Japan's iconic bear mascot Kumamon to make debut as YouTuber

KYODO NEWS

- Aug 22, 2018 - 15:10 All,Feature,Japan

Kumamon, the black bear mascot of Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture, appears at Japan Expo, an event featuring Japanese pop culture, in the suburbs of Paris on July 5, 2018, promoting the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Kumamon, the black bear mascot of Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture, gives an autograph to Takayuki Fujiwara, the deputy governor of Shimane Prefecture, in Matsue on March 20, 2018, at the end of the mascot's nationwide tour to thank people for the support Kumamoto has received since it was struck by a series of massive earthquakes in April 2016. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Accompanied by local bear mascot "Kumamon," Kumamoto Prefecture Gov. Ikuo Kabashima speaks to the press at his office in the western Japan city of Kumamoto on June 5, 2018. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Kumamoto Deputy Gov. Taisuke Ono (L), accompanied by the prefecture's black bear mascot Kumamon, attends Japan Expo, an event featuring Japanese pop culture, in the suburbs of Paris on July 5, 2018, to promote the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Kumamoto is one of the host cities of the games. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Kumamoto Prefecture PR mascot Kumamon poses with an alpaca at the entrance to a crater of Mt. Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan, on Feb. 28, 2018. Public access to the crater, a famous tourist spot in the southwestern Japan prefecture, was reopened the same day following a hiatus of three and a half years due to volcanic activities. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Kumamon (L), the popular black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, and Japanese "enka" ballad singer Sayuri Ishikawa (R) pound steamed rice to make mochi rice cakes in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, on Feb. 22, 2018, at an event promoting the prefecture's reconstruction from a huge earthquake in April 2016. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

(From L) Kumamon, the popular black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, Steve Chang, president of Kumamoto-based Cyber Sourcing and Kumamoto Gov. Ikuo Kabashima pose for photos at the prefectural government building on Jan. 11, 2018. A total of 50,000 bicycles bearing images of Kumamon will be available for a month in a bike-sharing service in China to promote the quake-hit prefecture in southwestern Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Tour guides of Hato Bus Co. in kimono cheer as Kumamon (C), the popular black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, makes a surprise appearance during a ceremony marking their coming of age in Tokyo on Jan. 6, 2017. Since 1962, the tour bus operator has held the annual ceremony for its guides who are or will turn 20 years old as of April 1 before the actual Coming of Age Day, a national holiday when they will be at work and unable to attend ceremonies at their respective hometowns. (Kyodo)==Kyodo

Kumamon, the black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, will make its debut on YouTube next month, sharing online its experiences of sports, arts and crafts in multiple languages, the local government said Wednesday.Starting Sept. 3, a 2-minute video featuring the official mascot of the southwestern Japan prefecture will be uploaded onto its YouTube account every Monday. People can watch the videos also on Kumamon's official website.The videos will have English subtitles, and versions with French, German, Chinese and Korean subtitles will also be available later, according to the prefectural…READ FULL ARTICLE

Japan's iconic bear mascot Kumamon to make debut as YouTuber

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