by 
Sayonara, Tawawa-chan. It’s a shame you fell into the trap.
Japan is famous for its cute and cuddly mascots, which add charm to everything from businesses to regions and tourist attractions. However, it turns out that there may be a dark side behind the characters’ cheerful smiles and expressions.
The news recently came to light following the surprise ending of Kyoto Tower mascot Tawawa-chanOriginally created in 2004 to mark the 40th anniversary of the construction of Kyoto Tower, Tawawa-chan became one of the city’s most well-known and beloved characters, and was often present to greet visitors at the tower’s observation deck.
Tawawa chan’s cute resemblance to Kyoto Tower and wide-eyed expression made her a fan favorite, who were able to take her home in the form of cute plushies and merchandise sold in the gift shop.
Unfortunately, the sweet character will no longer be present in the tower in any form, as her contract has expired and, due to a conflict between the two parties who had an interest in her, it has been decided that She would no longer work for the Kyoto Tower.
The news was made public with statements from both parties, the first being the tower’s operating company, Keihan Hotels & Resortswho posted this message on July 11:
“Notice regarding the end of activities of the mascot Tawawa-chan
Keihan Hotels & Resorts Co., Ltd. will terminate Tawawa-chan-related activities due to the expiration of the character license agreement on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.
Thank you for your support over the past 20 years.
“At the end of the Tawawa-chan character activity, the Tawawa-chan shrine located on the observation deck and the sale of Tawawa-chan products will be gradually discontinued. We thank you for your understanding.”
The second statement comes from Tawawa-chan’s creator, the artist Akira Sakuraiwho goes by the name “Moheron” online and is the President and CEO of Moheron Studio.
The above statement, released on July 20, reveals the sad details behind this sudden termination.
“About the end of Tawawa-chan
With the end of the character Tawawa-chan’s affair with Kyoto Tower, the contract of the character who has been loved by fans for nearly 20 years has ended. We unfortunately surprised everyone with the sudden news of the contract termination. As an artist, I feel incredibly sad.
On the other hand, as a creator, I have some concerns about the use of characters these days for the clients who use them.
Rather than letting the client and creator develop a character together, the client seems to think that he is giving value to the character because he is developing and promoting it. Therefore, he seems to think that creators’ compensation should be low.
I feel like we have become desensitized to setting remuneration based on the abilities and roles of artists and creators.
As for Tawawa-chan, the character usage fees have been virtually free for 20 years and are not profitable. All of our multiple negotiations to set a usage fee have been completely rejected.
I am grateful to the people at Kyoto Tower who have helped me develop this character since its creation. However, as a company, their compensation for the creator was completely unacceptable. Then, this year (a few months ago), while we were in the process of negotiating the character license usage fees, we received a unilateral notice from the other party terminating the negotiations.
This is no longer a discussion about money.
Believing that this is a matter of treatment and recognition of artists/creators, and not a company we can partner with in terms of compliance, we have decided to end the activity of the character Tawawa-chan with Kyoto Tower.
In addition, we have confirmed the unauthorized use of licenses and undeclared sales of some Tawawa-chan derivative products. We are entering into negotiations with lawyers regarding this matter. We are prepared to fight to the end on this issue in order to assert the creators’ rights.
Finally, regarding the future of Tawawa-chan, the rights to the character will come back to me (Moheron = Akira Sakurai).
We hope that Tawawa-chan can be involved in new activities in the future.
THANKS.”
Rumors about the real reasons for the termination had already begun to spread before Tawawa-chan’s creator spoke out, with some speculating that it was somehow related to the Kyoto Tower’s renaming in April 2024. Kyoto Nidec Towerdue to a new naming rights deal with Nidec, a Japanese manufacturer and distributor of electric motors. The rumors led Keihan Hotels & Resorts to release the statement below on July 19.
“Regarding certain posts on social media sites etc.
Regarding the recently announced termination of the character license agreement by Keihan Hotels & Resorts Co., Ltd., there are posts related to Nidec Co., Ltd. on some social media sites, etc. However, these are not facts and differ from our official announcements and opinions, and Nidec Corporation has no connection with this matter.
As previously mentioned, this statement was made a day before Tawawa-chan’s creator made his announcement, leading many netizens to side with the creator in this matter. However, regardless of the reason for the termination, fans were surprised and saddened by the news, stating:
“I’m so sad that Tawawa-chan is no longer here.”
“When I was little, I loved my Tawawa-chan plush toy, I remember crying when I lost it once, and my mother, panicked, bought it again. We were together everywhere we went. It’s a character that I’ve always loved and of whom I have fond memories.”
“I hope Tawawa-chan can be resurrected one day.”
“Thanks for the memories, Tawawa-chan.”
“It’s a pity, because when I thought of Kyoto Tower, I thought of Tawawa-chan.”
After 20 years of bringing smiles to Kyoto Tower visitors, Tawawa-chan’s departure truly marks the end of an era. However, the tower is wasting no time in moving on: the shrine was removed on July 11, and character merchandise was removed from the official store on July 20, which is also the date Tawawa-chan held her final meet-and-greet on the observation deck, where fans were left in tears during the farewell.
Tawawa-chan’s official Instagram account was deleted from the site on July 20, so the only remaining chance to see her now is at the dedicated UFO catcher and the tower’s commemorative medal and sticker machines, available until 9:00 PM on July 23.
It’s sad to see such an adorable character get her license taken away so suddenly and unexpectedly, but since Sakurai retains the rights to her, hopefully this isn’t the final goodbye. With her creator also having given birth to Hikonyan, the famous cat character from the city of Hikone (for which Sakurai successfully fought to get a better licensing deal) and the Hankyu Railway hiking characters Pyon-chan and Non-chan, we might be lucky enough to see a new spinoff character soon.
Source: Kyoto Tower (1, 2, 3), Twitter/@MoheronStudio by Net Lab
Featured Image: @Press
Insert images: @Press
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