A quick explanation about the giant yellow mascot that was gracing the streets of Yuzawa during the Yukata Matsuri on Saturday night. [You can see him at the bottom of this post...] 2011 was the 100 year anniversary of the introduction of skiing in Japan and that big, cuddly, yellow fellow is the man responsible.
He is Major Theodore von Lerch who came over to try to teach the Japanese army how use skis at a resort in Niigata Prefecture. Apparently he had mixed success and there may have been problems adapting to the deep, Japanese snow. He seems to be fondly remembered though and with Japan's love of big mascots, it is likely that he will be around for much longer.
Just so you know what he was supposed to have looked like...(image from Wikimedia Commons) and he is now fondly known as Reruchi San.
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