To be honest, I truly believe that the potential of mascots is far greater than what we see today. Having worked directly on the ground, I have been amazed time and time again by the incredible passion of the fans. I believe mascots have grown this far precisely because there are people who genuinely support them.

On the other hand, I have also felt a sense of regret that this passionate support does not fully translate into visible results or economic power for local regions. This is not a problem with the mascots themselves; it is a problem with the system. We cannot change this situation simply by continuing the same old methods. Although we tried to explore improvements within existing frameworks, there were limits to what we could change from the inside. That is why we decided to launch the World LocalCharacters Grand Prix. ourselves.

We truly want to build a system where support from fans does not end as just vague enthusiasm, but is clearly visualized, turned into real value, and directly connected to the local economy. A system where every single vote and action from a fan becomes a force that moves not only the mascot, but the entire town itself.

Japan’s mascot culture is a powerful content that can still compete on the global stage. Through this Grand Prix, we want to expand that endless potential together with all of you.