Before the pandemic, the Japanese designer who created the Olympic and Paralympic mascots predicted that they would become the ¡°face of the Games.¡±
It hasn¡¯t quite turned out that way. The two mascots are ubiquitous in the Olympic merchandise being sold around Tokyo as the Games unfold. But in a country where mascots play a major role in corporate branding and merchandising, they have mostly been a subdued presence at the very event they were made for.
The Japanese public is not really swooning over them either, according to fans and experts who study the country¡¯s mascot industry. The mascots¡¯ social media profiles are modest, and a common complaint is that their names ¡ª Miraitowa and Someity ¡ª are hard to remember.
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