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Multi-million-dollar Myaku-Myaku donation<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s been nearly a year since the closing of the 2025 World Expo in Osaka<\/a>, but its official mascot, the gooey humanoid Myaku-Myaku<\/strong><\/a> has managed to secure a popularity that has transcended the event it was created to represent. Myaku-Myaku goods are still widely sold, and game centers are still well stocked with crane games offering chances at plush toys and other goods bearing its moist likeness.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a rather surprising turn of events for the mascot after its debut in 2022, which left people unsure of how to feel about its characteristics<\/a>, both cute, such as its big smile and stubby little legs, and grotesque, such as its head looking like bloody entrails.<\/p>\n \u25bc Early Myaku-Myaku fan art.<\/p>\n \u30b7\u30cb\u30b2\u30fc\u304f\u3093 pic.twitter.com\/kiBndmNDva<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 \u8272\u7d19\u306e\u5996\u7cbe\u3057\u304d\u3063\u3057\u30fc (@SIKISSYfacerock) April 26, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n But over the years, people by and large seemed to really warm up to Myaku-Myaku. Its post-Expo activities have only continued to grow into projects such as a tastefully erotic photo book<\/a>.<\/p>\n And now, a surprise donation to the City of Osaka may very well cement the mascot\u2019s legacy for generations to come. Reports have recently come in that business owner Keihachi Fukunishi and his wife Akiyo Fukunishi, both 85, have given 200 million yen each, for a total of 400 million (US$2.5 million) yen to the city<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u25bc There were already several statues at the venue, but the materials weren\u2019t intended for permanent use.<\/p>\n The couple\u2019s donation came with a request that a statue of Myaku-Myaku be erected on the site where the Expo was held<\/strong>. At a press event where Keihachi and Akiyo received letters of appreciation, the husband told reporters the Myaku-Myaku \u201cis a symbol. Just as the Tower of the Sun defined the Senri Expo Park, Myaku-Myaku defines the Osaka-Kansai Expo.\u201d<\/p>\n He makes an interesting comparison too. The Tower of the Sun was the centerpiece of the 1970 Expo, which was also held in Osaka and also wasn\u2019t without controversy when first unveiled. Its creator, Taro Okamoto, created it in almost direct opposition to the post-moon-landing Expo\u2019s overarching theme of technological progress by filling his statue with organic and tribalistic imagery.<\/p>\n \u25bc The Tower of the Sun<\/p>\n However, by the end of that Expo, it was widely lauded as a masterpiece and still stands today, designated as a national tangible cultural property. Perhaps Myaku-Myaku\u2019s own shockingly organic appearance and subsequent rise to prominence reminded the Fukunishis of the Tower of the Sun, and they wanted to entrench the mascot\u2019s legacy in the same way.<\/p>\n In response, Osaka mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama said, \u201cI would like to accelerate deliberation so that Myaku-Myaku can take its place alongside the Grand Ring as a new symbol of this site.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Another of the Expo\u2019s highlights was the massive wooden Grand Ring that encompassed much of the venue and measured about two kilometers (1.2 miles) in circumference. All but a 200-meter stretch of it has been slated for demolition to make room for Japan\u2019s first integrated resort and casino<\/a>, which will be built next to a commemorative park that honors the Expo.<\/p>\n However, many readers of the news online were irked by Yokoyama\u2019s promise to \u201caccelerate deliberation\u201d (kento wo kasoku<\/em>), a typical non-committal phrase used by politicians to essentially say, \u201cWe\u2019ll think about whether we want to do this or not as soon as we can.\u201d On the other hand, some wonder if building a giant Myaku-Myaku statue might end up costing the people of Osaka in the long run.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, will they give the money back if they decide not to do it after their accelerated deliberations?\u201d<\/em> The theory in that last comment seems very plausible. Given the age of the donors, it is entirely possible that they have no one who they need to leave the money to. Even if they do have heirs, a large chunk gets taken out in taxes, so why not pre-empt that along with a request as to how they\u2019d like to see it spent?<\/p>\n They didn\u2019t even say all the money needed to go into the statue, just that they\u2019d like that to be done as a part of the donation. That being said, the idea of a giant Statue-of-Liberty-style Myaku-Myaku<\/a> in the harbor of Osaka, defining the city\u2019s skyline and welcoming everyone arriving by air and sea, is very appealing to me, and I\u2019m not even that big a fan of the character.<\/p>\n Source: ABC News<\/a>, Hachima Kiko<\/a><\/em> Multi-million-dollar Myaku-Myaku donation. It\u2019s been nearly a year since the closing of the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, but its official mascot, the gooey humanoid Myaku-Myaku has managed to secure…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8153"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8153\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/09\/IMG_2796.jpg?w=640\")
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\n\u201cWhat is this accelerated deliberation nonsense? Just get it going so it\u2019s built in time for that elderly couple to see it!\u201d<\/em>
\n\u201cI hate hearing \u2018accelerate deliberation,\u2019 because it means it\u2019ll probably never happen.\u201d<\/em>
\n\u201cThey\u2019d do a lot more good by donating that money to fix the many deteriorating drainage pumps in the southern part of the city.\u201d<\/em>
\n\u201cI wonder if the donors thought about maintenance costs. Seems a bit arrogant to me.\u201d<\/em>
\n\u201cIf they love Myaku-Myaku so much, why not build the statue in their own home?\u201d<\/em>
\n\u201cAsking for a Myaku-Myaku statue just because you donate money gives me the same unsettling vibes as a corporation donating money for certain favors.\u201d<\/em>
\n\u201cThat\u2019s a wonderful idea. They probably decided to donate the money while they\u2019re still alive rather than just have it taken in inheritance taxes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\nPhotos \u00a9SoraNews24<\/em>
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