Japan’s Hikonyan Cat Mascot to Celebrate 20th Birthday with Party, Castle Ceremony

By Toshio Seike / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

11:15 JST, February 27, 2026

HIKONE, Shiga — Hikonyan, the popular mascot for Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, will mark 20 years since its debut in April. The city plans to hold a celebration for the character’s birthday.

Though Hikonyan has been widely recognized as a symbol of the city, it is not well known that the character was created for a one-time event 20 years ago.

Hikonyan made its first appearance in 2006 as a mascot for a festival to mark the 400th anniversary of Hikone Castle, an event which was held in 2007. The castle is a national treasure.

The mascot was named Hikonyan on April 13, 2006, based on one of the many proposals submitted by the public.

Hikonyan is modeled on “beckoning cats,” a common form of lucky charm in Japan. A cat is said to have guided the second lord of the Hikone domain, Ii Naotaka (1590-1659), to a temple and saved him from a thunderstorm.

The mascot wears a red samurai helmet because the heads of the Ii family inherited a set of red armor.

An official in the city government’s entertainment division said that initially, Hikonyan was not supposed to be used after the festival ended.

But many news reports mentioned Hikonyan repeatedly because the mascot helped clean the castle before the festival opened, and because of the background story for Hikonyan that says the mascot lives in the castle. Many people also told the city how cute they found Hikonyan.

About 760,000 people, or roughly 40% more than the city expected, visited the festival, and Hikonyan merchandise flew off the shelves. The city decided that the mascot had a major effect on the event.

In 2008, Hikonyan appeared again for a festival in the city commemorating Ii Naosuke (1815-1860) and the 150th anniversary of Japan opening to the world in the last years of the Edo period. After the event, Hikonyan continued to take root in the city.

At Hikone Castle, Hikonyan appears in front of visitors three times a day and many people visit the castle just to catch a glimpse of it.

Hikonyan has also joined in events nationwide to help advertise Hikone. The Hikonyan Fan Club, which is managed by the city government, now boasts more than 3,000 registered members.

Hikonyan’s popularity is due in part to merchandise collaborations. Anyone can use Hikonyan designs and illustrations for free simply by applying to the city government. In fiscal 2024, 612 new applications were submitted.

“Before, Hikone souvenirs were limited to replicas of the Hikone Screen, and that sort of thing,” said Yasuhiro Yamamoto, deputy chief of the city government’s entertainment division. “Now, Hikonyan merchandise is becoming the mainstream for souvenirs.”

Hotel Sunroute Hikone in the city’s Asahimachi district offers “Hikonyan rooms,” where the bed covers, wall decorations and many other items feature pictures of Hikonyan.

In the third Hikonyan room, which opened in December last year, guests will also find a miniaturized version of their room, which they can use to play with their favorite stuffed toys.

“All rooms are fully booked by families and women who want to enjoy women-only parties on weekends and during holidays,” said a chief of the hotel’s administrative department. “We’ve received many inquiries from across the country.”

Preparations are underway in the city for Hikonyan’s 20th birthday. The city has even made a logo to celebrate the anniversary.

On April 11, a party to celebrate Hikonyan’s 20th birthday will be held in a municipal building in the city’s Nosecho district. At the party, Hikonyan is scheduled to appear and video clips will be shown looking back on the mascot’s 20 years.

On April 13, another ceremony will be held at Hikone Castle.

“It’s impressive that Hikonyan has continued to be loved for 20 years,” Yamamoto said. “In the future, we will consider overseas activities and take on new challenges.”