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mascot characters

Japan’s middle-aged fairy man character stole our reporter’s heart in a hot spring town

• Casey Baseel
  3 hours ago
• Tweet

Atsuo fell in love with Atami, and Natsuno fell in love with Atsuo.

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• Japan
• (Atami • COK • cute • funny • hot springs • Japan travel • mascot characters • Natsuno Futon • Shizuoka • SNJO • tourism • travel • weird)

Japan’s Suica Penguin character is “graduating”, and you can choose its successor

• Oona McGee
  4 days ago

Can these new character candidates match up to the charm of the penguin?

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• Japan
• (characters • cute • East Japan Railway Company • Japan Railway Company • Japan travel • JR • JR East • mascot characters • penguins • Suica • Suica card • Suica Penguin • tourism • trains • travel)

Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone

• Casey Baseel
  Aug 27, 2026

End of the line for JR East’s adorable mascot for its revolutionary train fare payment system.

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• Japan
• (cute • East Japan Railway Company • Japan Railway Company • Japan travel • JR • JR East • mascot characters • penguins • Suica • Suica card • Suica Penguin • tourism • trains • travel)

Visiting Japan’s muscular mascot character dog at his free museum near Kansai International Airport

• Casey Baseel
  Aug 16, 2026

There’s a manga-related reason Inunakin is so buff.

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• Japan
• (airports • anime • COK • crazy • cute • Japan travel • Kansai International Airport • Kinnikuman • local mascots • manga • mascot characters • muscle • regional mascots • SNJO • tourism • travel • weird)

Japan’s famous Suica Penguin JR train pass card mascot is “graduating”/being laid off

• Casey Baseel
  Nov 13, 2025

25 years after the Suica Penguin helped revolutionize how Japan buys train ticket and shops, JR’s plans for the future don’t include the character.

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• Japan
• (cute • East Japan Railway Company • Japan Railway Company • JR • JR East • mascot characters • penguins • Suica • Suica card • Suica Penguin • tourism • trains • travel)

60th Anniversary Sanrio Exhibition opens this month to celebrate the Japanese culture of cute

• Krista Rogers
  Jul 8, 2025

“The Beginning of Kawaii” exhibition explores the backstories of famous Sanrio characters and more. 

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• Japan
• (anniversary • COK • cute • exhibition • exhibitions • Hello Kitty • Ibaraki • mascot • mascot characters • Sanrio)

What’s the story behind the running boy mascot in Japan?

• Oona McGee
  Apr 21, 2025

“Emotional parking boy that can be used every day” is missing one vital thing.

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• Japan
• (anime characters • art • car park • characters • cool • cute • Japanese mascots • mascot characters • Mascots • parking • parking areas • parking lot • parking lots • regional characters • regional mascots • Shikoku • Tokushima)

The Vatican now has an official anime-style mascot character【Video】

• Casey Baseel
  Oct 31, 2024

Luce is an attempt to form connections via “the pop culture so beloved by our young people.”

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• Europe, Japan
• (anime • Christianity • Luce • manga • mascot characters • religion • Tokidoki • Vatican • weird)

Kyoto Tower mascot termination reveals dark side behind cute Japanese characters

• Oona McGee
  Jul 23, 2024

Sayonara, Tawawa-chan. It’s a shame you got caught in the cross hairs. 

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• Japan
• (artists • COK • cool • crazy • designers • Kyoto • Kyoto tower • mascot characters • Mascots • Tawawa • Tawawa-chan • tourist sites • travel • weird • yurukyara)

This balding middle-aged fairy is one of Japan’s most unique mascot characters

• Casey Baseel
  Jun 13, 2024

Atsuo welcomes visitors to Atami, the town where he turned into a fairy.

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• Japan
• (Atami • COK • funny • hot springs • mascot characters • Mascots • onsen • SNJO • tourism • travel • weird • yurukyara)

Japanese prison mascot appears in children’s colouring book made by prison inmates

• SoraNews24
  Aug 25, 2023

Can an anthropomorphised prison wall really capture the heart of a child? 

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• Japan
• (Akarenga-kun • characters • Chiba Prison • children's book • children's books • COK • coloring book • coloring books • correctional facility • crime • jail • kyoseiten • mascot characters • Mascots • prison • review • SNJO)

Universal Studios Japan lifts ban on hugging, high-fiving mascots

• Master Blaster
  May 19, 2023

Let’s hug it out at USJ.

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• Japan
• (Amusement Parks • COK • COVID-19 • hugging • mascot characters • theme parks • Universal Studios Japan • USJ)

Tokyo couple caught making stickers with police mascot flipping bird

• Master Blaster
  Dec 16, 2022

That salute is not in the police manual.

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• Japan
• (crime • mascot characters • Mascots • Peopo-kun • police • Tokyo Metropolitan Police • trademark • weird)

Osaka makes decision on terrifying mascot for upcoming world’s fair

• Casey Baseel
  Mar 23, 2022

Definitely not a conventionally kawaii character.

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• Japan
• (COK • crazy • Expo 2025 • funny • mascot characters • Osaka • scary • weird • World Expo)

New Japanese mascot character: A train station monster that grabs children who don’t mind the gap

• Oona McGee
  Jan 28, 2022

Kind of like a Japanese version of Pennywise the Clown. 

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• Japan
• (art • characters • design • Japanese characters • Japanese mascots • Japanese train stations • JR West • marketing • mascot characters • Osaka • posters • train stations • trains • WEST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY)

Vending machine makes commuters smile at Japanese train station

• Oona McGee
  Oct 8, 2021

Tokyo station lives up to its name with a good old-fashioned pun.

