I love how Pipo-kun, the police’s giant orange mascot with big ears and a blue hat, simply waits for the light to change amidst the weekend shoppers in Shinjuku san chome. In the photo, it looks like no one’s paying him much attention. In fact, I saw many Japanese and foreigners excitedly posing with Pipo-kun. Below you can see his “handler,” who guided him along this public appearance.
I was surprised to discover recently that Pipo kun, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police mascot, comes in many generations. Normally he’s the youthful character with open mouth and clothed only in a belt and shoulder strap (center image). But as I discovered on a rare visit to Roppongi in the evening hours, he can also be seen as a baby with a bottle, a girl, a housewife, a salaryman, grandma and grandpa with a cane. I am not sure how much protection all these characters offer, but I guess they are cute.
Only in Japan do the police have a super-cute mascot, Pipo-kun (ピ-ポくん). On my first day of my prestigous fellowship, outside of corporate headquarters in Marunouchi Tokyo, I had to go up and shake his hand.
In a city that most foreigners consider super safe, the mascot and his human companions were promoting safety by handing out mesh bags for bicycle baskets and paper tissues.
Tokyo Moe 