The official "office" of Kumamon, the rosy-cheeked black bear who is Kumamoto Prefecture's marketing mascot and has, improbably, become one of the most successful place-branding exercises in Japan. Kumamon Square in the Tsuruya building hosts live appearances by the bear at set times most days, sells exclusive Kumamon merchandise, and has a small free play area for children.
Show-times are posted on the prefectural tourism website. Touristic to its core, but the live appearances are genuinely funny — Kumamon is mute and communicates entirely through dance.