Yuru-chara
Yuru-chara (Japanese: ゆるキャラ, Hepburn: yuru kyara) is a Japanese term for a category of mascot characters; usually created to promote a place or region, event, organisation or business. They are characterized by their kawaii (cute) and unsophisticated designs, often incorporating motifs that represent local culture, history or produce. They may be created by local government or other organizations to stimulate tourism and economic development, or created by a company to build on their corporate identity. They may appear as costumed characters (or kigurumi) at promotional events and festivals. Yuru-chara has become a popular and lucrative business, with character-driven sales reaching nearly $16 billion in Japan in 2012.[1]
Etymology[edit]
The name yuru-chara is a contraction of yurui mascot character (ゆるいマスコットキャラクター, yurui masukotto kyarakutā). The adjective yurui (緩い) generally means "loose", but in this application it has a number of connotations including "gentle" or "weak",[3] "laid-back",[1] light-hearted or "unimportant".[4]
The term gotōchi-kyara (ご当地キャラ, local character) has also become popular in reference specifically to local mascots,[5] which is the large majority of yuru-kyara.