![[10:30 a.m., Nov. 18] Gallantly persevering while wiping away the raindrops.](/cip/english/news/2017/enjsp30000007l02-img/enjsp30000007l1u.jpg)
[10:30 a.m., Nov. 18] Gallantly persevering while wiping away the raindrops.
![[12:15 p.m., Nov. 18] Meijiro takes up the challenge in the jump-rope championships! Meijiro entered the division for jumping rope alone, but ended up with zero jumps because the rope immediately got caught on its head...](/cip/english/news/2017/enjsp30000007l02-img/enjsp30000007l1y.jpg)
[12:15 p.m., Nov. 18] Meijiro takes up the challenge in the jump-rope championships! Meijiro entered the division for jumping rope alone, but ended up with zero jumps because the rope immediately got caught on its head...
![[12:20 p.m., Nov. 18] A succeeding attempt in the 1-minute big jump-rope event. Meijiro stunned the crowd with its ability to jump much better than anyone expected judging from the way it looks. It scored 16 jumps!](/cip/english/news/2017/enjsp30000007l02-img/enjsp30000007l2k.jpg)
[12:20 p.m., Nov. 18] A succeeding attempt in the 1-minute big jump-rope event. Meijiro stunned the crowd with its ability to jump much better than anyone expected judging from the way it looks. It scored 16 jumps!
![[1:25 p.m., Nov. 18] Appearance together with Fukuro, another owl-inspired character from Iwate Prefecture!](/cip/english/news/2017/enjsp30000007l02-img/enjsp30000007l2o.jpg)
[1:25 p.m., Nov. 18] Appearance together with Fukuro, another owl-inspired character from Iwate Prefecture!
![[2:20 p.m., Nov. 18] Konyudo-kun, whose tongue lengthens when pulled.](/cip/english/news/2017/enjsp30000007l02-img/enjsp30000007l2s.jpg)
[2:20 p.m., Nov. 18] Konyudo-kun, whose tongue lengthens when pulled.
![[10:00 a.m., Nov. 19] PR appearance on the stage. Meijiro only had 2 minutes to do as much promoting as possible.](/cip/english/news/2017/enjsp30000007l02-img/enjsp30000007l2w.jpg)
[10:00 a.m., Nov. 19] PR appearance on the stage. Meijiro only had 2 minutes to do as much promoting as possible.
![[3:00 p.m., Nov. 19] Meijiro's first-ever autographing session! Meijiro signed a caricature of itself on Meijiro goods and handed them directly to autograph seekers.](/cip/english/news/2017/enjsp30000007l02-img/enjsp30000007l30.jpg)
[3:00 p.m., Nov. 19] Meijiro's first-ever autographing session! Meijiro signed a caricature of itself on Meijiro goods and handed them directly to autograph seekers.
The results of this year’s installment of the Yuru-Chara Grand Prix 2017 contest, were announced at the contest event site at Nagashima Resort in the city of Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, on November 19. Meijiro, the official mascot of Meiji University, had entered the national mascot character contest for the first time, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of its birth. Of the total of 681 entries in the category of local characters, Meijiro placed very high, at 31st! It also ranked 1st in the local category among entries from Tokyo.
The contest was based on the number of points scored in voting through the Internet from August 1 to November 10. Votes were also casted at the event site at Nagashima Resort on November 18 and 19, and final rankings were determined by totaling the points for each entry. Over this two-day period, Meijiro visited the event site at Mie Prefecture to make a “final appeal.” It introduced itself on stage, went around the site greeting the visitors, and otherwise did the best it could to promote itself.
A big “thank you” to all the people who voted for Meijiro on the Internet, gave Meijiro words of support at various events, and were rooting for Meijiro in the contest!
Have fun looking at the photos of Meijiro running around the event site to make a “final appeal” in its first long-distance trip!
