Hong Kong's retail slump met an unlikely hero this summer: a trio of wide-eyed Japanese manga characters named Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi.For a month through late August, the Chiikawa Days exhibition filled the city with giant sculptures, pastel art scenes and selfie-ready installations -- and gave the local economy a much-needed boost along the way.While many Hong Kong shoppers crossed the border into mainland Chinese cities in search of bargains due in part to the strong Hong Kong dollar, a very different crowd of mainly locals stayed put.For people enjoying the parts of the city trans…READ FULL ARTICLE
