According to a survey conducted by the Nippon Research Center from October to November 2020, Kumamon was the most popular character among people in Japan, receiving votes from 40 percent of the respondents. Kumamon was created in 2010 as a mascot for Kumamoto Prefecture. It was followed in popularity by Totoro, the eponymous figure of Hayao Miyazaki's animation movie My Neighbor Totoro, released to Japanese cinemas in 1988.
Most popular fictional characters in Japan as of November 2020
area and city size as well as gender and age were sampled to reflect the Japanese population; multiple answers possible
Method of interview
Questionnaire
Supplementary notes
The respondents were able to choose among 84 different fictional characters of the following types: local characters, company characters, manga and animation characters, game characters, popular Japanese fictional characters, and popular international fictional characters.
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NRC. (December 17, 2020). Most popular fictional characters in Japan as of November 2020 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 19, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/811679/japan-favorite-fictional-characters/
NRC. "Most popular fictional characters in Japan as of November 2020." Chart. December 17, 2020. Statista. Accessed May 19, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/811679/japan-favorite-fictional-characters/
NRC. (2020). Most popular fictional characters in Japan as of November 2020. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 19, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/811679/japan-favorite-fictional-characters/
NRC. "Most Popular Fictional Characters in Japan as of November 2020." Statista, Statista Inc., 17 Dec 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/811679/japan-favorite-fictional-characters/
NRC, Most popular fictional characters in Japan as of November 2020 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/811679/japan-favorite-fictional-characters/ (last visited May 19, 2022)
