News in Easy English: Osaka Expo mascot 'Myaku-Myaku' now popular with visitors
OSAKA -- The official mascot of Expo 2025 in Osaka has become very popular. At first, many people did not like its strange look. Now, visitors often take pictures with the mascot.
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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