News in Easy English: Osaka Expo mascot 'Myaku-Myaku' now popular with visitors
The mascot's name is "Myaku-Myaku." It is a mysterious character made of cells and water. Myaku-Myaku is everywhere at the event. There is even a special "Myaku-Myaku House" where people can meet a moving Myaku-Myaku.
At the Expo, there are also Myaku-Myaku designs on manhole covers, playgrounds, and statues, using its red and blue colors. No one knows exactly what Myaku-Myaku really is. Its form changes often, and right now it looks like a human. People like it because it is strange and interesting.
Inside Myaku-Myaku House, one visitor wrote, "I am sorry I first said you looked scary. I really like you now."
A 25-year-old Osaka woman said, "I didn't like the mascot at first. But when I saw it moving, I became a fan." Another visitor, 55, from Kobe said, "At first, I wasn't sure about it. But now I think it's cute. I'm not sure why!"
Many visitors now enjoy seeing Myaku-Myaku in person.
The Osaka Expo will continue for six months. Organizers think about 28 million people will visit. Myaku-Myaku likes meeting people. Maybe the mascot can bring even more visitors to the event.
(Japanese original by Takehiko Onishi, Osaka Photo and Video Department)
Vocabulary
mascot: a character or animal used to represent an event or group
mysterious: strange, hard to understand
cells: very small parts that all living things are made of
manhole cover: a round metal cover on roads that leads under the ground
organizer: a person or group that plans an event
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