It’s no secret that I want to monetise my writing. But what I want to write about mayn’t be that apparent. Well, in an ideal world, I will like to earn some income writing about and promoting Kumamoto, the prefecture where Kumamon hails from. Which explains why I picked up this December 2019/January 2020 copy of Monocle.
The feature article contains a lot of interesting trivia about Kumamon. I didn’t know he has an office at Kumamoto Square. Neither did I know that he was first conceptualised to promote the Kyushu shinkansen in 2010. Kumamon also boasts more than 180 official illustrations and logos! But what I do know is that he was the winner of the inaugural yuru-kyara (mascot) in Japan in 2011 because that was when I lived in Japan. I fondly remember how Kumamoto students were so ecstatic when Kumamon was announced as the winner. (Nope, I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t help in the voting. My pragmatic Singaporean mind dismissed the contest as something juvenile and meaningless.) I didn’t even like Kumamon then. I thought it looked kinda scary, lol.
Little did I expect that Kumamon would blossom to be the money magnet that he is. Familiarity doesn’t breed contempt in this case because he has certainly grown on me - which means that I find him Kawaii (with a capital K). Actually after my Japan stint, I think this mascot is the best thing to soften people’s impressions of Kumamoto people. After all, the men are known as kyushu danji (stoic and strong-willed). The women also have fierce personalities. (I should know because I married one.) So I think Kumamon plays an important role in softening Kumamoto’s image! After all, he’s certainly going places. Visiting other countries as an ambassador and promoting Kumamoto’s products.
Oh back to the article. So I learnt that Kumamoto can only perform for 30 mins at one time and enjoys the luxury of 10 personnel fussing over his itinerary and every other move. Sounds like he has made it in life, huh? Yet he remains accessible and down-to-earth to me because his image is practically showcased on all the products you can think of. I’m not embarrassed to say that I wear Kumamon socks and underwear! Such is my love for him!
