Pikarya cookie launched
November 5, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
On November 1, the mascot character cookie called Pikarya, designed to look like the Iriomote yamaneko (wildcat), was launched. The town hopes that it will become a new souvenir.
Yuru-Kyara is an original mascot character used to advertise products or places.
Pikarya has been popular in Taketomi performing his special moya (kachashi dance) at local events. Pikarya will also participate in the Yuru-Kyara (mascot character) grand prix 2012 and compete with other mascot characters from across Japan.
The cookie is released as the fourth Pikarya product following the Pikarya mobile phone strap, badge, and facecloth.
The Town Tourist Association and Yaeyama-Nanpudo cookie shop collaborated to produce the cookie. The face and body of Pikarya are printed on the butter-flavored cookie.
It costs 1050 yen, inclusive of tax, for a box of twenty-four cookies. It is only available in souvenir stores in Ishigaki, Taketomi, and other Yaeyama Islands.
Producing the Pikarya cookie will help to lift people in Japan and to promote Taketomi. Mayor Eicho Kawamitsu commented, “The cookie tastes great, but the task at hand is how to market it. From our standpoint, we really hope that it will become one of the town’s symbolic souvenirs.
(English translation by T&CT, Hitomi Shinzato and Mark Ealey)
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