Latest news with #Yu-kun
News18
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Dad Spends Rs 6 Crore To Show Off Son's ‘Adorable' Pics, He Calls It ‘Embarrassing'
Last Updated: Yu-kun's father, who runs a real estate company in Tokyo, launched what may be the most elaborate parental tribute in modern marketing history. In a corner of Japan's Tokyo, the face of a 16-year-old boy is more recognisable than any local politician or pop idol. His image beams down from footbridges, goes by on buses, and greets commuters at convenience stores. This isn't a case of early stardom or teenage fame. It is the result of one father's very public, very expensive and slightly awkward declaration of love. Meet Yu-kun, now known across the Adachi area as 'The Landmark Kid." Yu-kun's father, who runs a real estate company in Tokyo, launched what may be the most elaborate parental tribute in modern marketing history. He spent 100 million yen (almost Rs 6 crore) to display his son's childhood photos across the city. 'My son was just too adorable when he was little. I thought all of Tokyo should know," he told The South China Morning Post. And Tokyo certainly does. The streets are now dotted with over 10 different versions of advertisements featuring Yu-kun's baby faces. They range from cute grins to full-on toddler meltdowns. The most iconic one is a two-metre-tall poster of Yu-kun crying, face contorted in shock and tears, after being startled by a street performer. It is placed right at the entrance of an underground station, making sure thousands see it daily. While his father is clearly proud, the teenage boy is a little less enthusiastic. 'I do not like it. I really do not," Yu-kun said. 'If you really think I am that cute, why not just transfer that 100 million yen into my bank account?" His frustration is understandable. Yu-kun never signed up for this level of exposure. He is not a child model or a celebrity, but only the son of a man who thought his kid was too cute. 'People might not recognise my baby photos, but now that I am older, it is just embarrassing," Yu-kun added. The campaign started with his father collecting funny and sweet pictures of his son since early childhood. Over time, that private collection morphed into a public campaign. He decided the best way to celebrate his son's cuteness and promote his real estate business was to merge the two. Yu-kun's photos now share space with slogans and logos promoting his father's company. His father continues to commission professional photographers to take new portraits of his son, intending to use them for upcoming property launches.
NDTV
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Japanese Man Spends Rs 5.8 Crore On Ads To Flaunt Son's Cuteness, Teen Calls It "Embarrassing"
A Japanese father is making headlines for spending 100 million yen (approximately Rs 5.8 crore) to get his young son's photos plastered all over Tokyo. According to the South China Morning Post, the boy, known as Yu-kun, is well-known in the Adachi area of Tokyo and has been lovingly dubbed "the Landmark Kid" by residents. His smiling pictures are plastered everywhere, from footbridge banners to city buses to parking signs. His image even appears in convenience store windows. Yu-Kun's father, a real estate company owner, puts the ads up because, according to him, his son is "absolutely adorable," and the entire city deserves to see that. "My son was just too adorable when he was little. I thought, all of Tokyo should know," his father said, as per SCMP. The ad campaign features Yu-Kon's funniest childhood pictures. One hilarious ad shows him bawling his eyes out after a street performer startled him. This embarrassing photo is now a two-meter-tall advertisement, displayed at the entrance of an underground station. The father keeps updating the campaign with new pictures of his son. He asks photographers to take new "cute" shots of his son and even plans to feature recent pictures to promote new real estate projects. However, Yu-Kun, now aged 16, is not happy seeing his childhood pictures plastered all over the city. "I do not like it. I really do not," he said, adding, "If you really think I am that cute, why not just transfer that 100 million yen into my bank account?" "People might not recognise my baby photos, but now that I am older, it is just embarrassing," he said. The story has gone viral on social media, especially in China. Reacting to it, one user wrote, "As the old Chinese proverb goes, 'A father's love is like a mountain,' but this Japanese dad's love is a bit too heavy, on billboards!" "Parental love is often free, yet it can come at a high cost. Chinese parents are known for hiding their love, but it seems some Japanese parents go as far as plastering their child's face all over the city," commented another.
