Voice of 2025 Osaka expo mascot Myaku-Myaku unveiled 1 year before opening

TOKYO -- The voice of Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot character of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka was recently unveiled for the first time in the Japanese capital.

The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition released a video of the character speaking at an event in Tokyo on April 13, a year before the expo's opening. In the video, Myaku-Myaku greets the audience in a whisper, saying, "Hello," in Japanese. When encouraged by the audience, the mascot says "Hello" again.

A public relations representative with the association said that they want to promote Myaku-Myaku by having the character speak more at events and other opportunities in the future. They added, "You can expect that the mascot will gradually learn more words."

The Japanese noun "myaku" means pulse, while "myaku myaku" means "steadily for a long time." The mascot's name is meant to imply the inheriting of wisdom, technology, history, culture and international connections. Its blue part represents clean water and the red part cells.

(Japanese original by Yuki Machino, Business News Department)