Earlier this week Osaka announced that they had chosen a bizarre, googly-eyed character as their logo for the upcoming 2025 Osaka Expo. And over the next 24 hours the Japanese public reception appeared to shift from utter confusion to disgust and then to adoring the little red creature. The public quickly warmed to Inochi no Kagayaki-chan, an endearing nickname borrowed from the Expo’s theme, and opened their arms to it. From illustrators and bakers to knitters and even monks, remix culture quickly set in and social media has been buzzing with creations. Below are some of our favorites.
Naoki Saito, who is an official Pokemon Card illustrator, created this fantastic takoyaki-themed illustration
Kenta Matsunaga, who runs a bakery in Tokyo called Boulangerie BASSE, created this baked bread version of the logo
the illustrator Astero, who specializes in apocalyptic landscapes, created this rather terrifying scene
Expo 1970 meets Expo 2025 in this illustration by Itotani Siren
Buddhist monk Chikai Matsuzaki re-imagined the logo as prayer beads an created a short sermon based on the Expo theme
Manga artist Tsukumizu, known for the manga series Girls’ Last Tour (少女終末旅行), created this adorable illustration
Knitting studio Yoshieda Seisakujo knitted the logo
