Kumamon (Kumamoto) Norio NAKAYAMA/Flickr The yurukyara from Kumamoto, Kumamon, has a level of popularity and familiarity that surpasses all others. If you're wondering why he's a bear, it's because the first character of Kumamoto, 熊, means bear. In collaboration with the area of Kumamoto,...
Some of the more famous yurukyara include the adorable Kumamon from Kumamoto Prefecture, and Funassyi, who unofficially represents the city of Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture. The city of Hikone, in Shiga Prefecture, is considered the pioneer of the modern yurukyara boom. When first introduced ...