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Yuru-kyara
is a Japanese term for a category of mascot characters; usually created to promote a place or region, event, organisation or business. They are characterized by their ''kawaii'' (cute) and unsophisticated designs, often incorporating motifs that represent local culture, history or produce. They may be created by local government or other organizations to stimulate tourism and economic development, or created by a company to build on their corporate identity. They may appear as costumed characters (or ''Costumed character#In Japan, kigurumi'') at promotional events and festivals. ''Yuru-kyara'' has become a popular and lucrative business, with character-driven sales reaching nearly $16 billion in Japan in 2012. Popular ''yuru-kyara'' include Kumamon, Funassyi, and Chiitan, who have gained international recognition and have reached celebrity status in Japan. Etymology The name ''yuru-chara'' is a Contraction (grammar), contraction of . The adjective generally means "loose", but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hikonyan
is a mascot created by the city government of Hikone, Japan. He was created in 2007 to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Hikone Castle. The character design is derived from a legend concerning '' maneki-neko'' and Ii Naotaka, the 3rd Lord of Hikone. The ''daimyō'' was beckoned by a white cat to seek shelter from a storm in a temple, and thus saved from a lightning strike. In Japanese, "nyan" is an onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia (or rarely echoism) is a type of word, or the process of creating a word, that phonetics, phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Common onomatopoeias in English include animal noises such as Oin ... for a cat's meow. Hikonyan's samurai helmet is based on a Ii family helmet currently in the Hikone Castle museum. Hikonyan's popularity increased tourist visitation of Hikone by over 200,000 annually. The estimate of Hikonyan's effect on the tourist industry is 17.4 billion yen (approximately US$218 million ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Funassyi
is a fictional Japanese mascot character, unofficially representing the city of Funabashi, Chiba. It was created by a citizen of Funabashi with the objective of cheering up local residents and helping promote its hometown. It has subsequently appeared at events and festivals, as well as on numerous TV programs and commercials, gaining popularity around Japan. To date, there have been 4 CD albums and 6 singles and DVDs released featuring the character. It starred in its own anime series and live-action drama special, headlined its own concert at Budokan, and merchandise has been sold at a Funassyi character goods store. While it remains as an unofficial character, Funassyi is used frequently in official events for Chiba prefecture, the city of Funabashi, and Japan itself due to their popularity and high name recognition. Fictional profile According to the mascot's lore, Funassyi is said to neither a girl nor a boy but is a fairy, and its parents are said to be ordinary pear tree ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mascot
A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are also used as fictional, representative spokespeople for consumer products. In sports, mascots are also used for merchandising. Team mascots are often related to their respective team athletic nickname, nicknames. This is especially true when the team's nickname is something that is a living animal and/or can be anthropomorphism, made to have humanlike characteristics. For more abstract nicknames, the team may opt to have an unrelated character serve as the mascot. For example, the sport, athletic teams of the University of Alabama are nicknamed the Alabama Crimson Tide, Crimson Tide, while their mascot is an elephant named Big Al (mascot), Big Al. Team mascots may take the form of a logo, person, live animal, inanimate object, or a costumed c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kappa (folklore)
In traditional Japanese folklore a —also known as , , with a boss called or —is a reptiloid with similarities to . can become harmful when not respected as gods. Accounts typically depict them as green, human-like beings with webbed hands and feet and Turtle shell, turtle-like carapaces on their backs. A depression on the head, called a "dish" (), retains water, and if this is damaged or its liquid is lost (either through spilling or drying up), a becomes severely weakened. The favor cucumbers and love to engage in sumo wrestling, sumo-wrestling. They are often accused of assaulting humans in water and removing a mythical organ called the from their victim's anus. Terminology The name ''kappa'' is a contraction of the words ''kawa'' (river) and , a doublet (linguistics), variant form of (also ) "child". Another translation of kappa is "water-sprite". The ''kappa'' are also known regionally by at least eighty other names such as , , , , , ., citing Ōno (1994), p. 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imabari, Ehime
