Kumamoto's Bear Mascot Spurs Twitter Traffic After Japan Quakes
- Local official mascot ceases Twitter updates after quake
- Japanese locals have taken to social media for quake updates
Kumamon.
Photographer: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
A teddy bear mascot that went missing in the wake of large earthquakes in southern Japan has spurred concern on social media for its safety as well as criticism for the local government’s failure to use the furry animal’s network to share information.
Kumamon, the official mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, is a round-faced bear about 1.5 meters tall that is tasked with promoting tourism and local products. The bear has more than 460,000 followers on its official Twitter feed. It hasn’t sent a tweet since April 14, when it said it was looking forward to the 2019 Rugby World Cup. That night a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the region.