Kumamoto prefecture’s PR mascot character “Kumamon,” one of the nationally popular “yuru-charas” (literally, loose characters), visited “Ginza Kumamoto-Kan,” on May 17, which is an “antenna shop” operated by the Kumamoto Prefectural Government in Ginza streets, Tokyo, to sell prefectural specialties as well as to acquire information on trends and tastes of the metropolitan residents.
“Kumamon” hands a tiny watermelon, one of Kumamoto specialties, with thanks to a customer at “Ginza Kumamoto-Kan.”(Ginza Chuo-ku, Tokyo on May 17)
“Kumamon” came to the shop first time after the heavy earthquakes hit the Kumamoto region in the middle of April. The “yuru-chara” expressed thanks by making a deep bow to the customers visiting the shop to buy the prefectural specialties to support victims of the disaster.
A wide assortment of goods is now available at the “Ginza Kumamoto-Kan.” Shipments of the prefectural specialties have been almost stabilized as before the quake. At the shop, “Kumamon” picked up special goods such as a watermelon and a package of “karashi-renkon,” fried lotus roots filled with mustard, and told the customers about tasty food products sent from Kumamoto with his unique gestures.
According to the Tokyo office of the prefecture, visitors to the antenna shop almost tripled to 82 thousands during one month since the earthquake slammed the Kumamoto prefecture. “The number of our customers is still increasing. The sales have increased by four times,” a spokesman of the Tokyo office said with thanks.