On June 30th, Yanmar proudly participated in the Japan Festival in the Netherlands as one of the main sponsors. The annual festival in Amstelveen celebrates Japanese culture with food, music, products, and activities for all ages. As in previous years, it is the perfect platform to highlight our products and company to a large audience in the Netherlands and abroad.
Introducing Yanboh and Marboh
The festival was the first introduction of Yanmar Group’s new corporate mascots, Yanboh and Marboh, in Europe. These characters made their debut in the “Yanboh and Marboh Weather Forecast” on Japanese television in 1959 and have been beloved anime characters in Japan since then.
Yanmar took the opportunity to redesign the 9th generation to inspire older and especially younger crowds to ‘Move Hearts, Move Towards The Future’. In line with Yanmar’s vision of A Sustainable Future, Yanboh and Marboh represent the spirit of tackling new challenges and realising new possibilities together. The new characters will help Yanmar to inspire people to unite and take action for a better tomorrow.
Unique photo experience
The new Yanmar mascots attracted a lot of visitors right from the start of the festival. Our booth featured a specific area decorated with vibrant images of Yanboh and Marboh, along with fun photo props. This interactive element generated great enthusiasm among visitors to take photos and provided an appealing experience for many.
Showcasing innovation with the 90-hp YT490 tractor
Yanmar was part of the COOL JAPAN zone, designed to showcase cutting-edge technology and innovation from Japan. We did this with our 90-hp YT490 tractor, featuring the latest technology such as i-HMT (Vario) transmission that allows for smooth, step-less gear shifting and optimal speeds for any task. The huge, vivid red machine attracted great attention from visitors eager to take photos in or near the tractor as a ‘driver-for-one-day.’
There were long lines for both the tractor and our photo booth. From the moment the festival opened, there was a non-stop queue for at least the first three hours.
Smiles, enthusiasm, and positive feedback
The 2024 edition of the Japan Festival was a tremendous success, thanks to the great atmosphere, ideal weather, and everyone’s enthusiasm. The smiles and positive feedback from visitors were truly rewarding. We are already looking forward to next year’s festival, hoping to see and please more visitors then.
