I am fascinated with Japan’s love for mascots or yuru-kyara. One of the famous Japanese mascots is Kumamon. It is a mascot created by the local government of Kumamoto Prefecture in 2010 as a campaign drive by the region to draw more tourist when the bullet train Kyushu Shinkansen opened.

Kuma is Japanese for bear while Mon is local slang for ‘man. So, Kumamon is a bear, about 1.5 metres (5ft) tall, with black glossy fur, circular red cheeks and wide, staring eyes. Kumamon was voted the most popular yuru-kyara in 2011.

When Kumamon visited Obihiro, I asked my friend to join me and see the famous mascot. It was so funny how we went there to watch him together with his fans, who are mostly kids. He danced on the stage and had picture taking with his kid fans.