Japan has more than its fair share of ridiculous mascots, ranging from the absurdly muscled pot sticker, Chaozu-kun, to the snarky Yoshida-kun representing the country’s least popular prefecture.
But of all the crazy characters, our most favorite mascot to ever represent Japan has got to be Funnashi, the jiggly yellow pear. Just one look at his rotund head and undulating belly, coupled with his somewhat creepy high-pitched voice, and you’ve got something so hilariously bizarre, even a professional newscaster for CNN couldn’t keep it together on live TV.
CNN reporter Kristie Lu Stout was in the studio wrapping up a piece on mascots in Japan. Right before she was supposed to pick up where the Tokyo-based reporter left off, a clip of Funabashi City’s mascot, Funasshi, flashed across the screen. The YouTube clip cuts in late, but if Funasshi’s past is anything to go by, what Kristie saw most likely looked something like the following GIFs:
So understandably, Kristie felt the need to laugh at the creature that could have only come from the minds of Japan. Take a look at the clip and see for yourself:
And if you’d like to know more about Funasshi, we’ve got you covered.
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