The cute character bares his pecs in the fight against stranger danger, where children are told to remember the words “Squid Sushi” to protect them from harm.

From airports to hemp plants, everything you can think of has a cute, wide-eyed mascot helping to promote it in Japan. Even the Tokyo Metropoiltan Police Department has an adorable character called Pipo-kun, who’s been fronting campaigns, posters and promotional goods for law enforcement since he first appeared on the scene back in 1987.

According to his profile, Pipo-kun has the features of a variety of different animals, with a large pair of eyes to see into every nook and corner of society, oversized ears to hear the voices of Tokyo residents, and an antenna to quickly pick up on changes in the public.

Part of Pipo-kun’s job involves appearing in videos for the police force, with a number of anime clips appearing on the Tokyo Metropoiltan Police Department’s official YouTube channel. These short videos are designed to educate young children about matters such as the importance of handing in found items, how to cross the street safely, and the dangers of shoplifting.

Now celebrating his 30th year on the scene, Pipo-kun has surprised viewers of a recent clip by transforming from a cute and friendly young boy into a stern-looking, muscly chest-baring man called “Super Pipo-kun”.

His transformation, which can be seen in the video discussing stranger danger, occurs when Pipo-kun’s little sister, Piko-chan, calls for her brother’s help after being cajoled into following a colourful stranger. Calling on all his strength to find her, he suddenly transforms into Super Pipo-kun!

Take a look at the transformation, which begins at 3:08 in the video below.

In all his thirty years of fronting the Tokyo Metropolitan Poice Department, this is the first time that anyone’s seen the cute character anthropomorphise into a man. The temporary transformation has generated a lot of attention in Japan, with media outlets reporting on Pipo-kun’s physical development and social media buzzing with talk of the new character, who unlike the naked mascot, decides to wear a pair of trousers for his human appearance.

Even more interesting in the clip is the advice Pipo-kun gives to children, telling them what to do when a stranger calls out to them. According to Pipo-kun, they should remember the words “Ika no O-sushi” or “Squid Sushi“.

Ika stands for ikanai which means do not go (with them); no stands for noranai, which means don’t get into (a car with them); o stands for ogoe o dasu, which means raise your voice or shout; su stands for sugu nigeru, which means run away immediately; and shi stands for otona no hito ni shiraseru, which means tell an adult.

For more informative videos featuring the cute mascot on his adventures around town, be sure to check out the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department official YouTube channel. Now that Pipo-kun’s celebrating his 30th year in Tokyo, who knows what he’ll get up to next!

Source: Net Lab
Featured Image: YouTube/警視庁公式チャンネル
Insert images: YouTube/警視庁公式チャンネル