Ruby the Roo and Rose Byrne (Image: Tourism Australia)

Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell unveiled a CGI kangaroo going by Ruby the Roo as “the new Paul Hogan” of Tourism Australia. He made the introduction in Tokyo, Japan, yesterday — the home of the mascot.

Farrell said the non-living larger-than-life brand ambassador voiced by actor Rose Byrne was there to send a “positive and happy message about the opportunities to come to Australia”, but the launch location is no happy coincidence. Mascots — called yuru-kyara — form a huge part of Japanese culture.

In Australia, each state and territory comes has its own coat of arms, badge (of honour), flower, animal, colour(s), and — in case there was any misconception about the enduring influence of the crown — tartan (although there is no tartan for the Northern Territory).

In Japan, all 47 prefectures have their own mascot — and often more than one. Osaka has more than 40 furry representatives. Talk about a healthy dose of democracy.

In the most laid-back and lovable way, each character is designed to represent its region in both body and movement. These characters play a huge role promoting regional tourism in Japan.

“Mascots are used to promote everything in Japan,” Marina Kinno from Japanese travel communications agency TARO told Crikey. “Tourism, food, they’re about trying to invite more people to different areas of Japan.”

In April last year, Japanese officials even launched a cute little nuclear character called Tritium to help explain the release of radioactive wastewater into the ocean. It was there for PR purposes with a brief to assuage anxieties, but even yuru-kyara have their limits. A day later Tritium was terminated and an apology was issued.

It was more of a success story in April this year. During a state visit to Japan, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was greeted by two giant melancholy kiwifruits, dancing in slow lockstep to chamber music.

So is Australia trying to take a leaf out of the Japanese playbook? Is it trying to speak their language? And will it work?

Kinno says that depends: “If this CGI character is going to be a furry character that people can meet, then yes. If not, it’s less powerful. But people in Japan tend to relate more to imaginary characters than real people, so this is definitely a move in the right direction.”

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