Japan has every kind of character and mascot you can imagine. It's said that over 80% of Japanese people own some sort of character or mascot-related merchandise. An affinity for images of this kind has been around in Japan for centuries, and with th... (more)e 21st century has come a new breed of character: a "virtual idol" that gives live concerts. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is characters and mascots. Loved all over Japan, they offer deep insights into the country's culture.

Peter Barakan, Stuart Varnam-Atkin