Abstract

”Yurukyara" are mascot characters rooted in local communities. News related to them is reported daily, and the number of Yurukyara is said to be as many as 1,200 or 1,600.
The author, Mr. Inuyama, runs his own Yurukyara and is also active as a character consultant. Mr. Sugimoto has been writing a series of articles on Yurukyara for local government magazines and other publications for many years and has heard many voices from the front through his interviews.
Through a wealth of case studies, these two Yurukyara professionals will introduce the current state of Yurukyara and the surprising ways in which they are being used.
An exclusive interview with Jun Miura, the original otaku and godfather of Yurukyara, is also included.

Author’s Information

Born in Tokyo in 1978. Writer, designer, and character consultant. After working for the Self-Defense Forces, as a scenario assistant for video games, and as a Disney cast member, he is currently working as a character consultant. In addition to designing and producing "yuru-chara" such as Ginjiro Togoshi and Ichibantaro Osaki, he also writes history-related articles and manga original stories for "Weekly Sengoku Bussho Data File" (De Agostini Japan) and "Nobunaga and Ooe" (Tokuma Shoten). He is the co-author of the book "Working Poor Death Declaration" (co-authored) and the illustrator of the picture book "Shinkai-kun to umi no otomodachi" (Shinkai-kun and his friends in the sea).