Yuru Kyara could revive localities for smart city and social innovation
Kumamon of Kumamoto Prefecture could be a benchmark for how to bring genki back to regional areas struggling with the energy drain that comes with aging and declining populations. The other day I visited the Kumamoto Prefecture Tokyo Representative Office in Nagatacho and “optimistic” is the best way to describe the air in that office.
Kumamon, red-cheeked and utterly “Kawaii” “Metabo,” leaps from the entrance window and equally bright, smiling faces stare at us from busy desks and active computer screens as we enter the office proper.
My colleague from Nikkei BP and I were there to discuss Smart City/Social Innovation Week with Kumamoto prefecture chiefs and what we didn’t expect was that Kumamon and other Yurukyara mascots for localities all over Japan came up as a response seeking innovative solutions on how to revitalize, bolster local pride, and attract new residents for lagging economies outside of mega-metropolises such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sendai, Hakodate, and Fukuoka.
I remember back in the 70’s when my hometown of Hawaii started a campaign to build pride and attract visitors. Titled “I love you Hawaii,” they all had t-shirts and stickers, buttons, and key chains. Despite being a “haole” and generally treated like an outsider in the beautiful tropical paradise, even I took pride in the islands as if they were my own and my roots were firmly rooted in the rich history of the land. Now that I am a bit older, I realize that this sense of pride and unity or feeling of being included and whole is a vital part of a strong society.
Just take a look at Kumamon.
Kumamon is a boy born on March 12. He has no age as no one can pinpoint the year of his birth. He is very curious and can be a bit of a rascal at times. What he likes to do the most is the Kumamoto Taiso (exercise).
He dons the black color of Kumamoto’s castle and bear image and his innocent and slightly goofy expression sets him apart from the other more official-looking characters from other prefectures. In the Kumamoto dialect, “monkey” or “thing” is pronounced “Mon”, so “Kuma-mon” would literally mean “I am a bear!”.
You can buy a lot of Kuma-mon products, but the most popular one is called Hakata Ningyo.
First of all, the prefecture was unified behind the concept. With strong leadership, each and every prefectural official got on board and worked to distribute business cards in the shape of Kumamon. It took months of effort, but thanks to on-the-ground contact with the people, a small Kumamon card passed among individuals, grouped together to become a boom in popularity around an easily recognizable and well-accepted symbol.
Once you’ve established your entry point with a welcome and locatable sign, people will come. Kumamoto Prefecture’s mascot, Kumamon, functions as the beautiful stewardess standing at the entrance of the plane ready to direct you to your seat, the couture hostess waiting to show you to your table, or the smartly dressed bellboy ready to take your luggage.
Imagine prefectures or cities as a Ryokan or Japanese inn and Kumamon and other characters serve as Okami or the inn lady who welcomes you, decides the atmosphere of your experience and makes sure you start off with a feeling of true Omotenashi-style. Japanese. .
The Smart City event in Yokohama focuses on technical, structural, and systematic innovation in the smart and social realm, but Kumamon and other Yurukyara mascots across Japan can point to one aspect of social innovation that strikes a chord with joy and fun for all. From the smallest citizen to the oldest, finding a point of union and identity in a cute, friendly and fluffy pet like Kumamon can’t be a bad thing. Don’t take the Yurukyaras lightly, they could be a way to propel us further down the path towards peaceful living and genuine community.