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Olympic characters face stiff competition in mascot-mad Japan • FRANCE 24 English

FRANCE24, 21 Jul 2021
Tokyo 2020's cutesy Olympic mascots are plastered across the host city, but they have competition in mascot-mad Japan, where cuddly characters promote everything from prisons to health screenings. In the land of Hello Kitty and Pokemon, adorable creatures give a friendly face to private businesses and public institutions alike, and the most successful have full-on celebrity status.

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