A CLUMSY bear mascot for a remote Japanese farming region has rocketed to superstar fame and notched up an unlikely marketing triumph in a nation obsessed with all things cute.

    The life-sized Kumamon and his now nationally ubiquitous image — red cheeks and doughy physique — are found on everything from pastries and keychains to aircraft and purses.

    The black bear has rung up a commercial fortune for his rural birthplace, and become a marketing phenomenon.

    The craze has delighted officials from his home in Kumamoto, a prefecture in the far south which barely registers with many Japanese.

    “Kumamoto’s prominence has definitely increased in the eyes of the public,” said Masataka Naruo, brand officer for the local government. The rise of Kumamon — who has more than 300,000 followers on Twitter — is all the more striking given the ferocious competition among mascots, known as yuru-kyara (laid-back characters).

    In just two years, Kumamon has generated US$1.2 billion in economic benefits for his region, including tourism and product sales, as well as US$90 million worth of publicity, according to a recent Bank of Japan study.

    “Kumamon’s true role is to be a medium for boosting Kumamoto’s brand image,” said Shogo Toyota from Osaka’s Research Institute for Culture, Energy and Life. (SD-Agencies)