Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2013

Becky Hainer was our cover girl for our 1028 issue, full of yurukyara and good cheer. She provided her very own Kumamon mask for the purpose, as well as a sprinkling of charm, wit and good looks (behind the mask).

How did you first get to know about Kumamon?
I was first graced with Kumamon’s presence when I arrived in Kumamoto in 2011 for my first job in Japan. I didn’t understand what mascots represented to a city, but I quickly realized how much of an influence he was. I first thought it was a random naked bear, but I never made that initial connection of 熊 “kuma” to 熊本 “Kumamoto” to Kumamon until about a month into my stay. Kumamon is the Elvis of Kumamoto, obaachans run faster than they do trying to grab a seat on the train just to touch him, little girls scream whenever he passes the streets or goes grocery shopping, and I think its mandatory for every resident of Kumamoto to learn the Kumamon dance when registering at City Hall.

What is it you find appealing about him?
He’s so simple! He’s your average cookie cutter shape with those cherry red cheeks and a welcoming smile. One can’t really tell if he’s brain dead or genuinely happy.

Give us the goods—how much Kumamon stuff do you have at home?
I have an assortment of kick-knacks: magnets, placemats, totes, cookies, holy water, uchiwa, and folders. Most of the items came from my friends or work as Christmas and birthday gifts. The best Kumamon trinket I have is a towel my husband won for me from an UFO machine. It’s just of his face, but I love it.

Any other yurukyara you like?
Manbe-kun, only because it literally looks as if the designer him gave up on their career and due to the irony of it all (if any), I think its genius. I mean what exactly is it? A baby dressed up as a crab? A crab that partially finished eating its human dinner? Is it a six-pack crab baby? It keeps you guessing what exactly is its purpose, just like the Kardashians.

On to other things… what’s your favorite place in Tokyo and why?
Hands down, it would have to be Shibuya. You can find just about everything there. Finding my zen isn’t about taking walks down Meguro River or playing Hacky Sack in Yoyogi park with the renkei crowd; its walking through the busy streets of Shibuya, picking up some sweet paper goods at Loft, grabbing Pho at your favorite restaurant and surrounding yourself with good vibes. Shibuya does that to me.

Anything else?
Just wanted to say thanks for having me as your cover girl, it’s the first time ever given professional lighting and direction to make me look good. I usually rely on the filters of Instagram to make that happen.

You can follow Becky’s adventures on Instagram: @beckybologna