Hindustan Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Father spends ₹5.8 crore on ads to show off son's ‘cuteness', teen unhappy: ‘Why not transfer that to my bank'
A Japanese father has stunned the world by spending $700,000 to get his son's 'cute' photos plastered all over Tokyo, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Over the years, the dad, a real estate company owner, has placed several ads featuring childhood pictures of his son. The boy, famous as Yu-kun and dubbed 'The Landmark Kid,' has his childhood pictures everywhere, from footbridge banners to city buses to parking signs. His dad puts the ads up because, according to him, his son is 'absolutely adorable,' and the entire city deserves to see that. According to the outlet, the ad campaigns show full-blown pictures of Yu-Kun making funny faces. One picture also shows him crying after watching a street performance. 'My son was just too adorable when he was little. I thought, all of Tokyo should know,' his father told the outlet. Now 16 years old, the teen is not too happy seeing his childhood photos plastered all over the city. 'I do not like it. I really do not,' he said. He added, 'If you really think I am that cute, why not just transfer that 100 million yen into my bank account?' 'People might not recognise my baby photos, but now that I am older, it is just embarrassing,' he continued. According to the outlet, a Chinese social media user who saw this viral story from Japan wrote, 'As the old Chinese proverb goes, 'A father's love is like a mountain,' but this Japanese dad's love is a bit too heavy, on billboards!' Another added, 'Parental love is often free, yet it can come at a high cost. Chinese parents are known for hiding their love, but it seems some Japanese parents go as far as plastering their child's face all over the city.'
Mint
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Father spends $700K to show his love for son, prints billboard ads: Teenage kid snaps back, ‘If I am that cute…'
Talk about proud parenting! A Japanese dad is making major headlines after blowing a whopping $700,000 (100 million yen) on ads featuring his young son all over Tokyo's Adachi district. The kid, lovingly nicknamed 'The Landmark Kid', is now a full-blown neighborhood icon. From footbridges to buses, even convenience stores, Yu-kun's adorable face is impossible to miss. The boy's wild, funny, and sometimes downright embarrassing expressions are plastered everywhere. One hilarious ad shows him bawling his eyes out after a street performer startled him. That crying-face photo is now a 6-foot-tall billboard outside a subway station. Locals love him, tourists snap pictures, and the dad is not stopping anytime soon. He runs a real estate business and keeps updating the campaign with new pictures of his son. This isn't just advertising. It's a father's way of turning his kid into a Tokyo legend. He regularly asks photographers to take new 'cute' shots of his son and even plans to feature recent photos to promote new real estate projects. However, The Landmark Kid is now 16. And, he is totally over it. 'I do not like it. I really do not. If you really think I am that cute, why not just transfer that 100 million yen into my bank account?' the South China Morning Post quoted him as saying. 'People might not recognise my baby photos, but now that I am older, it is just embarrassing,' he added. When he was a toddler, his dad turned him into a walking (or crying) ad campaign. But, now, Yu-kun is super embarrassed. The story has gone viral, especially in China, where netizens joked, 'As the old Chinese proverb goes, 'A father's love is like a mountain,' but this Japanese dad's love is a bit too heavy, on billboards!' While Chinese parents are known for hiding their love. This Japanese dad printed his emotions everywhere. The United States of America will celebrate Father's Day 2025 on June 15. Ahead of the celebration, this story is a great example of a father's love. Some may assume that the teenage son does not realise the value now; he will get it when older. Some may also argue about how much is too much.
South China Morning Post
09-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
‘Landmark kid': Japan dad spends US$700,000 to advertise son's photos to share cuteness
A Japanese father who runs a real estate company has gone viral for spending 100 million yen (US$700,000) to plaster advertisements bearing his son's photos on footbridges, buses and convenience stores. The boy, who is known as Yu-kun, is well known in the Adachi area of Tokyo and has been affectionately dubbed 'The Landmark Kid' by local residents. His smiling image is everywhere, from massive footbridge banners and parking signs to city buses. One of the huge adverts featuring an image of Yu-kun as a young boy. Photo: His image even appears in convenience store windows. Yu-kun is not a child star, a model or a prodigy, he is simply the son of a real estate company owner who thought his child was so adorable that the entire city deserved to see him. 'My son was just too adorable when he was little. I thought, all of Tokyo should know,' his father said. To make that happen he turned his son's funniest childhood photos into a full-blown advertising campaign, creating more than 10 different versions in total. To date, he has spent nearly 100 million yen on the advertisements.
