91²Ö¿â

Tag - mascots

 
Menu
Search
 
November 17, 2025
 

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

MASCOTS

JR East is retiring the beloved Suica penguin as part of a rebrand to transform the contactless payment platform, used for both transit and retail, into a mobile fintech powerhouse.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 16, 2025
A beloved Tokyo penguin¡¯s end presages Suica¡¯s shift to payments giant
Since Suica¡¯s introduction in 2001, the penguin has featured on transit cards and apps that are used daily by the tens of millions who traverse the world¡¯s largest metropolis.
Stuffed toys featuring Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot character of the Osaka Expo, line the shelves of a store at the expo site on Yumeshima island in the city of Osaka.
JAPAN
Oct 13, 2025
Sales of Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku goods to continue through March
The sales period has been extended by over five months thanks to an unexpected surge in the popularity of Myaku-Myaku.
The Osaka Expo will release a wave a new products in October, including a limited edition Labubu Myaku-Myaku figurine.
LIFE / Style & Design
Sep 27, 2025
Myaku-Myaku gets the Labubu treatment at the Osaka Expo
With just weeks left before its final day, Osaka Expo is dialing up the ugly cuteness of its beloved blobby mascot and tapping into the global Labubu craze.
2025 Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku dances on the stage during the event's official opening ceremony on April 12.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 28, 2025
Expo '25 gives the world a masterclass in mascots
At Expo 2025 in Osaka, mascots from around the world borrow from Japan¡¯s character culture ¡ª but none can match Myaku-Myaku¡¯s gloopy charm.
Pix (left), the mascot of the U.K. Pavilion at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, is seen alongside the event's official mascot, Myaku-Myaku, on Jan. 16 in the city of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture
JAPAN / Society
Apr 4, 2025
Countries' mascots beat drum for Osaka Expo
Participating nations are taking on 91²Ö¿â love of mascots by coming up with characters of their own, some of which incorporate the culture of the host country.
Swallows mascot Tsubakuro performs during a game at Jingu Stadium in June 2023.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Feb 21, 2025
Swallows employee who portrayed popular mascot Tsubakuro dies
Tsubakuro became a ubiquitous presence at Jingu Stadium after his debut in 1994.
Stuffed toys of Custom-kun, an official mascot character of Japan customs, and a birthday cake made by a customs official depicting the character
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2025
Japan customs character goods to go on sale
The Finance Ministry hopes that selling character goods such as stuffed toys and stationery will make customs more familiar to people.
Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida accepts a gift of 'dekopon' citruses, a specialty product and symbol of Kumamoto Prefecture, from Kumamon, itself a mascot and instantly recognizeable symbol of the region.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Oct 28, 2024
Japan¡¯s ¡®meibutsu¡¯-industrial complex is a wonder to behold
If you name a Japanese prefecture, many locals will instantly be able to tell you something that the region is famous for or a product synonymous with that area.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 11, 2023
How a 'Muppets' artist became a part of J. League mascot history
Among American writer Guy Gilchrist's achievements over a career that has spanned more than 40 years is the creation of Shimizu S-Pulse mascot Pul-chan.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Nov 15, 2022
Cap that symbolizes French republic chosen as Paris 2024 mascot
Organizers expect toys representing the mascots to generate 'between 20% and 25%' of merchandising revenue.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 6, 2022
Kumamoto turns to trusty mascot Kumamon for post-COVID tourism boost
Authorities are developing bear-themed attractions across the region, betting they will spur an influx of overseas visitors when some of the world's strictest border restrictions ease.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 2, 2021
The bike safety campaign that backfired
The Chiba Prefectural Police hoped an animated avatar would help with bicycle safety but wound up wading into a long-running debate over misogyny.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 28, 2021
The Olympic mascots aren¡¯t winning any medals
