KUMAMOTO (Kyodo) — Kumamon, the cuddly Japanese black bear-like character whose fame has spread overseas, has missed out on becoming a runner for the 2020 Olympic torch relay, officials familiar with the matter said Saturday.
The Kumamoto prefectural government had sounded out the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympics on whether its chubby mascot could participate in the relay, but the idea was rejected partly because the character “is not a human being,” the officials said.
Continue reading the story here.
