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kumamon

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Soft Power

Follow the bear

Fluffy, furry mascots are everywhere in Japan but Kumamon has captured the nation’s imagination like no other. We explore his ‘very’ soft-power potential.

  • Issue #129
  • 10 min read
Kumamon, the black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, stands in a fluorescent-lit office corridor lined with shelves.
Culture

The opener

We report from an idiosyncratic nation that has won us over with its quirky kerbside totems, drinks-filled vending machines, mascots and of course, shower toilets.

  • Issue #129
  • 7 min read
Two traditional Japanese tanuki (raccoon dog) ceramic figurines wearing straw hats displayed outside a building.
Society

Expo 81: Face of a nation

Japan’s cuddly corporate mascots are a central part of the nation’s identity. We meet the celebrated yuru-kyara creations and the people who bring them to life, exploring their huge and growing popularity.

  • Issue #81
  • 8 min read
A black and white mascot character with a yellow hard hat poses for photographs with people around it in a studio setting.

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