Oct 04 (Japan Times) - The winner of this year's annual mascot competition will be hoping they attract as much international attention for the prize as Kumamoto Prefecture's Kumamon black bear-like mascot did after winning the inaugural event in 2011. The competition wraps up for the final time after nine years on Sunday.
Audience members who made the trip to Takizawa, Iwate Prefecture, as well as those who are eligible to vote online are likely to find it tough to choose from the more than 690 contenders who lined up in the final vote.
The mascots, or yuru-kyara, began vying for national honors almost a decade earlier in an attempt to boost the profile of the country's ailing regional economies.
The winner typically attracts international attention. Products bearing the image of Kumamon racked up sales of almost ¥158 billion ($1.5 billion) last year, another record-high for the character.
Numerous families attended the finale in Takizawa this year, despite concerns over large gatherings as a result of COVID-19.
