The popular "pear fairy" cartoon mascot Funassyi held its first press conference with the foreign media in Tokyo on Thursday, saying its unlikely path to success is a symbol of the country's admiration of perseverance in the face of adversity.

The unofficial mascot of the city of Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, vowed to expand its activities overseas and said it hopes it can be a positive symbol of Japan.

Cities and towns nationwide have created yuru-chara mascots to give their areas a unique, cute face to present to the world. The mascots, which tend to amalgamate symbols of the area's history or star product, are usually thought up by local authorities. Critics say there are way too many of them.