There seems to be a mascot for almost everything in Japan–including train gap monsters–and besides looking cute, some of them can be pretty profitable. Gunma Prefecture’s Gunma-chan, an adorable horse character, is one of these. In the last year alone, all things Gunma-chan related were estimated to bring in 71.3 billion yen in revenue.
Gunma Prefecture has amped up its PR in the last few years, developing the Gunma-chan brand even further. A few ways this has been done is through social media platforms like TikTok, as well as more traditional media, like the Gunma-chan anime that aired on Japanese TV.
▼ Some episodes are available on YouTube as well.
And of course, there are all sorts of physical Gunma-chan goods available for purchase at sightseeing locations across Gunma–and at the occasional non-Gunma location as well. You can find Gunma-chan keychains, plushies, and snacks galore. The character also appears in real life from time to time at places like prefectural events.
▼ Gunma-chan also stans PewDiePie.
Gunma-chan’s fame does not come without occasional controversy, though. Some episodes of the Gunma-chan anime were actually pulled from airing due to viewer complaints, including one about horse racing that some suspect was trying to promote gambling.
All in all, though, the Gunma-chan brand seems to be a profitable one for the prefecture, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. If you stop by Gunma Prefecture, keep an eye out for Gunma-chan–though we don’t think you’ll have a hard time finding it.
Sources: NHK via Golden Times, Twitter/@nhk_news
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Episode of Gunma-chan anime deemed not suitable for children and shelved
-- Gunma-chan candy is adorable, probably as sweet as the mascot’s national championship
-- Gunma Prefecture’s adorable mascot dances into our hearts and travel plans 【Video】
- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2022/11/16/gunma-prefectures-mascot-brought-in-an-estimated-71-3-billion-yen-last-year/
3 Comments
Login to comment
virusrex
Maybe other prefectures should take a page or two from Gunma's books on promotion, I was reading how people in Saga were for example expecting some benefit from the mini-boom of an animated series centered in the prefecture but I have seen nothing to justify that optimism, a well designed and promoted prefectural mascot can apparently do wonders instead.
TokyoLiving
Very good for the Japanese brotherhood of mascots..
TokyoOldMan
Why would I want to go anywhere where "PewDiePie" goes ?
That poses a Reputational Risk issue to the prefecture... https://www.svg.com/191519/the-shady-side-of-pewdiepie/
It would be far better to promote the individual areas of interest, based upon interest, rather than who went there beforehand, and may have been paid to do so... in reality.