Hundreds of mascots face chop with finance ministry budget cuts

I think some people would say the politicians also have those same issues.

Indeed waste of money.

Don't think Kumamon will be axed since it's working for Kumamoto Prefecture. I would guess this is performance based. There indeed are a lot of wasteful mascot characters which do not accomplish anything in terms of changing public perception, etc. And many mascots were just created because others had one.

Sense at last?

And, although a start, they really do need to focus on the real wastes of tax payers monies. Bridges to nowhere, parties, travel, sweetners, pork barells etc, etc, etc.

Kumamon is great. But I agree that they should axe all those countless mascots that you look at and go "WTF is that?". Funashii may be an exception because it's really funny.

Fukuppy!

Ganbarre, Kumamon !

Not a good idea. It's just going to create a bigger problem once these mascots start living in parks and under bridges.

I suggest a Hunger Games Death Match style contest to decide who gets culled. I'll be Fuji-Pyon, and Kumamon is getting both barrels early doors

Whenever a bureaucrat finds a way to spend money on something this is what happens. Hundreds of mascots (or whatever) that serve no real purpose other than to exist. The people in government are always seeking ways to increase their budgets and justify their existence. The truly miraculous thing is that there is even an attempt to rationalizing such an extravagantly stupid waste of the publics scarce resources.

I do recall I pointed out what a waste of money this crap was a few weeks ago and was voted down and told it didn't cost much. Ahem. Glad to see folks are coming to their senses with this BS>

so strange that only a few months ago we were reading articles about the positive image mascots gave to the military and other agencies. Even Zoos!

now all of a sudden they are a waste of time and money- or is it that there is a need to cut spending and the projects of real waste are not going to be touched- but these will be ...

Most politicians are mascots for their electorate, should investigate them?

Some DAMNED good news for once!!! Yeee HAWWWW!

Now start axing the politicians & useless civil servants & we can save some serious $$$$$!

Hundreds of mascots face chop with finance ministry budget cuts

Oh, chop them, please chop them!

I suggest they marry off and if they are like the Japanese they will not have kids. In a decade or two problem solved.

Kumamon is staying because it has helped tourism in southern Kyushu tremendously and is still a huge moneymaker in terms of licensed merchandising.

Farmboy

I wonder how mascots will be evaluated. Will they have to take a test? ... Maybe they could run a "Japanese Idol" contest on TV and have people vote out the mascots they don't recognize.

The mascots should be escorted to the chopping block by the wasteful bureaucrats and politicians who though a cute public service is somehow an effective one.

Well, they aren't necessarly that wasteful an idea. The Kumamon and Funashi characters are still raking in a staggering amount of extra revenue for their respective local governments due to their enduing popularity. So, clearly, these characeters do their appointed job in some cases.

In the Japanese world of mascots and "image" characters, lightning only has to strike once to see a success. Each government organization took it's chances, rolled the die, and waited to see if they won. And in any game of chance, particularly one as fickle as the Japanese public's reception of "cute" characters, there are bound to be both winners and losers. This retirement of unsuccessful characters isn't an indictment of the idea. It's simply the natural progression of an business idea that didn't catch on as well as others.

If the money isn't spent on mascots, it might be spent on something even dumber.

I think restricting mascots to 2-D form would be a fair compromise.

Can one be a mascot if there is no purpose?

The mascots should be escorted to the chopping block by the wasteful bureaucrats and politicians who though a cute public service is somehow an effective one.

I hope they don't cut Dioxo-kin, the mascot of rubbish incineration, or Chikan-kun, the mascot of city subways with 4 hands.

LMMFAO lets see if the finance ministry cut the funding for the 2020 Olympic mascot!

@choiwaruoyaji We shouldn't do anything to reduce Japan's cuteness factor. unfortunately i think youve been totally assimilated.

Just so as long as they keep Kumamon...!!

I have no issue with the mascots per se, but the incessant bombardment in the media (looking at you, Kumamoto) is what bothers me...

Good. I loathe them.

A 'chopping' of the mascots?

Sounds like a horror flick....

Good.

Spending public money on these mascots that bring a little happiness to many is much better than wasting on that fascicle whale research in the southern oceans.

It is true that the government should refrain from spending money on things that do not support core government functions - like whale "research." At the rate things are going it will not be long before the population of mascots will exceed the population of children to enjoy them. Besides it's not as if there is a shortage of 'cute' in Japan to bring happiness to the populace. Even government instructions on recycling are filled with cute characters. There are a surprising number of publications of all sorts that are manga-like.

They don't dare get rid of Funasshi, or else that crazy lawyer lady on TV might just off herself!

If anything, we need more of these.

We shouldn't do anything to reduce Japan's cuteness factor.

These mascots are not that bad. I don't get into them, but many people do. Spending public money on these mascots that bring a little happiness to many is much better than wasting on that fascicle whale research in the southern oceans.