goo Ranking posed an interesting question, asking its monitor group to select the characters that best represent Japan. The criteria for selection were not clearly stated, but the main aim seems to have been to find the character that is most popular with the average person on the street.

From a foreign perspective, I’d have selected Pikachu and Mario, plus perhaps Godzilla as internationally recognisable symbols of Japan.

Anyway, here’s a whole gang of Doraemons:





Ranking result

Q: What are the representative characters of Japan? (Sample size=500, multiple answer) Rank



Votes

1

Doraemon

186

2

Pikachu

160

3

Mario

145

4

Anpanman

116

5

Hello Kitty

112

6

Son Goku (Dragon Ball)

109

7

Totoro

89

8

Gundam

84

9

Godzilla

83

10=

Sailor Moon

72

10=

Ultraman

72

12

Lupin the Third

69

13

Tetsuwan Atom (Astro Boy)

68

14

Monkey D Luffy (ONE PIECE)

66

15

Edogawa Conan (Detective Conan)

64

16

Hatsune Miku

60

17

Licca-chan (Japan’s Barbie)

48

18

Sasae san

47

19

Momoko Sakura (Chibi Maruko chan)

46

20

Kitaro (Gegege no Kitaro)

41

21

Kumamon

40

22

Funasshi

39

23

Oozora Tsubasa (Captain Tsubasa)

33

24

Rilakkuma

30

25

Rei Ayanami (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

29

26

Hajime Kindaichi

27

27=

Gachapin

25

27=

Peko chan (Fujiya)

25

29=

Arare Norimaki (Dr Slump)

23

29=

Link (Legend of Zelda series)

23

31=

My Melody

21

31=

Ram (Urusei Yatsura)

21

33

Gudetama

20

34

Sonic the Hedgehog

19

35

Mukku

18

36

Tony Tony Chopper (ONE PIECE)

16

37

Jibanyan (Yokai Watch)

15

38=

Cutie Honey

11

38=

Peanuts Kyoro chan

11

40

Monchhichi

8



Demographics

goo Rankings asked iBRIDGE’s Research Plus to conduct this survey, where between the 10th and 12th of January 2018 500 members, 50:50 male and female and aged between 20 and 39 years old, of their monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. No further demographics were given.