The Kumamon Health Workout DVD Kicks Off Its Overseas Promotion Tour in Taiwan

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Editorial Team

 
Despite the chilly winter weather, the atmosphere on the streets of Taipei was incredibly lively—thanks to the arrival of Kumamon, the wildly popular director of operations from Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan’s Kyushu region. Scores of fans braved the cold, waiting up to eight hours just to be the first overseas buyers—ahead of those in Japan—to snag a limited-edition copy of the "Kumamon 4U Happy Workout DVD + Sports Towel Set." During his visit to Taiwan, Kumamoto's beloved Kumamon personally demonstrated Japan’s hottest fitness trend, the “4U (For You) Happy Exercise,” sharing slimming secrets through four-second exercise moves and encouraging fans around the world to maintain their figures in the most joyful way possible—so they can keep enjoying their favorite Kumamoto delicacies.

Kumamon (Kumamon) was created following the inauguration of the Kyushu Shinkansen railway line in Japan. Appointed as the tourism ambassador of Kumamoto Prefecture in 2010, his irresistibly adorable charm quickly made him a superstar, surpassing 49 other Japanese mascots to win the 2011 Mascot Grand Prix. That same year, he was named Marketing Director of Kumamoto Prefecture. According to a survey by Kumamoto Prefecture, sales of Kumamon merchandise in 2014 grew 1.6 times over the previous year, reaching an impressive total of 64.3 billion yen—with 70% of that revenue generated by businesses within Kumamoto. For visitors to Kumamoto, Kumamon souvenirs are definitely a must-buy item. Overseas sales also hit 176 million yen, exerting a significant positive impact on local economic revitalization.

 2014Year KumMAMKumamon) was appointed as the Happiness Minister of Kumamoto Prefecture. In line with the promotional theme “Kumamon Surprise(Charm of Kumamoto),” the “KumamonExercise” video, featuring140Japanese local mascot characters, garnered130views and was ranked as the “Most Popular Local Character Video in the World.” In March of that year,In March, Kumamon's fan-favorite first full album, loved by both kids and adults—"Let’s Play with Kumamon!"—was released in Japan, along withMAThe debut full album "Play with Kū, Everyone's Favorite!" loved by cute fans, kids, and adults alike,MAwas released in9July, completing a disc accompanied by a lyric picture book with multiple pages ofMApage lyric picture book CD titled “10Kū-themed illustrations,KOROMusic Software – Let’s Play with Kumamon!” which also became a huge hit. Various forms of Kumamon-related publications created a sensational wave.MAand various forms of publications have created a sensation.

In early 2015, reports emerged in Japan that Kumamon (Kumamon) had been caught sneaking Valentine’s Day chocolates and not taking his weight-loss campaign seriously enough—resulting in his demotion from “Marketing Director of Kumamoto Prefecture” to “Acting Marketing Director.” The rather plump Kumamon decided to go on a diet, leading to the creation of a brand-new workout demonstration DVD: "Kumamon 4U Happy Health Workout." By following the rhythm of the music, holding each pose for four seconds, and maintaining a balanced, healthy diet, the routine promises both physical and mental wellness, as well as improved body shape. The video quickly gained massive popularity on YouTube, becoming a new nationwide fitness craze across generations in Japan.