Over the past few months, you may have noticed a cartoon character — a boy Buddha wearing deer antlers — appear on signs in stores, arcades and train stations. This is not a new attraction at Disneyland or an advertisement for some other theme park but Sento-kun, the official mascot of the Nara Heijo-kyo Capital 1,300th anniversary celebration, which kicked off April 24.
Over the next six months, a variety of events are planned to mark the occasion.
Officials hope the celebration will raise the region's profile as a major historical tourism destination. But the events have already drawn criticism from residents over economic and logistical issues, and there has been some controversy over the Sento-kun mascot.