The Japanese honourific kun 「くん」 is often added to younger male names by a more senior or older person. When working in a Japanese junior high school, I always heard teachers adding this to the young boys’ names, like Yuki-kun. In some circumstances it can also be seen as a term of endearment for famous animals, like Pan-kun the chimpanzee or Goro-kun the corgi.

Ueno Panda Beer
うえのパンダビール

DMC-LX3 (5.1mm, f/2, 1/30 sec, ISO160)
Ueno Panda Beer

If an animal is well known in Japan and has the suffix kun added to their name, chances are high that a huge range of merchandise is available showcasing the cute character. While it’s typical to find things like phone straps and towels, it was surprising to find a characterised beer.

But I didn’t get this from Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, rather I found it at the local bottle shop near my apartment in Toyota city. It even came with a set of free stickers.

The beer was average, nothing special but not terrible.