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The Lovable Mascot Character of Kyoto |
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The last ten years or so, have seen the appearance of a number of mascot characters (known as "loose mascot characters" in Japan, for their loose and often very cute interpretation of historical images). Some good examples include the "Hikonyan" cat-like character of Shiga Prefecture and the boyish "Sentokun" character of Nara, with a deer-like look and cute horns on his head. While there are several loose mascot characters in Kyoto, the best representative just has to be "Tawawachan," the Kyoto Tower character.
Tawawachan was created in 2004 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the construction of Kyoto Tower. The slender white body, just like the real tower, and the mild, unpretentious face give this character a special charm, similar to that of the traditional stately image of a beautiful Kyoto woman.
Every week on Saturday and Sunday, and on holidays too, Tawawachan appears on the observation deck between 2:10 and 3:20 PM, and she is so popular that she is immediately surrounded by a flock of fans. Even if you can't make it at those times, there is a spot on the 11th floor where you can take your picture with a Tawawachan figure and a signboard where Tawawachan appears, so there are plenty of chances to take commemorative pictures. There are also a variety of souvenirs available on the same floor, such as a medal with a carved seal of Tawawachan for 400 yen, and Tawawachan stuffed toys for 1,500 yen. |
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| Tawawachan (Kyoto Tower character) |
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| The Tawawachan figure on the 11th floor (this floor is sometimes closed when the tower is very crowded) |
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