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The success story of a beloved, cuddly Japanese character reveals more about human nature than you might realise. Neil Steinberg explores the science and cultural impact of cuteness. On 14 April 2016, ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Ollie Barder covers Japanese pop-culture and gaming from Tokyo. Kumamon is the mascot for Kumamoto Prefecture and it initially ...

A consortium of Japanese media companies is partnering with U.S. animation studio Tonko House to make an animation series starring Kumamon. The hugely popular character is the mascot of Kumamoto, a ...

KUMAMOTO -- Kumamon, the fabulously popular mascot for southwest Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture, had received 5,291 New Year's greeting cards as of Jan. 5. Kumamon expressed joy after seeing many of the ...

Japan's most famous prefectural mascot character, Kumamon, who represents Kumamoto, has broken records in the last two years by generating over 124.4 billion yen in revenue, according to the Bank of ...

Kumamoto Prefecture's mascot character Kumamon and Gov. Ikuo Kabashima celebrate record sales of Kumamon brand goods in Chuo Ward, Kumamoto, on Feb. 9, 2021. (Mainichi/Hayato Jojima) KUMAMOTO -- Sales ...

Dekavita C is a popular Japanese energy drink, with the name coming from the words dekai (“big”), mixed with vitamins (“vita”), and a C on the end for Vitamin C. And while regional mascots are usually ...

Kumamon, a cartoon bear created to promote tourism in an overlooked part of Japan, has become a billion-dollar phenomenon. Now, a new academic field is trying to pinpoint what makes things cute – and ...

On 14 April 2016, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s southernmost island of Kyushu, toppling buildings and sending residents rushing into the streets. Hundreds of aftershocks – one an even ...