The "Yuru-Chara Election" After the Boom Ends: Why It Continues in a "Tolerant and Relaxed" Manner Despite a Sharp Decline in Participation

1. What is Yuru-chara? — Basics for Foreigners

**Yuru-chara** are "friendly mascots" used by Japanese municipalities, public organizations, and companies for regional promotion and product introduction. Characterized by their floppy shapes, simple expressions, and somewhat imperfect yet charming designs, those originating from municipalities are often called "local characters." They expanded nationwide from the late 2000s to the 2010s, playing active roles in various fields such as tourism promotion, hometown tax, product exhibitions, and school and disaster prevention awareness. Wikipedia

2. The Era of Elections: The "General Election" Boom of the 2010s

What elevated the Yuru-chara culture to a national event was the Yuru-chara® Grand Prix, which began in 2010. Combining online voting with on-site competitions, it created a movement to support favorite characters each year.

• Scale at its peak: In 2015, 1,727 characters participated, with online votes reaching 50.57 million, and approximately 76,000 people attended the event. Campaigns by local governments and companies synergized, attracting nationwide attention. Yuru-chara Wiki

• Iconic Winning Characters: In 2011, Kumamon from Kumamoto Prefecture and in 2014, Gunma-chan from Gunma Prefecture won the Grand Prix, subsequently generating significant economic effects through tourism promotion and product sales. Yuru NaviYuru NaviYuru Navi
  
  

Points for Foreigners: Yuru-chara may look "relaxed," but the voting at the time was quite serious. It was a phenomenon where Japanese pop culture and regional policy overlapped.

3. The Decline of the Boom and the End of the Competition (up to 2020)

Around 2017, reports of decreasing participation began to surface, signaling a decline from the previous fervor. Factors such as the burden of managing social media and advertising costs, voting fatigue, and discomfort with rank-oriented approaches were pointed out. In 2020, the **"Yuru-chara Grand Prix 2020 THE FINAL"** was held in Iwate Prefecture, marking the end of its 10-year history. KSBYuru Navi

Why Did It End? (Main Points)

• Cost and Manpower: For municipalities and companies, year-long voting campaigns and event tours were a significant burden.

• Online Voting "Fatigue": Daily calls for voting could easily place excessive pressure on communities.

• Backlash from Enthusiasm: Increased difficulty in management due to organizational voting, fraud prevention, and handling controversies (as observed and explained by citizens). note

Remarks: According to the organizers, it was stated on the official site that the event had "fulfilled its role," closing at the milestone of 10 years. Yuru Navi

4. The "Now" of Yuru-chara Elections: Participation Drastically Reduced, Yet "Tolerant and Relaxed"

As of 2025, participation has significantly decreased from its peak. However, the culture itself has not ended, steering towards a **"tolerant and relaxed"** direction. In other words, stories over rankings, co-creation over competition. There are more "small venues" at the community, school, and shopping street levels where anyone can easily get involved. This current situation is also summarized in today's reports. Mainichi Shimbun

Points of Change

1. Small-scale and Decentralized: From grand "general elections" to mini-projects in each region and facility.

2. Softness of Fan Participation: Instead of demanding daily votes, welcome diverse forms of involvement such as visits, photo posts, donations, and volunteering.Various ways to engage.

3. Emphasis on Resilience to Controversy: Avoid concentration on rankings, aiming for a "design where no one gets hurt."
   
   

The keyword is "toning down enthusiasm." Even if the temperature of enthusiasm drops, psychological safety and visualized regional love remain — this is the state of Yuru-chara elections in the 2020s.

5. From Competition to "Place" — The Re-design as "Yuruverse"

Since 2023, the organizers have rebranded to **"Yuruverse", incorporating a metaverse-like concept, positioning it as a permanent "place" that can be enjoyed on PCs and smartphones. No HMD required, aiming to be an online hub where characters, fans, and local businesses intersect. The focus has shifted from "temporary rankings" to "continuous interaction." Yuru Navi

• In recent years, characters from universities and educational institutions have also entered, participating in the context of education and regional contribution. Okinawa Times Plus

6. Timeline for International Readers (Digest)

• 2010: Yuru-chara® Grand Prix begins.

• 2011: Kumamon wins, gaining nationwide recognition. Yuru Navi

• 2014: Gunma-chan wins, and the economic impact of Yuru-chara becomes a topic. Yuru NaviYuru Navi

• 2015: Participation peaks at 1,727 characters. Yuru-chara Wiki

• 2017: News reports on the decrease in entries. KSB

• 2020: Ends as THE FINAL (held in Iwate). Yuru Navi

• 2023–: Redesigned as Yuruverse. Yuru Navi

• 2025: Participation drastically reduced, but continues in a **"tolerant and relaxed"** direction. Mainichi Shimbun

7. Why Value Remains Despite Decreased Participation

7-1. The Power as a "Translator" for Regions

Yuru-chara serve as communication translators that visualize complex administrative themes (disaster prevention, migration promotion, health awareness). This function works even without rankings. They are suitable for long-term storytelling in public relations, education, and tourism.

7-2. Affinity with Tourism and Products

Appearing at product exhibitions and local festivals, they enhance motivation to visit through commemorative photos and limited edition goods. Even without mobilizing votes as in peak times, accumulating small interactions warms the regional economy.

7-3. Avoiding Controversy and Ensuring Psychological Safety

Voting directly linked to winning generates excitement but also creates winners and losers. Currently, the design of "just being able to participate is joyful" and "not comparing" protects the sense of security of fan