Hikone's Hikonyan Mascot to Mark 20 Years of Debut in April

Hikone, Shiga Pref., March 27 (Jiji Press)--"Hikonyan," the beloved official white cat mascot of the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, will mark the 20th anniversary of its debut in April.

Hikonyan derives from a legend that a white cat saved Ii Naotaka (1590-1659), the second lord of the Hikone domain, from being struck by lightning during a thunderstorm by beckoning him at a temple. The mascot wears a red "kabuto" helmet for samurai warriors inspired by the head armor worn by the "Ii no Akazonae" corps.

While Hikonyan has become widely known across Japan as it helped spark the country's "yuru-kyara" local mascot boom, it was originally created for a one-time event and was therefore not intended to be used after the end of the event.

The name Hikonyan was selected in 2006 from 1,167 proposals submitted by the public.

According to the Hikone city government, Hikonyan was created as a promotional character for a festival held in 2007 to mark the 400th anniversary of Hikone Castle, a national treasure. Even before the festival, Hikonyan appeared in local events across the country, gaining media attention that led to its massive popularity.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]