The wildly successful and popular Yuru-kyara Matsuri or Mascot Character Festival will be held again in Hikone this year during Oct. 23-25, 2009. The main days will be on the 24th and 25th when 136 mascots from all over Japan will be walking around Yume-Kyobashi Castle Road as they did last year. But this year, there will be three times more characters than last year. Google Map

On the first day the 23rd, all the mascots will gather at Hikone-shi Bunka Plaza for an event. Boy, it sounds like it will be very crowded. Last year, 46,000 people came during the two days of the festival.

Looks like this will become another major annual festival in Hikone. Thanks to Hiko-nyan’s fame and hosting of this event.

See photos of last year’s festival: https://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=584

Official site: http://kigurumi.shiga-saku.net/