Hajime Anzai: My Loose Character

The cutesy characters known as yuru-kyara have become an integral part of Japanese popular culture, with last year seeing the meteoric rise of regional mascots like Kumamoto's 'Kumamon' and the controversial 'Funasshi' of Chiba's Funabashi. Veteran artist Hajime Anzai was drawing 'kyaras' long before the current craze though, and this exhibition lays out some of his work, chosen from a selection of over 500 different characters. Visitors can also purchase merchandise like drawings, t-shirts, and edited volumes of the artist's work during the exhibition period.