Japanese Mascots

Sento-kun is the mascot of the 1,300th Anniversary of the Heijo-kyo capital in what is now the city of Nara, which will take place in 2010. His name was chosen from more than 14,000 suggestions, although the design has been controversial: it combines the Buddhist monks and the deer for which the area is famous, but many people have commented that the resulting character is not cute. Sento-kun’s profile is here and his name in Japanese is せんとくん.