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【Chiitan】 The Troublemaker of Japan's Yuru-chara Scene! What Kind of Character is this Small-Clawed Otter, Chiitan?

2023-09-11
Saori
Chiitan
boss
Hello everyone. Do you know what Yuru-chara are? I am Boss of Kawaii Republic, and I'm not a Yuru-chara.
saori/smile
Hello everyone! Speaking of Yuru-chara! Oh, let me introduce myself first. I am Saori of Kawaii Republic!

Speaking of Yuru-chara!

When it comes to Yuru-chara, it stands for 'loose mascot characters.'
In Japan, they are largely seen as mascot characters used for revitalizing local areas, promoting local specialties, and in various PR campaigns and events for communities and corporations. By the way, they are local characters and there are a ton of them in Japan.
boss/smile
So, I'd like to introduce a particularly famous character among these Yuru-chara! This one is well-known but a bit of a troublemaker. Let's dive in!

【Chiitan】When talking about troublemakers in Japan's Yuru-chara scene, this is the character! What kind of character is this small-clawed otter Chiitan?

What is Chiitan？

Chiitan is a Yuru-chara, but it's not entirely clear if it truly fits the 'Yuru-chara' mold.
To explain its origins, Chiitan was born when a small-clawed otter kept by an individual was appointed as a tourism ambassador for Kochi Prefecture in Japan in 2018.
To elaborate on its profile, Chiitan is designed as an 'otter fairy,' and claims to be eternally zero years old. The hat on its head is a character named Kame-chan, who is occasionally alive.
By the way, it seems that Kochi Prefecture hasn't officially acknowledged Chiitan as a tourism ambassador, so its title may be self-proclaimed.
Despite all these quirks and continuous troubles, this character is highly recognized as a Yuru-chara.
It has extraordinary athletic abilities and is active as a Youtuber. If you're talking about Yuru-chara in Japan, the name Chiitan is likely to come up, so it might be good to remember it.
saori/closeeye
I wonder why we decided to introduce this character. It's quite a mystery, isn't it?
boss/smile
Well, well. I think this is definitely a character that people from abroad will encounter if they're interested in Japan's Yuru-chara culture. So by all means, everyone, please check out the merchandise of Chiitan, who is a rascal but adorable to look at!
Chiitan
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