Hikonyan, Japan's beloved samurai helmet-wearing cat mascot, turns 20

OTSU, Japan - Hikonyan, Japan's beloved samurai helmet-wearing cat mascot from Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, turned 20 on Monday, with a special commemorative event held at the city's landmark castle to mark the occasion.

Widely regarded as having sparked Japan's "yuru-kyara" local mascot boom, Hikonyan has become one of the country's most popular regional characters.