to introduce you to Greboo. Not to be confused with that guy Han Solo murdered in the cantina, Greboo (gree-bu) is that leafy green pig seen behind in Ikébear in the above photos. He was the original mascot for Kagoshima Prefecture.

He is also the star of Tales of Greboo, a revolutionary and gritty drama that takes us behind the scenes of a yuru-kyara‘s life. In the 10-episode series we follow Greboo as he works as a young upstart at the Kagoshima tourism department when a new transfer, Sakura, arrives hoping to win his heart.

The following is the pilot episode. It sets up the characters well and has English subtitles, but its hardly the series’ strongest one. So, I’ve also included another show.

Anyone who’s endured regular Japanese melodramas should get a kick out of this.

Tales of Greboo was very well received by critics and fans thanks to its raw look at the yuru-kyara culture with heated love triangles, risqué bedroom scenes, and cameos by 83 actual mascots from around Japan. And recently they announced that a second season will begin next January.

***SPOILER ALERT: You may want to watch the first season of Tales of Greboo before continuing if you don’t know what happens. Don’t worry, it only takes about 30 minutes to watch the whole thing.***

This time the format of the series switches from a youth oriented workplace romance to a sentimental family drama called Tales of the Greboo Family. The story fast-forwards into the future with Greboo and Sakura married with children. However, Greboo becomes so engrossed with his work at the tourism department that his children begin to resent him and the entire family begins to fall apart at the seams.

Those Greboos have been pretty busy during the hiatus.

Making his debut at the antagonist in Tales of the Greboo Family is Ikébear. However, in an interview with the website Grape, a producer revealed that the character’s name is actually Black Bear and was created because bears tend to hold a great deal of appeal amongst Japanese people.

Ikébear/Black Bear is already generating some fan art:

In a sense he is likely a representation of how other yuru-kyara view Kumamon, the first Yuru-kyara Gran Prix winner and arguably the most successful mascot in the country’s history. Here’s Kumamon trying to ride a bicycle.

To see how Black Bear fits into Greboo’s life, we will have to wait until the series airs at 8:00pm on 9 January on KKB (Kagoshima Broadcasting Corporation). Those of us outside of the prefecture will have to wait until they post the episodes on YouTube a few weeks later, or until the series is aired on Tokyo MX at an unspecified time.

Be sure to tune in, because having watched a fair bit of prime-time Japanese television I think its safe to say that this will be the greatest show ever.

Source: Greboo official website, Twitter/@88887so, Grape (Japanese)
Videos: YouTube/【公式】薩摩剣士隼人, YouTube/Yamaguchi Kazutoshi

Origin: Hide your daughters! Kagoshima’s suave new bear mascot is winning hearts all over
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For some odd reason I suddenly feel like buying a Toyota….

It’s common knowledge by now that Japan and Asia as a whole love their mascots. There are mascots for the least popular Japanese prefecture, for Taipei’s government, and even for recruiting people into the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.

So it should come as no surprise that Toyota’s most recent advertising campaign consists of a bunch of cute girl mascots to help advertise the Toyota Prius. What may be surprising, however, is that there is a whopping total of 40 mascots, each representing a different part of the car.

▼ Because why have one when you can have 40?

We won’t go over all 40 of them here (you can do that at Toyota’s official website), but here’s a selection of some of the best and most ridiculous ones:

▼ Might as well start off with girl #01: The engine’s mascot.
“Come on, run with us.”

▼ Here’s girl #02: Mascot for the hybrid transaxle.
“Yes, yes, sweet efficiency!”

▼ Girl #04: The dashboard’s mascot.
“I love everyone! Does everyone love me?”

▼ Girl #05: Mascot for the car’s traingular silhouette.
Because when we said every part of the car, we meant it.

▼ Girl #09: Mascot for the car’s body frame.
“I want to protect everyone!”

▼ Girl #10: The mascot for E-Four, the system to switch to 4-wheel drive.
Their motto is: “The three of us together equal E-Four!” Did, uh, someone at Toyota do their math wrong?

▼ Girl #19: The exhaust system’s mascot.
Hey, this one actually makes sense! Steampunk action, heck yeah.

▼ Girl #25: Mascot for the 4.2 inch color TFT twin gauges.
…do you get it?

▼ Girl #27: The steering wheel’s mascot.
“Are you holding on tight? All right, let’s go.”

▼ Girl #39: Mascot for the door chime.
Just to show, yet again, that we meant every part of the car.

After seeing all of these moe mascots, we have only one question: where’s the girl representing the bumper?! We went through all 40 of them just to make sure, and there was not a single bumper girl to be found. Toyota, come on, get it together.

For those wondering why there are 40 mascots instead of just one or two, the answer probably lies in the mysterious “game” section of Toyota’s site that isn’t accessible yet. Perhaps they’ll be creating some sort of mobile game that involves all of the characters? Will they go for an augmented-reality game so your favorite mascot can drive with us in the passenger seat?! We can only hope.

In the meantime, if you want to check out all 40 mascots for yourself, then check out Toyota’s official website. There’s plenty more awesome ones that we didn’t have space to feature here. And if anyone out there has a Bumper-chan picture they’d like to share, by all means, please let us know. We’d like to show it to a, uh, friend.

Source: Toyota via Inside Games, My Game News Flash
Images: Toyota

Now read:

Toyota wants Japan to think of its new model Prius as an “erotic” vehicle【Video】

Origin: Toyota goes full otaku, makes 40 kawaii mascots for every part of the car
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Even Gudetama occasionally cleans up after himself, which is more than we can say about some of our roommates in the past.

Gudetama, Sanrio’s lazy yet charming egg character, only seems to be getting more popular as time goes by, even when he comes out pooping and vomiting.

Don’t worry, though, because apparently he also cleans up after himself—a rare sight which one Twitter user captured on video during a recent trip to Tokyo’s Sanrio Puroland theme park and has been shared almost 50,000 times so far.

▼ “Gudetama cleans up! ＼(^_^)／”

お片付けするぐでたま＼(^_^)／ #puro25th #ぐでたま https://t.co/4goRgg6g89

—
♥YUMI♥ (@y328_r729) March 16, 2016

Of course, in true Gudetama style, he doesn’t seem particularly thrilled about it and, tiring out after he’s finished, immediately retreats to his shell for a nap.

Gudetama seems to get most of his energy from kids cheering him on with the “Gudetama Dance”, but as his motivation quickly plummets, it often requires multiple dances for him to complete simple tasks.

Right now Sanrio Puroland is hosting a Gudetama live show until May 31 at the park’s Wisdom Tree Stage. While we can’t promise you’ll catch him tidying up again, apparently show-goers can expect the lovable character to show up in “egg-on-sushi” form.

Source: Twitter/@y328_r729, YouTube/maidigitv
Feature/top image: Twitter/@y328_r729
Insert image: Sanrio Puroland

Origin: Video of lazy egg Gudetama cleaning up goes viral on Twitter【Video】
Copyright© RocketNews24 / SOCIO CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

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