Funassyi, Funabashi’s mascot
Funassyi is a non-official mascot but it’s won the famous local mascot contest in 2013 all the same: it is the spirit of a pear, Funabashi’s specialty, and it’s bursting with energy, which it will show you at Japan Expo!
presentation
It doesn’t seem so but Funassyi is 1875 years old! Its parents were ordinary pear trees; it’s a nashi spirit, nashi being a type of Japanese pears. It may be rude and a bit of a liar sometimes, but it’s basically a good pear.
It comes down on Earth every 2000 years: so Japan Expo is lucky to welcome this mascot who is not an official one but yet has become one of people’s favorite in Japan. Funassyi will be here to show you its city of Funabashi, in Chiba prefecture.
funassyi's history
July 4, 138
Funassyi’s birth
November 2011
The twitter account @funassyi is opened
April 2012
The God of nashi commands Funassyi to go down on Earth after a 2000 years’ absence, to relaunch Earth’s economy and promote nashi, Funabashi’s specialty
November 2012
Funassyi ends 506th (with 865 entrants) at the Yuru-Kyara mascot contest 2012?
February 2013
Funassyi appears in a commercial for Asahi tea: thanks to its lively and agile movements, he gets spotted by the media
April 2013
The first Funassyi goodies are sold in Japan
July 2013
The DVD Funa no mikusu is released and on September 9, it rises to the 5th rank of the weekly best DVD sales
August 2013
Funassyi wins the Local Mascot Contest 2013 (480 entrants), way ahead of the second (11,220 points to 7,840 points)
October 2013
Funassyi gets a merit prize from the city of Funabashi
November 2013
The word “Funassyi” is selected among 50 others at the Most Popular Expression Award 2013
The CD Funa Funa Funassyi -? is released: it goes straight to the 8th rank of the Oricon top in the first week
December 2013
Funassyi’s voice is at the first rank of 2013 voice ringtones 2013 on the websites dwango.jp and recochoku
February 2014
Funassyi makes its debut in Taiwan
April 2014
Funassyi makes the ceremony launch of the baseball match Chiba Lotte vs Saitama Seibu
Funassyi reaches 620,000 followers on Twitter, more than Funabashi’s number of inhabitants (619,812)