Recently, some cuddly Japanese parrots that look like chicken have become the hottest memes on social networks. They have yellow fur and big, round eyes. According to fans of the Poinko brothers, their circular red cheeks are the most attractive and cutest part about them.

Poinko meme: Do you still have your conscientiousness?

Poinko brothers: They have a big family.

Similarly, those red cheeks are also found on Kumamon’s face, a strong, black bear with shining eyes. He is not a mascot that would be displayed at sports games in the west. He is the official symbol for Kumamoto Prefecture, which is the same size as a small county in Britain or America. He is good at riding bikes, capable of cooking, running and even answering people’s questions.

Kumamon is good at riding motor bikes.

Kumamon handles official business.

Because of his lovely image and unique personality, he has made a profound impact on the international cultural market. In other words, except Winnie the Pooh, he may be the wealthiest bear in the world. In 2015, Kumamon product sales surpassed 100 billion yen (about 5.7 billion RMB). Last month, he even started his own café in Shanghai.

Kumamon café recently opened in Shanghai.

At the same time, on Weibo, the tag called “Poinko brothers” has been used or mentioned around three billion times. These days, toys, T-shirts, bottles or any Poinko related products are sold handsomely on Taobao, the most famous online shopping website in China. There is no doubt that Poinko is another Japanese cultural success of cuteness, just like its predecessor, Kumamon.

However, if you only know these two characters, you are behind the times. As a tradition, Japan is using more adorable characters to stimulate its “power of cuteness” to unearth their economic potential.

No.1 Ehime chicken Bali

Bali is a fat chicken, who wears a bridge-shaped crown and carries a ship-like purse. His chubby figure causes him many problems, such as not being able to get on a train, never winning a running prize, and not fitting into a car. These cute behaviors have awarded him hundreds of thousands of fans around the world. However, he is always bullied by Kumamon.

Bali was caught by the police but had troubles getting into the car.

Bali is bullied by Kumamon.

No.2 Gunma-chan horse

Gunma-chan won the first prize in last year’s vote for the most famous Japanese mascot competition. He is a handsome seven-year-old horse whose specialty is transforming. Some people believe that their beloved little horse is the cuter version of steal transformers.

Gunma-chan: The cutest horse in Japan

No.3 Funassyi

Funassyi is a pear fairy who turns up every two thousand years. With an amazing jumping ability, he is very active in many sports games. He is a friend of Kumamon, and they even play football together. Recently, his image is also used to make masks to cater to female customers.

Funassyi likes jumping.

No.4 and No.5 Guribu and his girlfriend

In Japanese, “Guribu” is the sound that pigs make. Guribu’s hometown Kagoshima Island is actually famous for black pigs. So, when they combined nature and the image of a pig, they created Guribu, a green, lovely pig wearing many leaves. What’s interesting is that he has a romantic story with a pink pig. They held their wedding three years ago.

Guribu and his girlfriend kiss.

Since 2004, the trend of designing adorable mascots for every county and developing their cultural impacts has promoted the economy of Japan. The humanity their designers have given them is the reason why Poinko brothers, Kumamon bear and five other cute characters above are loved by customers. It is also the reason why they can earn money and become a cultural industry.

Every region of Japan has its own mascot relating to its regional economy.