Yuru-chara

thumb|Map of Japan with Kumamoto Prefecture highlighted Kumamon is a mascot created by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 2010 for a campaign created to draw tourists to the region after the Kyushu Shinkansen line opened. Kumamon subsequently became nationally popular, and in late 2011, was voted top in a nationwide survey of mascots, collectively known as yuru-chara, garnering over 280,000 votes. Following his success in the contest, Kumamoto earned (, , ) in merchandising revenue for the first half of 2012, after having only earned (, , ) throughout all of 2011.

mascot and drummer in Kuroishi, Japan

is a fictional Japanese mascot character, unofficially representing the city of Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture. 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 so

thumb|Hikonyan, the mascot of Hikone, Shiga|Hikone City. 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 for a cat's meow. Hikonyan's samurai helmet is based on a Ii family helmet currently in the Hikone Castle museum. Hikonyan's

, also stylized as Chiitan☆, is a Japanese mascot which was formerly a self-declared unofficial representative of the city of Susaki. It is a self-described "0-year-old fairy baby" otter that wears a turtle as a hat. The mascot was created in 2017 and participated in videos and events with government officials and Susaki's official city mascot, Shinjo-kun. Chiitan gained popularity through its unusual YouTube videos and social media posts in which it performed various clumsy or violent stunts. It became one of the most popular mascots in Japan in 2018, and currently has over 2 million follower