In pictures: The cuddly characters that are taking Japan by storm

Japan’s all-time favorite: Doraemon, a blue, robotic cat from the 22nd century, began life as a manga character in 1969. It has a four-dimensional pocket in its stomach with a seemingly endless supply of items to help its friends. Among the items are m are a time machine” and an “anywhere door” that allows them to travel wherever and to any time period they wish. Junko Kimura / Getty Images

The cat that’s not: Created 40 years ago, Hello Kitty is made up of just a few simple strokes: two dots for eyes, a tiny circle for a nose, and no mouth. In contrast to expressive American characters such as Mickey Mouse and Garfield, Hello Kitty doesn’t show emotion, and the simplicity has attracted fans – from children to street-fashion devotees. A recent n article in the Los Angeles Times last week created an internet firestorm when it explained that according to its creators, Hello Kitty the character is not a cat. Apparently, despite her catlike ears and whiskers, she is a “cheerful girl with a gentle heart,” according to the official website of her theme park, Sanrio Puroland. Born Kitty White in the suburbs of London, she weighs the same as three apples, enjoys baking cookies and dreams about becoming a poet or pianist. The Asahi Shimbun / Getty Images

Not a bear but a pear: A hyperactive Asian pear from the city of Funabashi, outside of Tokyo, has taken Japan by storm in the past year. Funassyi – a combination of Funabashi and the Japanese word for pear – is an exception to Japan’s more typically laid-back characters. In a bright yellow, stretchy bodysuit, the pear-fairy jumps up and down frantically and talks in a rapid-fire, high-pitched voice, shouting “nashi!” (pear) at the end of each sentence. Funassyi is not an authorised city mascot, but is the creation of an entertainer from Funabashi. Its popularity exploded after a tea commercial last year. Funassyi appears regularly on TV and is releasing a CD. The character reportedly earned 200 million yen (Dh7.3m million $2 million) last year. Yuya Shino / Reuters

A stress-relieving bear: Rilakkuma, the “relaxing bear”, is usually seen lounging on a yellow bean bag, sometimes nibbling on snacks, demonstrating the ultimate stress-free lifestyle. The roommate of a 25-year-old female office worker, Rilakkuma’s gentle advice – such as “sleep and reset” and “let’s worry when that happens” – have been collected in a series of popular books, serving as remedies for the stressed-out Japanese. Created by San-X, a Tokyo-based character-orientated stationary and gift company, Rilakkuma has raked in more than 10 billion yen (Dh367m $100 million) from stationary, clothing and book sales since its 2003 debut. iStockphoto.com

A lovable bear that’s free: The goofy black bear Kumamon is perhaps the most successful of the new characters that seek to promote specific areas in Japan. Its name refers to is the word for a native of Kumamoto, a prefecture in southern Japan, and the character was introduced on March 12, 2010, the day Japan’s high-speed bullet train entered full service in the south. The prefecture doesn’t charge a licensing fee to use Kumamon’s simple image and experts say that has been a key to its success. As its the popularity grew, more and more companies wanted to cash in. Today it appears not only on Kumamoto souvenirs, but also on innumerable products such as including instant cup noodles, snacks and cosmetics. Toshifumi Kitamura / AFP photo

The next big thing? Japan’s latest sensation, Youkai Watch, started out as a video game and hit the big time in January with the launch of a televisioncartoon. The story centres on teenage protagonists and their encounters with more than 250 characters, including the popular twin-tail cat Jibanyan and a floating spirit called Whisper. Children collect special coins to call up their favourite characters on arcade-game machines. Many of the coins have sold out and children and their parents recently waited for hours in long lines outside stores when new coins and related toys went on sale last month. Yoshikazu Tsuno / AFP photo

Hello Kitty – who many people were baffled to learn recently is not a cat but a little girl – may be the queen of Japan’s cute characters, but she’s hardly the only one.

There are thousands of others and they are ubiquitous. The long-time favourite Doraemon (who really is a cat) has a daily quiz in a national newspaper. The little Pokemon monster Pikachu hosted a theme cafe in Tokyo this summer, while the stress-relieving Rilakkuma (“relaxed bear”) dangles from the schoolbags of teenage girls.

Such characters are not only for children in Japan, but are an important part of business and social lives.

Some see Japan’s cute-craze, known as “kawaii,” as a sign of immaturity, but others say it’s rooted in a harmony-centred way of life that goes back to ancient animist traditions.

The Japanese used to worship many gods, and portrayed ghosts as comical characters. In what is seen as the origin of Japanese manga, a style of comic books, a set of 12th-century scroll paintings humorously portray frogs, rabbits and other animals performing human activities – from sumo wrestling to worshipping.

Hello Kitty and Doraemon now face hordes of newcomers, many launched by municipal governments to promote tourism and local products. Regular “character summits” choose a national favourite. The market was worth 2.3 trillion yen (Dh84.48 billion)) last year, according to the think tank Yano Research Institute.

Here are a few that have risen above the crowd: