HANYU, Japan — They\u2019re kooky, cuddly \u2013 and for some \u2013 a little creepy.
In Japan, mascots aren\u2019t warm-up acts. They\u2019re the main event, reports CBS News correspondent Adriana Diaz.
It\u2019s been dubbed the capital of cute, and at the World Character Summit outside Tokyo, you can see why.
\u201cYou can love mascots just like people,\u201d Miya Naruse told us. \u201cEverything about them is cute.\u201d
World Character Summit in Hanyu, Japan
Cuteness, or kawaii in Japanese, dominates pop culture. That\u2019s why from young to old, the Japanese are smitten. But don\u2019t be fooled, mascots are master salesmen. By one estimate, the character business generates nearly $16 billion a year.
Danny Choo, son of shoemaker Jimmy Choo, makes a living off his doll-like mascot named Mirai. She\u2019s an official tourism ambassador for Japan, appearing on planes and buses. Choo said in Japan, mascots are an essential marketing tool.
\u201cWhether it\u2019s like for branding or to like bring in new customers\u2026 folks who like a particular character, they will go and buy those goods,\u201d Choo said.
The government alone has thousands of them. Take Pipo-kun, a member of Tokyo police, or the bowl-shaped toilet-kun, with waste management. There\u2019s also the disarming Waka-P, who promotes a prison, of all things, and not one to be left out, Tom, the U. S. embassy mascot.
But for every D-lister, some hit it big and cash in. The feisty Pear Funassyi earns millions a year through merchandizing. It even has a hit single.
Domo, the mascot for Japan\u2019s public broadcaster, has appeared in U. S. ads for 7-Eleven and Target.
But when it comes to celebrity, Kumamon is king. The official mascot for Kumamoto Prefecture has more than half a million Twitter followers and has generated billions through tourism and bear-related products.
So, how does one become a mascot? There\u2019s a school for that. Owner Choko Ohira is a mascot veteran.
\u201cIt\u2019s common knowledge that when you want to draw a crowd, use a mascot,\u201d Ohira said. \u201cSo lots of companies and organizations are creating their own to boost their profile.\u201d
She teaches exaggerated moves that will work under heavy suits, and the non-negotiable mascot code: never break character, or admit there\u2019s a human inside. That\u2019s why we weren\u2019t allowed to film them suiting up.
Shinji Kumamoto, 51, gave up computer programming for a mascot career.
\u201cIn my regular life, I\u2019m just a middle-aged guy,\u201d Kumamoto said. \u201cBut in costume\u2026I can forget myself and be someone else.\u201d
\u201cIf you can make the mascot move like it\u2019s alive, then there\u2019s no deception,\u201d Ohira said. \u201cBut that requires proper technique.\u201d
Hard work that generates billions, but the currency of smiles and hugs may have no match.<\/p>\n