TOKYO — Following the closing of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, a farewell ceremony was held Oct. 14 at the prime minister’s office for a talking plushie manifestation of the event’s official mascot “Myaku-Myaku,” which had been placed at the entrance of his office to promote the event.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed his appreciation for the mascot’s contributions, saying, “Myaku-Myaku played a major role in the success of the Expo. Thank you so much.”
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Hiromasa Nakano, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shinjiro Koizumi, and officials from the central government ministries and agencies in charge of the Osaka Expo. The Myaku-Myaku figure was carried out of the building by Minister for the World Expo 2025 Yoshitaka Ito.
A doll of “Tunku Tunku,” the official mascot of the International Horticultural Expo 2027, Yokohama, is set to be displayed at the entrance of the prime minister’s office next, in place of Myaku-Myaku.
The Myaku-Myaku figure at the prime minister’s office was installed in December 2024. In February, it was updated with a feature that made it respond to people passing by with audio messages. By April, it could speak dozens of phrases, and scenes where Prime Minister Ishiba would enjoy “conversations” with the doll as he entered or exited the building attracted attention.
During the farewell ceremony, the doll spoke to the outgoing Prime Minister one last time, saying, “Thank you always, Prime Minister. Are you tired? Are you OK? Hang in there.”
(Japanese original by Kotaro Ono, Political News Department)
AloJapan.com