Kumamon

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Kumamon is a mascot created by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan. It was born out of a campaign to attract tourists to the area after the Kyushu Shinkansen line opened in 2010. Kumamon quickly gained popularity nationwide and finished first in a contest of yuru-chara mascots at the end of 2011, with over 280,000 votes cast for it. Following its success in the competition, Kumamoto earned $120 million in merchandising revenue for the first half of 2012, after making only $26 million throughout all of 2011.