is a city in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. It is the second largest city in the prefecture. , the city had an estimated population of 152,111 in 75,947 households and a population density of 360 persons per km². The total area of the city is . The population is the second largest in Ehime Prefecture after Matsuyama City. Geography Imabari is located in central Ehime Prefecture, facing the Seto Inland Sea to the east and northwest, and including a portion of the Geiyo Islands in between Shikoku and Honshu, including Ōmishima, Ōshima and Hakatajima. The land portion occupies the northeastern part of the Takanawa Peninsula. The highest elevation in the city is Mound Kirō on Ōshima Island at 307.8 meters. Neighbouring municipalities Ehime Prefecture * Kamijima *Matsuyama * Saijō * Tōon Climate Imabari has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Imabari is 15.4&nbs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kumamoto Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture to the northeast, Miyazaki Prefecture to the southeast, and Kagoshima Prefecture to the south. Kumamoto is the capital and largest city of Kumamoto Prefecture, with other major cities including Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Yatsushiro, Amakusa, Kumamoto, Amakusa, and Tamana, Kumamoto, Tamana. Kumamoto Prefecture is located in the center of Kyūshū on the coast of the Ariake Sea, across from Nagasaki Prefecture, with the mainland separated from the East China Sea by the Amakusa Archipelago. Kumamoto Prefecture is home to Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan and among the largest in the world, with its peak above sea level. History Historically, the area was called Higo Province; and the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meij ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hikone, Shiga
is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 111,958 in 49,066 households and a population density of 570 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Hikone is located in central Shiga Prefecture, on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, and extending inland to the Ibuki Mountains. Parts of the city are within the borders of the Biwako Quasi-National Park. Neighboring municipalities Shiga Prefecture * Aishō * Higashiōmi * Kōra * Maibara * Taga * Toyosato Climate Hikone has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hikone is 14.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1810 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.6 °C. The highest recorded temperature was 37.7 °C (July 26, 2014) an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hamamatsu
is a Cities of Japan, city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In September 2023, the city had an estimated population of 780,128 in 340,591 households, making it the prefecture's largest city, with a population density of over the total urban area of . Overview Hamamatsu is a member of the World Health Organization's Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC). History Prehistoric ages The area now comprising Hamamatsu has been settled since prehistoric times, with numerous remains from the Jōmon period and Kofun period having been discovered within the present city limits, including the Shijimizuka site shell mound and the Akamonue Kofun ancient tomb. File:Shijimizuka Site, tatemono.jpg, Shijimizuka site File:Komyosan Kofun, kouenbu-1.jpg, Kōmyōsan Kofun Ancient ages In the Nara period, it became the capital of Tōtōmi Province. Feudal period During the Sengoku period, Hamamatsu Castle was the home of future ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Ieyasu. File:高根城（浜 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kōchi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kōchi Prefecture has a population of 669,516 (1 April 2023) and has a geographic area of 7,103 km2 (2,742 sq mi). Kōchi Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the northwest and Tokushima Prefecture to the northeast. Kōchi is the capital and largest city of Kōchi Prefecture, with other major cities including Nankoku, Shimanto, and Kōnan. Kōchi Prefecture is located on Japan's Pacific coast surrounding a large bay in the south of Shikoku, with the southernmost point of the island located at Cape Ashizuri in Tosashimizu. Kōchi Prefecture is home to Kōchi Castle, considered the most intact Japanese castle, and the Shimanto River, one of the few undammed rivers in Japan. History Antiquity Before the Ritsuryō System In the Kujiki, first recorded governments in Kōchi Prefecture were Hata (in the west) and Tosa (in the center). Hata was established first, so it is thought that it had more influen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in Japan, following the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 million in the 2020 census, it is also the largest component of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin Metropolitan Area, which is the List of metropolitan areas in Japan, second-largest metropolitan area in Japan and the 10th-List of urban areas by population, largest urban area in the world with more than 19 million inhabitants. Ōsaka was traditionally considered Japan's economic hub. By the Kofun period (300–538) it had developed into an important regional port, and in the 7th and 8th centuries, it served briefly as the imperial capital. Osaka continued to flourish during the Edo period (1603–1867) and became known as a center of Japanese culture. Following the M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Local Hero (Japan)
A is a Japanese superhero who is created to represent a particular region of Japan, such as a prefecture or city. They often perform in special martial arts stage shows. Created either by local groups or the local government, a local hero is modeled after the superheroes of Japanese tokusatsu. A local hero is often themed around the city or prefecture's local mythologies or industries, are created to teach the children who watch the stage shows certain things (like of Fukui, Fukui Prefecture), or are themed after the event that they are used to promote (the group performed at the Tokyo Motor Show to act in both the latter forms for road traffic safety). Although local heroes are produced to act in a local area, some gain fame throughout Japan by performing at other local heroes' shows or being featured in mainstream media. from Nikaho, Akita Prefecture, has had two theme songs recorded by anison recording artist Ichirou Mizuki (the first of which was previously available on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
