Nara Mascot Showdown Recap

by Rachel Adams (layout by Jenny Chang)

During the 2022-2023 AJET Newsletter, we held the Nara Mascot Showdown. Each newsletter featured mascots from a region in Nara, and a poll was held every week to determine the most popular mascot for that region. This blog post is a compilation of the official mascots of each city in Nara where we had JETs.

POOL 1

Nara City: Shikamaro-kun (Total votes: 11)

Shikamaro-kun is known for his laid back attitude and kind soul. Apparently he’s been around since the Nara period (710-784 AD), but he hasn’t aged a day! His favorite food is deer senbei and he can be seen lying around Nara Park on sunny days.

Ikoma City: Takemaru-kun (Total votes: 2)

Takemaru-kun wants to make the children of Ikoma as strong as a bamboo stalk! His speedy legs carry him everywhere and all who touch him can receive good health. He’s never caught a cold, so maybe his good health will rub off on you too!

Yamazoe Village: Tenmaru (Total votes: 4)

Tenmaru is a crow tengu from Konoyama. The “maru” in his name refers to his round, “full” body, and also embodies the hope that everyone will feel more “full”-filled and happy from meeting him. While his body may be large, he sports a cute pair of tiny wings on his back.

Koriyama City: Yamato Yukari (Total votes: 0)

Yamato Yukari’s outfit was inspired by Koriyama City’s famous goldfish and hydrangeas. The scoop in her hand isn’t just for scooping goldfishー it’s a magical scoop that can scoop away any troubles you have!

Tenri City: Teku-chan & Rin-chan (Total votes: 2)

Tenri City has two representative mascots. Teku-chan is based off of Yamato Takeru, a legendary prince from the Kojiki and Rin-chan's based off his wife, Oto Tachibana Hime. What a power couple!

Pool winner: Shikamaro-kun ✨

POOL 2

Ikaruga Town: Pagochan (Total votes: 1)

Pagochan’s name comes from the famous pagoda at Horyuji, the world’s oldest wooden structures! It’s cheerful character design pays homage to a famous haiku by Masaoka Shiki: Eat a persimmon / And the bell will toll / At Horyuji (柿食えば　鐘が鳴るなり法隆寺)

Sango Town: Tatsutahime (Total votes: 1)

Sango Town has prospered as a trade route between Osaka and Nara since ancient times. As a result, about 30 poems from the Man’yoshu were written in Sango Town! Many of the poems reference Tatsutayama, a local mountain famous for fall foilage. In fact, some even say the goddess of autumn lives on the mountain! Tatsutahime was inspired by this fun local history.

Oji town: Yukimaru (Total votes: 14)

Yukimaru is Shotoku Taishi’s dead dog that was resurrected to try to instill the will to live into the resident’s of Oji.

Kawai Town: Sunamaru (Total votes: 1)

Sunamaru’s design comes from the Sunakake (Sandspreading) Festival in Kawai. He’s curious, loves people and crowds, and dreams of making all the children in Kawai happy!

Koryo Town: Kaguyachan (Total votes: 7)

It is believed that the story that features Princess Kaguya, The Tale of the Woodcutter (Taketori Monogatari) takes place in Koryo Town and that she was raised close to Sanuki Shrine. She is also a PR character for the town’s famous socks, eggplants, and strawberries.

Pool winner: Yukimaru ✨

POOL 3

Tawaramoto Town: Tawaramoton (Total votes: 9)

Tawaramoton is a cute pig that enjoys eating onigiri, strawberries, and Tawaramoto's local speciality, ajimaimo. It's super optimistic and likes sleeping to build up energy to do it's best promoting Tawaramoto! Sometimes it gives out candy.

Sakurai City: Himiko-chan (Total votes: 5)

Himiko-chan is based off of the legendary shaman queen, Himiko, whose tomb is allegedly located in Sakurai. An eternal 12-year-old that likes games and sweets, Himiko-chan was born with a special power that allows her to evolve like a Pokémon into her final form, Himiko Obaa-chan.

Uda City: Uppi & Yappi (Total votes: 0)

Uppi is a suzuran (also known as "lily of the valley") fairy! Uda City's bird, the uguisu (Japanese bush warbler), nests on it's head. Yappi is based off of the mythical three-legged crow, Yatagarasu, which guided Emperor Jimmu to the land of Yamato.

Soni Village: Sochan & Nichan (Total votes: 1)

So-chan and Ni-chan love flying through the sky's of Soni Village! So-chan's crown comes from of the beautiful mountains around Soni village and Ni-chan's flower was given to her by Nurube no Sennyo, a woman who's legendary parenting skills are recorded in Japan's oldest collection of Buddhist folklore, the Nihon Ryoiki. The snake on Ni-chan's head is based off of a less stellar mother, who was actually a giant snake monster living in one of Soni's lakes (she died in a forest fire a long time ago though so don't worry).

Mitsue Village: Tsuemichan (Total votes: 2)

The "tsu" in Mitsue means staff or cane. It's only natural for their mascot Tsuemi-chan to embrace that characteristic! Not only does she have a magic staff, but her hair is also curled to look like staves too. She uses her magic staff to heal everyone from their worldly woes when they visit Mitsue Village.

Pool winner: Tawaramoton ✨

POOL 4

Kashihara City: Sarara-chan (Total votes: 0)

Sarara-chan's name comes from Empress Jito's given name, Unonosarara. She runs around Fujiwara Palace in Kashihara, where the imperial capital of Japan was between 694 and 710. Her strong personality is represented by her sharp eyes and wings!

