This article originally appeared in The New York Times. NAGANO, Japan – The mayor of Misato, a remote village of 4,700 people in rugged western Japan, laid down an ultimatum early last year: The local ...

Japan has pulled a mascot representing a cartoon tritium atom happily floating around in wastewater. People said the cuteness of the mascot undermined a serious issue, local media reported. Japan ...

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. That’s what customers and executives at Japan’s Fujiya Co. Ltd. are saying after the confectioner confessed to selling cream puffs and ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. In Japan, mascots aren’t just for cheering on sports teams — they can be found everywhere from police departments to tourist areas ...

In 2010 we were gifted the inaugural Yuru-chara Grand Prix—an annual contest where it's up to the public to decide which mascot is the best in the land. Winners have been fêted internationally, ...

In both South Korea and Japan, mascots are ubiquitous and play a key role in marketing, entertainment, and community building for everything from the postal service to provincial city governments to ...

Matthew is a journalist in the news department at GameRant. He holds a Bachelor's degree in journalism from Kent State University and has been an avid gamer since 1985. Matthew formerly served as a ...

In Japan, mascots aren’t just for cheering on sports teams — they can be found everywhere from police departments to tourist areas as a way to attract new visitors. One popular mascot, Kumamon, was ...

The country’s fading towns saw the colorful characters as a way to lure tourists and investment. With few success stories, many are being quietly killed off. By Ben Dooley NAGANO, Japan — The mayor of ...