The Olympic mascots, Miraitowa and Someity aren’t winning any medals

Mascots play an important role in branding campaigns in Japan. The Olympic and Paralympic mascots were designed by a Japanese designer who prophesied that they would become the “face of the games” before the pandemic. That hasn't exactly been the case. The two mascots are featured prominently in Olympic products sold across Tokyo. However, in a country where mascots are heavily used in corporate branding and merchandise, they have largely been absent from the event for which they were created.

According to fans and specialists who study Japan's mascot industry, the Japanese public isn't particularly enamoured of them. The mascots' social media pages are sparse, and their names, Miraitowa and Someity are notoriously difficult to recall. Miraitowa is the Olympic mascot and the Paralympic mascot is Someity. The Paralympics are set to take place from August 24 to September 5 in Tokyo.

Every Olympic Games has had a mascot since 1972

Since 1972, there has been an official mascot for every Olympic Games. Miraitowa and Someity are competing in a crowded local field because Japan already has thousands of quirky creatures known as yuru-chara that were designed to advertise their hometowns. Kumamon, a cuddly bear from Kumamoto who helped popularise the yuru-chara movement approximately a decade ago is maybe Japan's most well-known mascot. 

The Olympic and Paralympic mascots each have roughly 15,000 Instagram followers as of Wednesday, compared to Chiitan a "fairy baby" mascot from Susaki, who has over 900,000. In two years, Miraitowa has only posted 70 times on the platform. 

Children identify Miraitowa and Someity as Pokémon characters

Miraitowa and Someity may have been popular with children who identify their appearance with Pokémon characters, according to Chris Carlier, a British writer and cartoonist in Tokyo who runs Mondo Mascots, a website.

The name Miraitowa is a combination of the terms "future" and "eternity." Someity's is a play on the English term "so mighty" and a version of a popular type of cherry tree that has fascinated and delighted Japanese people for ages. The checkered design on the mascots gives them the appearance of walking racing flags. 

Miraitowa has been posting photos from sporting venues across Tokyo on Instagram since the Games began last week. Olympic medalists are also given Miraitowas as part of their flower bouquets, and the two mascots have appeared on television on occasion.

Image- @miraitowa/Instagram