The Monkey-tailed boy who turned into Super Saiyan and captured so many fans since the early 90's - Son Goku, has been chosen as the ambassador for Japan's Olympic 2020. Capitalizing on the country's popularity with the anime characters, the Japanese found the solution to mascot conundrum at home.
Joining Son Goku is the likes of Sailormoon, Naruto, Astroboy, One Piece's Luffy, Pretty Cure and Shin Chan. According to RocketNews, there has been a lot of excitement surrounding the announcement, with fans celebrate their nostalgic childhood memories which basically relate to all of these anime celebrities.
Meanwhile, Pikachu and fellow pocket monsters from "Pokemon" - as famous as they may be, are noticeably missing. Mario and Luigi are also nowhere to be found, making the selection seems a bit weirder since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe popped up as the red plumber during the closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
It is however a bit too early to tell, as it is only right to guess that Pikachu or Mario will be joining the team anytime soon, Business Times reported. The official merchandise for the Olympic could be emblazoned with all of these anime celebrities to draw younger fans' attention.
With their decision to use anime characters as ambassadors, Japanese are paving way for an anomaly. Mascots are generally the characters that are vital importance to the host country- in the conventional order of things. National animal or other motif is predominant in the selection of mascots, usually.
Japan is definetly breaking the stereotype and catering to the younger generation, by and large. The Japanese Olympic Committee takes pride for their decision and some official merchandise with characters' prints are already up for sale.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in his earlier announcement, upholds the resonance of Japanese culture in the upcoming event. The event will take place starting from July 24 of 2020. Preparations are under way.
