With the Japanese public smitten with adorable or bizarre costumed characters created to promote localities or events, some foreign embassies are not missing out on the chance to catch a ride on the massive mascot boom.
Collectively called "yuru-chara," which translates as "loose or soft characters" for their laid-back feel and unrefined image, unlike mascots such as Hello Kitty, the characters are taking on unique roles as "cultural ambassadors" for the Israel Embassy and other diplomatic missions in Tokyo.
Ronen Medzini, head of the Israeli Embassy's press and information section, which was the first to produce an original mascot, said his country faces the "problem of branding" as the media often depict Israel as a place of conflict.