..Mascots in Japan..

Hi guys!

I have been quite quiet here since a month.
Well as you know, I moved to Japan and I feel very busy trying to adapt to my new life here, especially at school as I have to work twice harder compared to normal students (all my course are very specialized and I don't know technical terms yet).

But anyway, I really enjoy life here although I start missing French cheese hahaha.

I must say that I am quite disappointed of Osaka's fashion which is not as crazy as in Tokyo. It is also hard to find original concepts for restaurants and cafe (like ninja cafes or prison cafes in Tokyo). However, people here are more friendly and relaxed, they seem to enjoy life a lot more and talk a lot, maybe too much haha. So I guess it's a good deal.

I already took quite a lot of pics so maybe it's better to group them per theme hehe.

So... today's topic: mascots!!

Do you remember the lion of Word Cup 2006? Cobranded by the FIFA and Nici. It was such a commercial failure that Nici went banckrupt. Here it is the total reverse: mascots are everywhere, even the police has a cute mascot, Pipo-kun (but Pipo-kun is only the main one, thay actually have a total of 48 mascots!).

Mascot is essential to define a company's identiy in Japan and some foreign firms that want to do business here have to adopt a local mascot if they want to succeed (except Apple but that's another story).

Okay so let's start!

Taco (octopus) is Osaka's unoficial mascot.

One of the most famous department store in Japan, Don Quijote (ドン キホーテ), also has its own mascot, Donki the penguin. Here the staff drawn it on the wall and it says "Here it's 3rd floor".

Here Donki has been disguised into a gyaru donki for the cosmetics floor (here cosmetics business is so important that a full floor is dedicated to the products).

Equivalent of the Oster card of London, Iko chan is the mascot of Osaka's train network.

I bought a phone strip of Ico chan! It is written:"Use Iko chan 's back to clean your phone screen"

Speaking of mascott, the most famous of them in terms of marketing is... of course Pikachu. Here Pilachu is used for kamaboko to put into ramens (you know, when this things in in spirale it's called naruto).

And everyday on my way to school I have to go to this stration. Between 2 roofs... I saw... Osaka's Pokemon Center!! Definitly have to go and check there.