Mascot Mania

Okay, let me just preface by saying I am NOT making this up. There are a lot of things around here that I sometime feel should start with that disclaimer. This is a good one. And, it’s not because this is a stupid or strange idea. It is a matter of just plain ol’ cultural difference.

Where I come from, we don’t seem to have as many mascots, and we don’t seem to go for all things cute… as much. Yeah, we do logos, but we don’t need a character for everything. Then again, Japan may be ahead of us and this is just an indication of what’s to come for folks at home (I say this having read about the trends in branding that developed here during the Edo period.)

Here it is… Japan’s new lay-judges have their very own mascot. He’s a giant, green parakeet. Look how cute!

The justice minister apparently donned the costume at the official announcement this week.

Now, I don’t know exactly what the lay-judge program is all about, but surely, Saiban-inko, as the giant bird is know, will help me with that problem. That’s his job.

I was reading this story in the newspaper over lunch in the staff room today and could not contain my laughter. How odd, it seemed to me to have Big Bird as a judicial mascot. “What is it?” a teacher asked in Japanese. The thing is, to me this is hilarious. To him, it’s just the way it is, and it isn’t really all that funny.