TOKYO (Reuters) - Eri Suzuki is serious about her goal in life - working in a theme park as a character mascot, one of those oversized, fuzzy creatures that dance and cavort with children. So she came ...

Mascots are a part of everyday life in Japan. They weave into the societal fabric seamlessly. Known as yuru-chara, they represent sports teams, cities, neighborhoods, trains, companies, food items, ...

A deadly heatwave in Japan has claimed the lives of 40 people – including a young man dressed as a mascot dancing at a theme park. Yohei Yamaguchi died on Sunday after collapsing during a dance ...

HANYU, Japan --They’re kooky, cuddly – and for some – a little creepy. In Japan, mascots aren’t warm-up acts. They’re the main event, reports CBS News correspondent Adriana Diaz. It’s been dubbed the ...

More than 100 mascots promoting the charms of their local regions gathered on Saturday for a two-day festival in the western prefecture of Shiga. Costumed characters, whose appearance and attire ...

Representing everything from prisons to safe sex, Japan has literally thousands of mascots, ranging from the uber-cute to the frankly disturbing. As Tokyo 2020 organisers unveil the mascot for the ...

In 2010 we were gifted the inaugural Yuru-chara Grand Prix—an annual contest where it’s up to the public to decide which mascot is the best in the land. Winners have been fêted internationally, ...

TOKYO (Reuters) - Eri Suzuki is serious about her goal in life - working in a theme park as a character mascot, one of those oversized, fuzzy creatures that dance and cavort with children. So she came ...