Mascot of Taiwan program in Osaka proves popular with high merch demand

Osaka, Aug. 2 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Culture (MOC) on Saturday officially launched the "We TAIWAN" cultural program on Osaka's Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program's mascot receiving overwhelming popularity.

According to the MOC, the cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan from April 13 to Oct. 13.

On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named "a-We," proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand.

On Saturday, long lines formed for the opening of the a-We merch shop at 10 a.m., and stuffed keychains and paperweight gashapons were selling fast.

Over 100 units of gashapon balls and stuffed a-We goods were sold within 10 minutes of the store's opening, according to Taiwan's General Association of Chinese Culture (GACC), which helped design the mascot.

Over 100 people visited the shop immediately after its opening, the association said.

Aside from the a-We merch, other popular items in the shop included socks and smartphone covers designed in Taiwan, according to the employees.

They told reporters that they were surprised to see hats emblazoned with the a-We emblem also flying off the shelves.

A Japanese patron told reporters that she started following the X account of the "We TAIWAN" cultural program as soon as she learned about a-We, which she thinks is as cute, if not cuter, than the Expo 2025 mascot Myaku-Myaku.

The woman was herself decked out entirely in Myaku-Myaku merch.

Meanwhile, three Taiwanese expats in Japan told CNA that they had to line up outside the a-We store for a long time and immediately donned the hats they bought there.

As the mascot of the program, a-We was also featured in other ways as part of the cultural program.

For example, at the free "Taiwan Spectrum" art show at the Grand Green Osaka venue, it was announced that the first 50 visitors each day would receive free a-We stickers.

The "We TAIWAN" program features performances and exhibitions at various locations along the Nakanoshima sandbank, including the Grand Green Osaka venue, the Nakanoshima Children's Book Forest, the Nakanoshima park area, and the Osaka City Central Public Hall.

The program has four key themes --- "The Power of Play," "Blended Colors," "Creativity that Crosses Over" and "Dynamic Energy" --- according to the MOC.

One of the highlights will be a special performance called "A Ritual of Gratitude Before the Temple," which was booked by the organizers of Expo 2025 Osaka.

That performance, featuring nine Taiwanese performing groups, will be held Aug. 26-28 at the city's Pop-Up Stage North, Yumeshima, according to the MOC.