Registration for this year¡¯s opens on May 7, with eyes nationwide turning to see which cute and cuddly mascot will snap up the prestigious award in 2018.
Winning the competition carries plenty of weight, something that is perhaps illustrated best by the success of Kumamon, a rotund black bear representing Kumamoto Prefecture who won the contest in 2011. ?
Kumamon has charmed netizens thanks to his , his vaguely , and the fact he .
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