Niigataology

Aburagenshin あぶらげんしん the mascot character for the Tochio region of Nagaoka City.

Mochi Usagi もちうさぎ A rabbit character with a rice cake for a head, combining two popular symbols: the rabbit (often associated with pounding mochi in Japanese folklore) and mochi (rice cake), a key product of Niigata's rice industry.

Burikatsu Kun ブリカツくん A quirky character that's part-human, part-fish, representing burikatsu (yellowtail cutlets), a local specialty of Sado Island.

Toki Crested Ibis is both a mascot character as well as a actual creature and there are many interpretations of this animal across the prefecture. The reason is that it is symbolic not only of Niigata Prefecture, but also Japan as a whole. The Yura-Chara Toki is the mascot of Sado Island.

Sasadangon 笹だんごん, A popular unofficial mascot from Niigata Prefecture, he's a "sasa dango" monster. Sasa dango is a local sweet made of rice cake filled with red bean paste and wrapped in a bamboo leaf.

Black Bancho [ ブラック 番長 ] Yura-Chara ゆるキャラ , Itoigawa City, a super-cool squid with a pompadour hairstyle and sunglasses. Also, the PR mascot character for Itoigawa Black Yakisoba who goes against the grain as a true delinquent, but is a kind at heart. Itoigawa City Tourism Association is the contact that people go to for the usage of the character.

  Standing out among his animal peers is Niigata Prefecture Is a towering 270cm tall ski ambassador, Lerch-san (レルヒさん) ”Japan's original skier”. Lerch-san is a character from Niigata Prefecture that is modeled after a real Austrian military officer. The character is known to many people in the prefecture and can be seen at various events and facilities, but it was originally planned as the tourism campaign "100th Anniversary of Skiing in Japan" sponsored by Niigata Prefecture . This Nigel Thornberry-meets-Wes Anderson-looking humanoid character was in fact based off of Major Theodor Edler von Lerch, who introduced skiing to Japan in 1911 in Joetsu City. The economic impact was also significant, with merchandise sales alone reaching 700 million yen in a single year (2011). Thanks to the energetic PR activities of the person in charge, it has become popular in both the real and digital realms, including various events, blogs, and a collaboration with actor Seishiro Kato, wh...