Regional mascots are common in Japan, are often used to attract tourists, and even appear in unlikely locations such as drain covers . Kumamon has always been a successful money-spinner, but the bear's earning power has soared in the past five years. The Asahi Shimbun says sales of Kumamon products earned 2.5bn yen in 2011, but by 2014 that figure stood at more than 64bn yen.