Cute characters are everywhere in Japan. Among them, you definitely know about Doraemon, so it won’t come as a surprise that in 2013, Doraemon was voted as the most popular character by children in Japan in a survey by Video Research Ltd. Other Japanese characters, such as Totoro and Hello Kitty, also showed up in the top 20 in related surveys. Overseas characters are also well-liked in Japan, with Micky Mouse, Snoopy, and Stitch ranking high on the popularity list.
All of the above mentioned characters enjoy some degree of popularity worldwide, but some of the characters on the list aren’t as well-known abroad as they are in Japan. Which characters do you recognize?
Three Popular Japanese Characters You May Not Known About
Image by Mono // CC BY-NC 2.0
Little Twin Stars
Little Twin Stars, known as Kikilala in Japanese, were created by Sanrio, the same company behind Hello Kitty. The twins, Kiki and Lala, are well-loved by moms in Japan, coming in at slot 16 on the “Popular Characters Among Mothers” list. By the way, their favorite snack is candy that comes from Lala’s wand.
Image by Hiroaki Maeda // CC BY-ND 2.0
Rilakkuma
I was a little surprised that Rilakkuma wasn’t at the top of the list. You can get Rilakkuma stationary everywhere and even eat Rilakkuma pastries in places throughout Japan.
In Japanese, Rilakkuma’s name means “relaxing bear.” As you would expect, Rilakkuma is often depicted reclining and eating.
Rilakkuma is number 5 on the list of children’s favorite characters.
Image by SimonQ // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Qoo
Last, we have Qoo, a mascot for a fruit drink line of the same name. It’s difficult to figure out what exactly Qoo is just by looking. Even the official website doesn’t state what exactly Qoo is, but it does say that Qoo is fun and a little clumsy. To me, he looks a little like a dog with an antler, but I’m sure you’ve got a better guess. Qoo is number 10 on the list of most popular characters among children.
Had you heard of these characters before? Which ones do you like?
Resources
Video Research Ltd. Popular Character Survey, June 2013
