Chikuwan Named Official Mascot Character for Yatsushiro City in Kumamoto Pref.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

7:00 JST, December 3, 2024

Chikuwan, a mascot character from the Hinagu district of Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, has been certified as the city’s official mascot character.

The decision came after the character won first place in the “Yuru-verse 2024 in Noto,” a Grand Prix held in Ishikawa Prefecture for yuru-kyara characters. Chikuwan will appear in events to promote the city.

The character was thought up by Goriken, a comedian from Hinagu, and is a combination of a dog and local specialty Hinagu chikuwa tube-shaped fish cakes. It has gained popularity in media such as on video-sharing site YouTube. Chikuwan collected 46,570 votes online and in-person at the Yuru-verse event on Nov. 2 and 3, coming out on top among some 150 nationwide mascot characters.

“I’d like to promote Hinagu and Yatsushiro through Chikuwan,” said Goriken, who visited the city hall with the character on Friday.

Mayor Hiroo Nakamura handed the certificate over to the mascot and said, “I’m pleased that the character won first place. I would like to think about how we can cooperate to make the best use of the character for Yatsushiro.”

The prefecture’s famous mascot character, Kumamon, won first place in the 2011 Yuru-Chara Grand Prix, the predecessor to the Yuru-verse. The two characters are expected to collaborate in the future.