We are just three years away from Expo 2025, which will be held in Osaka from April 13 to October 13 2025. The Japan Association for the World 2025 Exposition released its logo in 2020, but now the event has an official mascot as well.
／#大阪・関西万博キャラ公募
— Expo2025 大阪・関西万博 (@expo2025_japan) March 2, 2022
ご意見募集中！！
＼
大阪・関西万博公式キャラクターの意見募集がはじまりました！作品を見てあなたが感じたことを、下のボタンからぜひ投稿してください！
募集期間：3月2日から3月10日まで
This character was selected based on an open call for mascot designs held from November 1 to December 1 2021. A whopping total of 1,898 designs were submitted, and three made it to the final shortlist, but ultimately it was graphic designer and illustrator Kohei Yamashita’s submission that won the final vote.
When Expo 2025 first unveiled its logo, some netizens remarked that the emblem’s blue dots looked a bit like eyes. Yamashita’s design leans into that impression by incorporating the logo as the face of the mascot. Because Osaka is sometimes referred to as Japan’s city of water, the mascot is depicted as a shapeshifter that can take on many forms, just like water. Organisers are still picking out a name for the character, but are expected to announce their final decision sometime this April.
More from Time Out
Survey: tell us what living in Tokyo is really like for you
Everything to know about the X Games Chiba: tickets, venues, sports and more
Cherry blossoms are officially blooming in Tokyo
A major Studio Ghibli exhibition is coming to Tokyo this summer
Some 7-Eleven stores in Tokyo now have floating hologram checkouts
Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan.