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| Moppy the mascot survives Japan's cull of cuddly ambassadors | Moppy the mascot survives Japan's cull of cuddly ambassadors |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Poor Moppy. He's a cuddly fellow with avian roots, eyes like dinner plates and a beak fixed in a permanent smile. Yet most Japanese wouldn't recognise him if he went up and gave them a big hug. | Poor Moppy. He's a cuddly fellow with avian roots, eyes like dinner plates and a beak fixed in a permanent smile. Yet most Japanese wouldn't recognise him if he went up and gave them a big hug. |
| But Moppy has reason to count himself lucky because he is expected to escape a cull authorities in Osaka are planning for the region's most unproductive promotional mascots. It is a move certain to cause a ruckus in character-mad Japan. | But Moppy has reason to count himself lucky because he is expected to escape a cull authorities in Osaka are planning for the region's most unproductive promotional mascots. It is a move certain to cause a ruckus in character-mad Japan. |
| Japan's eclectic, and often bizarre, mascots – known as yuru-kyara (laidback characters) – are put to work promoting everything from local cuisine and sightseeing spots, to tax offices, the police and military, and even prisons. | Japan's eclectic, and often bizarre, mascots – known as yuru-kyara (laidback characters) – are put to work promoting everything from local cuisine and sightseeing spots, to tax offices, the police and military, and even prisons. |
| The country's mascot industry is worth billions of dollars a year in merchandise sales, with Kumamon, an affable black bear who promotes the southern prefecture of Kumamoto, by far the most successful. | |
| Kumamon, the official mascot of Kumamoto prefecture, entertains Japanese children. Photograph: The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images | |
| Faced with the realisation that its own mascots don't come close to matching Kumamon's celebrity status, the Osaka prefectural government is to weed out the most ineffectual and push Moppy as its core representative. | Faced with the realisation that its own mascots don't come close to matching Kumamon's celebrity status, the Osaka prefectural government is to weed out the most ineffectual and push Moppy as its core representative. |
| The prefecture is home to no fewer than 45 mascots, most of whom go about their business in near-obscurity. Last year, 13 did not appear at a single public event or hand out merchandise, according to the Asahi Shimbun. | The prefecture is home to no fewer than 45 mascots, most of whom go about their business in near-obscurity. Last year, 13 did not appear at a single public event or hand out merchandise, according to the Asahi Shimbun. |
| Osaka's array of yuru-kyara include Kushitan, who promotes a type of Osaka cuisine, and Makki, who represents the town of Matsubara, although there is no suggestion that either are among those earmarked for early retirement. | Osaka's array of yuru-kyara include Kushitan, who promotes a type of Osaka cuisine, and Makki, who represents the town of Matsubara, although there is no suggestion that either are among those earmarked for early retirement. |
| The debate over how to humanely dispense with less successful mascots has gone right to the top of the Osaka prefectural administration. | The debate over how to humanely dispense with less successful mascots has gone right to the top of the Osaka prefectural administration. |
| "As I have said many times, we have too many characters," Osaka's governor, Ichiro Matsui, said recently. "People do not know what they are promoting or what policy they are trying to raise awareness of." | |
| Makki and Kushitan | |
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| Finding a new character able to compete with the likes of Kumamon and Funassyi, who promotes the fruit-producing city of Funabashi near Tokyo, must be a priority, Matsui added. "We are all being beaten by this character. We've got to do something." | Finding a new character able to compete with the likes of Kumamon and Funassyi, who promotes the fruit-producing city of Funabashi near Tokyo, must be a priority, Matsui added. "We are all being beaten by this character. We've got to do something." |
| That task is expected to fall to Moppy, who is inspired by a bird native to the Osaka area and made his first public appearance in 1997. Yet he finished a lowly 1,072 in a popularity vote for Japan's 1,580-member family of promotional mascots held last year. | That task is expected to fall to Moppy, who is inspired by a bird native to the Osaka area and made his first public appearance in 1997. Yet he finished a lowly 1,072 in a popularity vote for Japan's 1,580-member family of promotional mascots held last year. |
| Matsui's solution is to give Moppy a family and, unusually for a mascot, a voice. "I think it is a good idea for Moppy to have a family," he said. "Moppy Junior could help promote child-rearing policies and Moppy's wife could help with women's employment issues." | Matsui's solution is to give Moppy a family and, unusually for a mascot, a voice. "I think it is a good idea for Moppy to have a family," he said. "Moppy Junior could help promote child-rearing policies and Moppy's wife could help with women's employment issues." |
| Not all Osaka officials share Matsui's enthusiasm for yuru-kyara cull, however. | Not all Osaka officials share Matsui's enthusiasm for yuru-kyara cull, however. |
| "Each department devoted energy to creating the mascots, and each mascot is loved by department officials," the Asahi quoted Yasuyuki Ogawa, the prefecture's vice-governor, as saying. "I hope that will be taken into consideration." | "Each department devoted energy to creating the mascots, and each mascot is loved by department officials," the Asahi quoted Yasuyuki Ogawa, the prefecture's vice-governor, as saying. "I hope that will be taken into consideration." |
| Experts point out that mascots, like football managers, should be given time to find their feet. "Kumamon was not necessarily popular from the very beginning," Noriko Nakano, of the Japan Local Character Association, told AFP. | Experts point out that mascots, like football managers, should be given time to find their feet. "Kumamon was not necessarily popular from the very beginning," Noriko Nakano, of the Japan Local Character Association, told AFP. |
| Funassyi was also initially shunned by the public, Nakano said, adding: "It is important to use social networking and blogging, but mascot characters must also go out and communicate with people dir | |
| Funassyi promotes the fruit-producing city of Funabashi near Tokyo. Photograph: The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images | |
| ectly." | |
| Even with the governor's backing and the goodwill of Osaka prefecture's 8.8 million people, Moppy will struggle to reach Kumamon's stratospheric levels of popularity. | Even with the governor's backing and the goodwill of Osaka prefecture's 8.8 million people, Moppy will struggle to reach Kumamon's stratospheric levels of popularity. |
| Earlier this month a Tokyo jeweller unveiled a gold figurine of the bear worth 100m yen (£579.9m) Moppy also has 339,000 followers on Twitter, 159,000 "likes" on his official Facebook page and last year entertained the emperor and empress during their visit to Kumamoto prefecture. | Earlier this month a Tokyo jeweller unveiled a gold figurine of the bear worth 100m yen (£579.9m) Moppy also has 339,000 followers on Twitter, 159,000 "likes" on his official Facebook page and last year entertained the emperor and empress during their visit to Kumamoto prefecture. |