An appeal by the organisers of the 2025 Osaka World Expo in Japan for the public to name the event’s mascot has led to a deluge of suggestions – although most are unlikely to be accepted by the judges.
Officially adopted by the Expo in March, the winning entry is the work of picture book artist Yohei Yamashita. It depicts a blue, bipedal figure topped with a circle of red, interconnected bubbles containing five eyes looking in different directions.
Expo organisers said at the time that they were particularly impressed by the mascot’s adaptability, as it can be used in many different ways while still incorporating key elements of the original design. It “is alive and has always wanted to change,” the selection committee said.
Early entries on the expo’s Twitter page included “Death-kun”, “Curse of the Abyss”, and simply “The End”.
One contributor on the Japan Today news website said: “How about ‘Demented Terrifying My Guts Are My Face Monster From Hades’ – because that is what the mascot is,” adding: “My gods, who approved that monstrosity?”
Other suggestions included, “Mr you’ve got to be f*****g kidding,” “Teenage-body-dysmorphia-kun”, “Oozie the Doozie” and “Intestinal-eyes-kun”. More succinct nominations include “Queasy”, “Creepy-kun”, “The Thing” and “The Blob”.
Several people questioned the thought processes behind the selection, with one poster on the site stating, “That is frankly just frightening …. [it] might be appropriate for a nuclear accident, but not a World Expo.”
Another pointed out that the promotional images for the event and the soft toys that will be sold will “mentally scar a whole generation of kids. What the heck were they thinking?”
Organisers are accepting proposals for names until May 16, with entrants urged to come up with one that is original, international, easy to remember and aligned with the expo.
This article was first published in Asia One . All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
