The news was serious, as was the press conference Presentation of the Chairman of the Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau (Japan), Mizuhata Hiroshi. That’s why the red crown with what appeared to be eyes covering his head and neck was so eye-catching.
Hiroshi was speaking about the deteriorating relations between Japan and China, which also affected the tourism industry in Osaka. Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau She stated that this was because the Chinese government called on its citizens to refrain from traveling to JapanNearly 20 hotels in the governorate suffered cancellations of between 50% and 70% of their annual bookings.
Chinese tourists accounted for the largest number of visitors to Osaka nationwide this year, so the tourism bureau has mitigated a sharp decline in their numbers. It plans to strengthen its presence in other regionssuch as Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia.
But back to the strange stuffed animal surrounding his face, there is an explanation. Hiroshi It came from a promotion for the 2025 Osaka International Expo, which has the mascot as Miyako-Miyako. It is a shape-shifting organism whose body consists of a series of cells and water. Its name is an onomatopoeia in Japanese that stands for pulse.
The original mascot is a blue being with a smiling mouth around it The series of red balls displayed by Hiroshi at the press conferencewhose video went viral.
Osaka is known for its semi-aquatic city, thanks to the many rivers that run through it. Hiroshi devoted himself to promoting the city and wore the amulet around his face On many official occasions related to Osaka Expo.