Japanese mascots - Gunma-chan, this year's Yuru-chara Grand Prix winner

Every year, mascots from all over Japan are competing for the title of the most popular mascot at the Yuru-chara Grand Prix (ゆるキャラグランプリ). Public voting decides the title and, since the number of competitor mascots is huge (this year there were 1700!), it is a really tough competition.

Kumamon, the cheeky Kumamoto mascot that won three years ago, is now famous throughout the country, and you can find in Japan an astonishing variety of Kumamon merchandise and souvenirs.

This year's winner is the adorable pony of the Gunma Prefecture, Gunma-chan, an older contestant who also won the third place in 2012 si 2013. Gunma-chan has a "house" in Ginza, the Gunma General Information Center, where you can find travel information regarding Gunma, and you can learn about the local specialties...