NARA -- A white dog owned by an ancient prince was the inspiration for the mascot character Yukimaru, now the face of Oji, Nara Prefecture. The character has attracted attention thanks to new technology that lets him talk and fly.
The Oji town government hopes this year will be the "year of Yukimaru," as 2018 is also the Year of the Dog in the 12-year Chinese zodiac calendar. It hopes to raise his profile to a level comparable to that of Hachiko, the famously loyal dog memorialized by a statue in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Prince Shotoku (574-622) owned a dog named Yukimaru, which according to legend could understand human speech and read Buddhist scriptures. A statue of the dog stands on the premises of Oji's Darumaji temple, which is known for its connections to Prince Shotoku, one of the first proponents of Buddhism in Japan and a regent.
Yukimaru the mascot was born in 2013. He wears an eboshi cap and carries in his paw a shaku baton, items that were fashionable for aristocrats in ancient Japan. The canine character placed 11th in the 2014 Yurukyara Grand Prix, an annual popularity contest of characters representing local governments and other entities. The character inspired the creation of more than 50 kinds of stuffed toys and other merchandise featuring his likeness.
In February last year, Yukimaru was converted into a drone in which his four paws move to look as if he's walking in the sky. A YouTube video of the drone won praise from many viewers, who said he was "super cool" or "cute," and was translated into English, Chinese, Spanish and other languages. The video has been played more than 200,000 times.
Last summer, Knowledge Capital, an art facility in the Grand Front Osaka commercial complex in Osaka, launched a service in which visitors can operate the drone in virtual reality as a screen projects illustrations and images of Oji tourist locations.
"The drone moves left and right. It's fun, like a game," said Yuichi Sasaki, a 25-year-old company employee from Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture. "I'd also like to visit Oji."
Also on display at the facility is a talking robot shaped like Yukimaru, a function inspired by the ancient dog's legendary ability to understand language. Designed for school libraries, the robot can say, "You have borrowed the book," when students scan their book. The robot can also call children by name and speak like a teacher, offering such comments as, "This book is featured in the textbook" or "Don't just take out manga."
"It's so cute, I'd want to go to the school library every day," said Mutsumi Tanaka, 10, an elementary school student from Osaka.
The town government plans to introduce the Yukimaru robot to the town library and three elementary schools, while also considering the introduction of an official "Yukimaru examination" to test people's knowledge of Prince Shotoku.
Yukimaru paw prints can be seen along a roughly 1-kilometer route that guides visitors from JR Oji Station to Darumaji temple. A 1.8-meter-tall representation of the original Yukimaru stands at the station for visitors to take photos with. Its decorations change every month, with noshi paper ornaments put up this month to celebrate the New Year.
In addition to the statue of the original, the temple added one of the Yukimaru character in December. Starting this month, the temple offers visitors a goshuin set of stamp marks and signatures featuring the character.
"We hope the character breaks through this year ahead of 2021, when we will mark 1,400 years since the death of Prince Shotoku [under the Buddhist calculation method]," a town official said.
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