Latest news with #TakehikoOnishi
The Mainichi
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
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
The Mainichi
4 days ago
- The Mainichi
A glimpse into diversity at Osaka Expo: Indonesia Pavilion staff pray toward Mecca
OSAKA -- In a small room within the Indonesia Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Muslim staff members from the country were seen offering prayers in the direction of Mecca, the holy site of Islam, when this reporter visited. In Indonesia, where nearly 90% of the population is Muslim, practitioners of the religion perform prayers five times a day. Its pavilion staff members dedicate about 20 minutes of their break time to prayer. They remain clad in the same attire as when working, with staff IDs hanging around their necks. One 22-year-old staff member who prayed alongside his 35-year-old colleague said that having a prayer room provides peace of mind. The room is equipped with running water for washing the face, hands and feet before worship. The Expo venue has a "Prayer Room" located in the "Forest of Tranquility Zone." It is not designated for a particular religion, and can be used freely for purposes such as prayer and meditation. However, due to the vastness of the Expo site and the time it takes to travel back and forth from each pavilion, staff members usually pray in their own pavilions. But those at the Indonesia Pavilion also use the Prayer Room for collective worship on Fridays. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition says that it does not know how many pavilions have their own prayer rooms. The Expo hosts people with various religions, cultures and languages. Observing their devoted prayers brought a renewed sense of this diversity. (Japanese original by Takehiko Onishi, Osaka Photo and Video Department)
The Mainichi
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Once received with mixed reactions, Osaka Expo's Myaku-Myaku mascot charms visitors
OSAKA -- The official mascot of the World Exposition underway in Osaka, which initially sparked mixed reactions, has now become one of the main attractions a month and a half after the event kicked off. Myaku-Myaku, described as "a mysterious creature born from the fusion of cells and water," is featured throughout the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai venue. Visitors crowd around the character's statue to take pictures with it, or line up to enter "Myaku-Myaku House," where a moving Myaku-Myaku welcomes its fans. At the Expo venue in Osaka's Konohana Ward, one can also find manhole covers in a Myaku-Myaku design as well as playground equipment and monuments in the beloved character's colors -- red and blue. According to the Expo's website, Myaku-Myaku's "true identity remains unknown" and it "appears to be transforming into various forms in search of who it wants to be, and its current form mimics humans." Perhaps its mysteriousness and shape-shifting nature is part of its charm. On the message board at Myaku-Myaku House was a comment that read, "I'm sorry I said you looked terrifying when I first saw you. I like you a lot now." A 25-year-old Osaka woman who took pictures with the mascot told the Mainichi Shimbun, "I initially thought, 'Why did this get picked?' but I've become a fan after seeing it move." A visitor, 55, from Kobe's Nagata Ward said, "I was initially a bit skeptical, but it turned out to be kind of adorable, though I can't explain how." It appears many of the visitors changed their opinion for the better about the mysterious mascot after actually seeing it. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition expects 28.2 million visitors over the six-month duration of the event. That averages about 150,000 people per day -- undoubtedly not an easy target. The website says Myaku-Myaku's favorite thing to do is "interacting with all kinds of living beings and things." If Myaku-Myaku can meet many people and steadily gain more fans, that visitor number goal may not be so far out of reach. (Japanese original by Takehiko Onishi, Osaka Photo and Video Department)
The Mainichi
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
In Photos: Cosplayers animate 2025 World Expo venue in Osaka
A visitor to the 2025 World Expo in Osaka dressed as the official mascot Myaku-Myaku joins people for a commemorative photo, at the Expo venue in Osaka's Konohana Ward on April 25, 2025. (Mainichi/Takehiko Onishi)
The Mainichi
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
'Myaku-Myaku' cosplayer delights Osaka Expo visitors, amid calls to observe rules
OSAKA -- Someone dressed up as Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, was a recent star attraction at the Expo venue, with many visitors asking to take photos together and elementary school students reaching out for handshakes. While social media opinion has been mixed on people entering the Expo venue in cosplay or fancy dress, the event's official website states that visitors can come in "wearing anything that is not prohibited." It points out, however, that visitors "may be refused entry if they are likely to cause (a) nuisance to other visitors or cause anxiety or fear," and further states that entry "may be refused if they are wearing a mask or clothing that obscures most of their face." A Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition representative said of cosplaying at the venue, "We don't want people to stop it, and if people observe the rules, they can enter," while adding, "It's a question of degree. The approach is really case-by-case." During the "Japan Expo" event, a festival of Japanese culture held on April 26 and 27 at the Expo venue, one cosplay stage participant pointed out, "Wearing noticeable outfits makes us easy targets. Just because we're abiding by the rules, that doesn't mean anything goes, and it's not good to go overboard. It's really difficult." They continued, "Those who have been doing this for a long time want to cherish cosplay culture. I've made many friends through cosplay myself." (Japanese original by Takehiko Onishi, Osaka Photo and Video Department)
