Kyara Nihon: uncovering Japanese characters. A study on some of the characters that inhabit the Land of the Rising Sun.

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to show the importance that the kyara phenomenon has got within the Japanese society. This research will start with a brief introduction on the feature of anthropomorphism. Why start by off by taking a look at anthropomorphism? Because, over the years, anthropomorphic representations have been absorbed by Japanese society and have become a sort of innate characteristic of Japan: they can be found in emakimono dating back to the 12th and 13th century, in some of the ukiyoe prints realized between the 17th and 19th century and, even more, in the contemporary manga, anime and, of course, kyara. Revealing that, these characters, aren’t just some kawaii representations created to entertain children or sponsor a company product. They are real inhabitants of the land, taking part in many aspects of the everyday life of Japan: nobody would be startled to go to the bank and find there to greet him the fluffy mascot of an otter. There is nothing to be surprised of. In Japan is perfectly normal. The purpose of this research is to point out the uniqueness of kyara. Hence, it will focus especially on yuru kyara (“wobbly characters”) and on some of the other types of the countless characters that inhabits the Land of the Rising Sun. The kyara phenomenon is more than a simple kawaii representation, it is part of the Japanese culture. Since, only something that has been completely absorbed by a culture to the extent that it is no more detachable from it, could be really called part of it. Under the exterior surface of a mascot are hidden a thousand of layers, from the bond with historical art representations, to the active role that they have in the contemporary society.