Before the pandemic, the Japanese designer who created the Olympic and Paralympic mascots predicted that they would become the 'face of the Games.¡± It hasn't quite turned out that way.
Japan Times
LIFE / 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW,2010s: Decade in review
Nov 7, 2019
Mascots: The secret weapon in 91²Ö¿â soft power arsenal
What makes a good mascot? It used to be that being cute was enough, but 'yuru-kyara' in the 2010s needed storylines and Instagram followings if they want to make a mark.
JAPAN
Nov 4, 2019
Chubby Nagano Prefecture bear beats nearly 800 other characters to win annual mascot competition
Arukuma, a chubby, green-colored bear wearing a red hood in the shape of an apple around its face and head, was the winner of a high-profile annual contest held in the city of Nagano on Sunday.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 25, 2019
Susaki mascot Chiitan runs afoul of Twitter's social media rules
Chiitan the otter was riding high this spring. After becoming one of the most popular characters in the country thanks to its chaotic online behavior, Chiitan started appearing everywhere in the media.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Mar 11, 2019
Have 91²Ö¿â yuru-kyara reached critical mass? Minds behind the mascots discuss
Over the past few decades, towns, cities and prefectures throughout Japan have been churning out mascots to represent and promote themselves, resulting in an annual contest, the Yuru-kyara Grand Prix, that has come to symbolize their popularity.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 24, 2018
Kaparu's victory in 2018 mascot awards gives Saitama a reason to shine
The Yuru-kyara (Promotional Mascot) Grand Prix in Japan has become one of the internet¡¯s most anticipated events of the year. The 2018 edition lived up to expectations, and even featured a little voting drama. In the end, the city of Shiki¡¯s Kaparu captured the crown.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 19, 2018
Saitama city's Kaparu beats out organized voting to win grand prix title at annual mascot contest
Kaparu from Shiki, a city in Saitama Prefecture, won the 2018 Yuru-kyara Grand Prix (Soft Character Grand Prix) title in the regional division on Sunday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE NOTES
Sep 13, 2018
Could Domo-kun at 20 mean Domo-kun 2.0?
Whatever happened to Domo-kun, the furry brown monster with the jagged maw? When I first got to Japan I used to see him everywhere. Now Chiitan, the masochistic Otter who reps the city of Susaki in Kochi Prefecture, stacks my social media feeds with memes, and Unari-kun, from Narita, is the current reigning...
At Ginza¡¯s newest hotel, luxury is a private treasure
At Fufu Tokyo, each guest room comes with its own private "onsen" (hot spring) ¡ª a luxury nearly unheard of in the heart of Tokyo's capital.
China warns citizens not to visit Japan as row over Taiwan heats up
Chinese tourists wear kimonos as they visit Sensoji temple in Tokyo's Asakusa district on Saturday.
From France to Mali, a deportee's struggle far from home
Moussa Sacko, a Malian deported from France ¡ª where he had lived since he was a young child ¡ª stands on a street in Bamako, Mali, in December. Compared with his home in France, Bamako feels like a different planet, Sacko said.
Kyoto gets its own teamLab installation, the largest in Japan
Visitors wearing kimonos look at digital artwork at the newly opened teamLab Biovortex in Kyoto.
Ashfall warning issued in southern Japan as volcano erupts
View of Sakurajima from the mainland of Kagoshima Prefecture
Good fortune, wrapped in fried tofu
Golden "age-fukuburo," a culinary take on Japan's new year "lucky bags," can be served on their own.
Foreign Correspondents¡¯ Club of Japan celebrates 80 years at the forefront of press freedom
Located near the Imperial Palace, the Foreign Correspondents¡¯ Club of Japan prides itself on the accessibility of its events and the support it offers to budding and established journalists. The club is currently headed by Dan Sloan, a former reporter for Reuters.
The challenges awaiting Japan¡¯s new finance minister
Finance minister Satsuki Katayama answers questions from reporters in a group interview on Oct. 24.
At Ginza¡¯s newest hotel, luxury is a private treasure
At Fufu Tokyo, each guest room comes with its own private "onsen" (hot spring) ¡ª a luxury nearly unheard of in the heart of Tokyo's capital.
Japan fully enters sports streaming era as fans face new dilemmas
Sports fan Tadashi Yokoyama streams basketball and fencing on three screens.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo
By Kathryn Wortley

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER