One thing you'll quickly notice about Japan is that there are mascots for just. about. everything. Known as "yuru-chara," these adorable characters represent regions, organizations, and events, embodying both local pride and national creativity.
The Local Character Festival in Susaki is a fun celebration of this, and is set to include almost 80 yuru-chara appearances from local mascots. Some well-known mascots that will be present at the event include Funassyi, the "pear fairy" that represents Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture, and Gunma-chan, the horse-like character that promotes Gunma Prefecture.
Along with simply being a fun event, part of the festival's goal is to help revitalize Susaki City. Previous festivals have drawn crowds of around 100,000 people, so it certainly seems to be helping!
Getting there
The event takes place at the Susaki City Kirima Multipurpose Park. The venue can be accessed in around 10 minutes on foot (or two minutes by car) from either Oma or Onogo Stations, which are both served by the JR Shikoku Dosan Line.
