Japan jeers at ‘terrifying’ mascot for Osaka World Expo: ‘My gods, who approved that monstrosity?’

The official mascot of the 2025 Osaka World Expo has a drippy blue body and bulging red head with five eyes pointing in different directions

Suggestions for a name – after organisers asked the public to pick one – included ‘Curse of the Abyss’, ‘Intestinal-eyes’, ‘Oozie the Doozie’ and ‘Creepy-kun’

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Published: 11:48am, 10 May 2022

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.

The mascot’s blue body represents the waters around Osaka, organisers said. No explanation was given for why it has five eyes.

Initial reactions from the Japanese public were mixed at best, with some suggesting the design resembles a creature from a horror movie rather than a cuddly mascot designed to encourage more people to attend a world exposition.

Japan’s government has high hopes for the 2025 event, anticipating it will help jump-start the country’s tourism sector. Japan welcomed a record 31.9 million foreign tourists in 2019, but closed its borders in 2020 amid the pandemic. It aims to reopen to international tourists next month.