Popular West Japan local mascot Shinjo-kun receives 1,568 New Year's greeting cards
(Mainichi Japan)
SUSAKI, Kochi -- Shinjo-kun, a popular local mascot of this western Japan city, had received 1,568 New Year's greeting cards as of Jan. 15.
The items were on display at the city's general health and welfare center on Jan. 15, and Shinjo-kun expressed his happiness about receiving them.
The cards were mailed from the United States, Taiwan, France and the U.K., in addition to all 47 prefectures in Japan. While many cards carried illustrations of Shinjo-kun, some were in the motif of the popular manga "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba." Shinjo-kun, wearing a cow-patterned costume made by a fan as 2021 is the Chinese zodiac year of the cow, read all the cards.
Shinjo-kun plans to reply to all the greeting cards and excitedly said, "I'm very happy to have received so many cards. I will eat well, sleep well and live long."
(Japanese original by Yuka Matsubara, Kochi Bureau)
