[1] Popular yuru-chara include Kumamon, Funassyi, and Chiitan, who have gained international recognition and have reached celebrity status in Japan.
The adjective yurui (緩い) generally means "loose", but in this application it has a number of connotations including "gentle" or "weak",[3] "laid-back",[1] light-hearted or "unimportant".
The term was coined by illustrator and cultural critic Jun Miura [ja] in the early 2000s, and despite the negative connotations the title has been embraced by fans and promoters.
[8] These characteristics generally add to their appeal,[4] but occasionally can cause the opposite reaction: The unveiling of Sento-kun in 2008 created a lot of negative publicity, since he was regarded as "ugly" and even "blasphemous".
[2] Chiitan, an unofficial mascot for Susaki, Kōchi Prefecture, became popular due to its chaotic and often violent behavior, which generated significant controversy.
[12] 2010 saw the start of the Yuru-chara Grand Prix (ゆるキャラグランプリ, yuru kyara guranpuri), an annual event where the most popular mascot is determined by public voting.
[13][14] In 2023, the event was rebranded to Yuruverse (ゆるバース, yurubāsu) and a partnership was announced with Spiral.AI, a generative artificial intelligence company, with plans to "enable voice-communication in the metaverse" and for mascots to engage with audiences as VTubers.
Some exceptions include Funassyi[1] and Chicchai Ossan (ちっちゃいおっさん, small middle-aged man) who do talk in character,[21] but neither are officially affiliated with any local government.
These typically include stuffed toys, keychains, sticker sets for Line (a popular instant messaging system in Japan) and stationery.