Myaku-Myaku, the multieyed, red-and-blue blob serving as the official mascot for Expo 2025 in Osaka, has become more than just a face of the event ¡ª it¡¯s become the blueprint. Walk the grounds for more than five minutes and you¡¯ll see it: Countries from around the globe have brought their own mascots to the party, and many of them owe a debt to Japan¡¯s particular flavor of character culture.
Take Australia. Ruby the Roo, the plush kangaroo with a rather diplomatic smile, holds down greeting duties while her comrade, Koko the Koala, presumably naps offstage. Outside the German pavilion, a white blob named Circular, cheeks blushing a delicate peach ¡ª and somehow representing the circular economy ¡ª waddles out to greet excited visitors. Behind it, a Beethoven doppelganger mugs for selfies with the crowd.
Mascots at world expos aren¡¯t a new thing, and some nations in Osaka have wisely highlighted their own existing creations ¡ª Miffy, the minimalist Dutch bunny, makes an appearance at the Netherlands pavilion. But the wave of new mascots debuting in Osaka feels particularly indebted to Japan¡¯s approach: cute, weird, merch-ready. Nowhere is this more obvious than Italy¡¯s Italia-chan, a sparkly eyed anime girl clearly designed with Japanese aesthetics in mind.
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