The Osaka Expo is heading into its final weeks, but its official mascot, Myaku-Myaku, isn¡¯t slipping quietly into the wings ¡ª it¡¯s fronting a monster mash of merchandise.
The amorphous, multi-eyed Myaku-Myaku has steadily become a beloved figure since its unveiling in 2022. Equal parts off-putting and endearing, the globular red-and-blue creature won over netizens and has found its way onto towels, plushies, cookies and sneakers.
The hottest drop yet, though? Get ready for a limited-edition Labubu Myaku-Myaku.
Riding the global Labubu craze ¡ª those creepy-cute dolls designed by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung that have become the year¡¯s must-have collectible ¡ª this collab recasts Myaku-Myaku with Labubu¡¯s trademark toothy grin and large ears. The figurine will be sold through a lottery system Oct. 1 to 11, exclusively at the expo¡¯s official store at the fairgrounds¡¯ East Gate.
The merch rollout doesn¡¯t stop there. New items arriving Oct. 5 include T-shirts designed by Daichi Miura, Koki Kinoshita and artists from the ¡°Expo 2025 Art Bloom by A4gallery¡± project, as well as a series of bags created in collaboration with fashion brand Paul Smith.
Myaku-Myaku isn¡¯t the only mascot in the spotlight. On Sept. 16, the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion hosted the ¡°Expo Attendant ¡Á Character World Festival,¡± which saw Myaku-Myaku, the pavilion¡¯s own mascot Mozuyan and 44 other characters from Osaka Prefecture share the stage. A mascot popularity poll capped the event, with Circular, the German Pavilion¡¯s mascot, taking first place.
Since opening April 13, the six-month-long expo had drawn 18.54 million visitors as of Sept. 11. Organizers expect the tally to top 22 million by its final day on Oct. 13.
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