We would like to report that Chiba Jets (Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture) has mutually agreed to terminate the contract with its official mascot character, "Jumbo-kun," as of April 1, 2026.

Furthermore, it has been decided that Jumbo-kun will be appointed King of "Ichihara Elephant Kingdom" (Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture).

Since the team's establishment in 2011, Jumbo-kun has not only energized the arena with his adorable dances and passionate cheers, but has also captivated boosters both in real-life communication and on digital platforms such as SNS, as an invincible 5-year-old who skillfully wields "coolness" and "cuteness." For 15 years, he has contributed more than anyone to the growth of Chiba Jets. Although Jumbo-kun is indispensable to Chiba Jets, he began to feel that to achieve his new dream of "becoming the world's best elephant," he "should live as a leader among elephants in a world closer to animals." At the same time, he received an offer to become king from "Ichihara Elephant Kingdom," which is also his roots. After much deliberation, he made a request for contract termination around mid-March, stating that "if I'm going to be king, I can't do it halfway or juggle multiple jobs!"

The team, paying utmost respect to the fact that "he is an ordinary elephant before he is a team mascot...", prioritized his "career advancement as an elephant." Although it is an unusual timing at the end of the season, the contract termination was reached.

We would be delighted if everyone would cheer on Jumbo-kun's new challenge.

#AprilFools

*Regarding the "B.LEAGUE Mascot of the Year 2025-26" currently underway, Jumbo-kun will participate until the very end as a representative of Chiba Jets, so please continue to cast your passionate votes. Let's aim for a glorious farewell with "#PaonIchigan" and ascend to become the first-ever B.LEAGUE Mascot King & Elephant King (double crown) in the mascot world!!

Click here to vote for B.LEAGUE Mascot of the Year 2025-26 ▼ https://www.bleague.jp/mascot/2026/

【Background on this matter】 Keywords: Chiba Jets, B.LEAGUE, Basketball, Sports, Sports Business, Mascot, Sports Player, Chiba, Marketing, Theme Park

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  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: News
  • Dates in source: 2025-26