A Celebration of Japanese Mascots
Susaki City’s Gotouchi Character Festival is returning for its 9th year. This massive festival in Kochi Prefecture is one of Japan’s biggest events celebrating mascots. Over 75 characters are set to attend, representing prefectural governments, local communities, tourism groups, various products, safety teams and even YouTube channels.
Notable guests include Chiba-kun from Chiba, Ukedon from Fukushima, Mikyan from Ehime, Fukkachan from Saitama, Sanomaru from Tochigi, Gunma-chan from Gunma and Funassyi from Funabashi. The star and host of the event is Susaki’s own, Shinjo-kun.
The weekend-long festival will start with an opening ceremony, followed by various performances and greetings by the mascots.
Idol singer Terashima Yufu, also known as “Yuffie,” will make an appearance for a musical performance with various characters. Kochi’s leading yosakoi dance team Honiya, and their Honiyakko children’s division, will also be performing their brilliant choreography with a mix of modern and retro costumes. Booths and food trucks will be selling local foods from Kochi.