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• Japan
• (cute • drinks • funny • green tea • Japanese train stations • mascot characters • ocha • Ochanomizu • Tokyo • train stations • water • weird)

Japanese government removes controversial radioactive material illustration video and pamphlet

• Casey Baseel
  Apr 16, 2021

Awareness campaign for plan to dump radioactive water into ocean lands creators in hot water.

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• Japan
• (2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami • controversy • environment • Fukushima • mascot characters • nuclear power • Radiation • Reconstruction Agency • tritium)

Japan government makes cute illustrated version of radioactive isotope it plans to dump into sea

• Casey Baseel
  Apr 14, 2021

Video released on same day approval is granted for waste water project at Fukushima nuclear power plant.

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• Japan
• (2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami • environment • Fukushima • mascot characters • nuclear power • Radiation • Reconstruction Agency • tritium)

Town in Japan has adorable boob mascot, makes City Boob Declaration for a touching reason

• Casey Baseel
  Feb 26, 2021

Kids in Hikari are raised under Boob Childrearing concepts.

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• Japan
• (crazy • funny • Hikari • kids • mascot characters • Mascots • moving • Parenting • parents • society • touching • weird • Yamaguchi • yurukyara)

Akihabara’s most popular anime girl mascot spokescharacter loses her job

• Casey Baseel
  Sep 10, 2020

After a decade as electronics stores’ mascot, Tsukumo-tan is unemployed.

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• Japan
• (Akihabara • anime • computers • mascot characters • Mascots • otaku • PCs • Tsukumo • Tsukumo-tan)

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• Recent Posts

  • Japan’s middle-aged fairy man character stole our reporter’s heart in a hot spring town
  • Mt. Fuji may soon require off-season climbers to register with government or pay for their rescues
  • Starbucks Japan unveils first-ever vending machine, with an exclusive coffee drink
  • Ghibli store Donguri Kyowakoku now has special frames to protect your anime art Paper Theater kits
  • New Gundam megastore announced for one of Tokyo’s most popular tourist neighborhoods

• MOST POPULAR

  • Today
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  Today

  1. Mt. Fuji may soon require off-season climbers to register with government or pay for their rescues
  2. Studio Ghibli releases new onigiri rice ball-shaped lunch bag for Kiki’s Delivery Service fans
  3. Starbucks Japan unveils first-ever vending machine, with an exclusive coffee drink
  4. TeamLab is building a new Tokyo museum, and it’s the digital art group’s biggest ever
  5. Ghibli store Donguri Kyowakoku now has special frames to protect your anime art Paper Theater kits
  6. Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
  7. Japanese mayors challenge each other to nighttime ninja battle, now recruiting participants
  8. New Gundam megastore announced for one of Tokyo’s most popular tourist neighborhoods
  9. How to watch Studio Ghibli’s new anime in Japan, with a special after-dark outdoor screening for Halloween
  10. Two American women attempt to smuggle US$1 million worth of cannabis into Tokyo for a free trip to Japan

  Weekly

  1. Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
  2. How to watch Studio Ghibli’s new anime in Japan, with a special after-dark outdoor screening for Halloween
  3. Japan’s Suica Penguin character is “graduating”, and you can choose its successor
  4. Two American women attempt to smuggle US$1 million worth of cannabis into Tokyo for a free trip to Japan
  5. Tokyo ward looking to change lodging laws, ban more than half of its Airbnb-style rentals
  6. New Shinkansen platform vending machine sells local-flavor treats from 127-year-old snack maker
  7. Megadeth guitarist becomes voice of reason regarding tourists dancing at shrine in Japan
  8. New Transforming Business Card case brings anime mecha to Japanese work meetings
  9. Mister Donut releases new sweet potato doughnuts in Japan, and we’ve ranked them from best to worst
  10. Studio Ghibli releases new onigiri rice ball-shaped lunch bag for Kiki’s Delivery Service fans

  Monthly

  1. 12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
  2. 7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
  3. Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
  4. Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
  5. Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
  6. Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
  7. Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
  8. Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
  9. Solo travel in Japan: Hidden beer garden in Tokyo is a haven for single visitors
  10. Kyoto temple bans visitors from wearing kimono

  Yearly

  1. Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
  2. Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
  3. Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
  4. Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
  5. Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
  6. Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
  7. Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
  8. Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
  9. Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
  10. Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】

• RECOMMENDED STORIES

  • Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
  • Japanese mayors challenge each other to nighttime ninja battle, now recruiting participants
  • New Gundam megastore announced for one of Tokyo’s most popular tourist neighborhoods
  • How to watch Studio Ghibli’s new anime in Japan, with a special after-dark outdoor screening for Halloween
  • Two American women attempt to smuggle US$1 million worth of cannabis into Tokyo for a free trip to Japan
  • New Shinkansen platform vending machine sells local-flavor treats from 127-year-old snack maker
  • Tokyo’s Shibuya puts up new posters asking visitors to use recycle boxes properly
  • Roaming rubbish bin robot at Shinjuku Station solves the problem of where to put your trash
  • Ghibli’s Toshio Suzuki not impressed by generative AI images, Hayao Miyazaki thinks even less of them
  • Don Quijote ear cleaner sucks, and was criticised by customers, but is the new version any better?
  • Japan’s Suica Penguin character is “graduating”, and you can choose its successor
  • Japan’s middle-aged fairy man character stole our reporter’s heart in a hot spring town
  • New Transforming Business Card case brings anime mecha to Japanese work meetings
  • Megadeth guitarist becomes voice of reason regarding tourists dancing at shrine in Japan

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