Kashiba City: Kasshi (Total votes: 2)

His face is the same shape as the Kashiba city crest idk do better Kashiba why he gotta be looking like a Mario character

Yamato Takada City: Miku-chan (Total votes: 3)

The characters for mirai (未来) can also be read as "miku", so Miku-chan's name represents how she wants to lead Yamato Takada to the future! Her favorite drink is vegetable juice made from the city's top 5 vegetables, kikuna (chrysanthemum), komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), shirona (napa cabbage), spinach, and leek. Fun fact: Miku-chan can play the drums!

Takatori Town: Hiina-chan (Total votes: 2)

Hiina-chan is the mascot for Takatori Town's famous Machiya no Hiina Meguri, an event that takes place every March. Many old houses display their Hiina dolls for Hiina Matsuri, and Hiina-chan is always there to bring a smile to everyone's faces!

Asuka Village: Ataka-chan (Total votes: 8)

Ataka-chan is technically the collective mascot for Asuka Village, Takatori Town, and Kashihara City. The first syllable of each of the towns' names are taken to create Ataka-chan's name! Her shape is also the same as the outline of Asuka's, Takatori's, and Kashihara's boundaries on a map.

Pool winner: Ataka-chan ✨

POOL 5

Gojo City: Go-chan (Total votes: 0)

Go-chan is the head of Gojo’s mascot trio (shout out to the other two mascots, Kakky and Dr. Star). Go-chan’s name not only pays homage to their hometown, but also shows that Go-chan is always “go”-ing forward and towards the future! Their hat features Gojo’s city flower, the bellflower.

Gose City: Gosen-chan (Total votes: 7)

Gosen-chan's hair style is based off of Mt. Katsuragi and Mt. Kongo and is decorated with Gose City's flower, the azalea. The shimenawa rope in her hair is representative of the many shrines in Gose. If you ever meet Gosen-chan, be sure to ask for her to grant one of your wishes!

Oyodo Town: Yodori-chan (Total votes: 1)

Yodori-chan is a pear fairy that ap-pear-ed over 100 years ago and hopes that all the lovely people living in Oyodo pear well. She also wants all visitors to Oyodo to love her town pear-y much and see all of it's wonderful charm! With beautiful rivers and nature on all sides, one may even say that Oyodo is a near pear-fect town.

Yoshino Town: Yoshino Pinkle (Total votes: 3)

Yoshino Town's mascot character is Yoshino Pinkle, a sakura fairy with the first character for Yoshino (吉) on her chest. Be sure to say hi to her if you see her around town!

Higashi Yoshino Town: Hiyoshi-chan (Total votes: 5)

Hiyoshi-chan is based off of the last Japanese wolf in Japan, which was shot and killed in 1905 in Higashi Yoshino Town (why are there multiple dead dog mascots in Nara omg). Its hat is in the shape of Kansai's Matterhorn, Mt. Takami, and the sakura represent the weeping cherry trees at Nanatakiyatsubo Falls and Houzouji Temple. His clothes feature a mushroom and onsen symbol, which are also specialties in Higashi Yoshino Town.

Pool winner: Gosen-chan ✨

POOL 6

Shimoichi Town: Gonta-kun (Total votes: 1)

Part of the famous kabuki play, Yoshitsune Senbonzakura, takes place in Shimoichi Town, and Gonta-kun is named after the 3rd Act's main character! Gonta's character development and tragic demise make him a well-known Kabuki character. In the play, Gonta carries a decapitated head around in a sushi tub. I'm assuming Gonta-kun is hiding one too

Kurotaki Village: Kuro-tan (Total votes: 6)

Kurotaki Village: The Belly Button of Nara. Kuro-tan is based off of Kurotaki's specialty, boar! He has a heart nose that brings good luck to all that touch it and his main personality trait is that once he starts running, he doesn't stop.

Kamikitayama Village: Rae-chan (Total votes: 1)

Not much is known about Rae-chan, but she's a cheerful girl that loves adventure and flying around Kamikitayama Village! Also, she has LINE stamps.

Shimokitayama Village: Zenki-kun (Total votes: 5)

Once upon a time, there was a red oni and a blue oni. They lived in Ikoma. One day, they ran away because the humans were mad at them for eating their babies. They arrived in Shimokitayama Village and met the great En no Gyoja, the founder of the Shugendo religion. He told them that if they repented, they would be saved and turn into humans. They promised they would never eat babies again, and the red oni's descendants still live in Shimokitayama. Zenki-kun pays homage to this tale.

Totsukawa Village: Goushi-kun (Total votes: 1)

The people of Totsukawa have always been known for their proficiency with a bow. In 672, Totsukawa warriors, known as the Totsukawa Goushi, supported Emperor Tenmu during the Jinshin War, and later Tokugawa Ieyasu during the siege of Osaka in 1614. By the end of the Edo period, nearly 200 Totsugawa Goushi regularly took turns guarding the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Goshi-kun was created to honor the Totsugawa Goushi and pass their legend on to future generations.

Pool winner: Kuro-tan ✨

--

Semi-finalists:

Shikamaro-kun (7 votes)

Yukimaru (9 votes)

Tawaramoton (2 votes)

Ataka-chan (0 votes)

Gosen-chan (2 votes)

Kuro-tan (2 votes)

Finals:

Shikamaro-kun (6 votes)

Yukimaru (9 votes)

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

✨Overall winner: Yukimaru✨