Hello Kitty, whom many learned last week is a girl and not a cat, may be the queen of Japan's cute characters, but she's hardly the only one.
There are thousands, and they are ubiquitous: Long-time favourite Doraemon (who really is a cat) has a daily quiz in a national newspaper.
Little monster Pikachu hosted a theme cafe in Tokyo this summer. Stress-relieving Rilakkuma ("relaxed bear") dangles from teenage girls' school bags.
Characters are not just for kids in Japan, but a part of business and social life. 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.
Japanese used to worship many gods, and portrayed ghosts as comical characters. In what is seen as the origin of Japanese manga, or comics, a set of 12th-century scroll paintings humorously portray frogs, rabbits and other animals in human activities, from sumo wrestling to temple 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 reached USD 23 billion last year, according to think tank Yano Research Institute Ltd.
