Video of Kumamon on vacation soaking in a hot spring goes viral; netizens: He really went in!

▲ Kumamon the Minister took a hot spring break on his day off... He really went in!(Image / screenshot from YouTube, same below)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan boasts 118 hot spring spots, making it one of the hot spring paradises of Kyushu. RecentlyKumamon promoted the prefecture’s hot springs and four hot spring etiquette rules by literally “taking the plunge”—visiting Aso Naike Onsen to soak with elderly locals, even giving them back rubs and massages. Once the video was released, it quickly went viral among netizens: “He really went in!”

▲ This is definitely not a CG effect—The Minister really took a bath!

The promotional video “Kumamon the Minister’s Day Off” has recently gone viral online. In it, the minister waddles into an open-air hot spring and is about to step into the pool when he is stopped twice by an elderly person patting his back, reminding Kumamonto wash his body before entering the hot spring and not to bring the towel into the bath. Eventually, he also gets into the hot spring to soak with the elderly person, enjoying the boundless scenery of Aso. To convince viewers that Kumamon really did go in, the video includes a subtitle at the bottom: “No CG was used—he really went in.”

▲ Before returning to the changing room, dry your whole body—Kumamon even gives the elderly person a back rub.

Of course, there are more than just the two hot spring etiquette points mentioned above. Reminded by the elderly person, Kumamon realizesthat you should dry your body before returning to the changing room. He then starts helping the elderly person with back rubs, and once back in the changing room, gives the elderly person a massage. But Kumamon is so large that drying off is quite the task—the normal-sized hair dryer looks super tiny in his hands, so in the end, a fan is used to dry his fluffy body.

▲ The normal-sized hair dryer instantly looks super tiny in Kumamon’s hands.

The release of this short skit video has many netizens exclaiming: “He really went in!” “The people in it must have worked hard,” “It must be tough to get up in a soaked mascot suit,” “The Minister really is limitless!”

The four hot spring etiquette rules Kumamon wants to share:

1. Wash your body before entering the hot spring
2. Do not splash water around while washing
3. Do not bring your towel into the hot spring
4. Dry your body before returning to the changing room

%The video was originally uploaded to YouTube (if deleted, please understand)

%The video was uploaded to YouTube—if it gets taken down, please understand.