Watch Cute Japanese Mascots Get Adorably Stuck in Elevators, Trains, and Doorways

Among all of Japan’s kawaii offerings, their myriad of cute mascots may be some of the most noticeable—and hilarious. These characters are known as yuru-chara, and their visibility truly helps raise brand awareness in an amusing way. Beyond their adorable faces, one of their most eye-catching elements is their plumpness. And while their round heads and bellies make them even more endearing and huggable, it certainly makes it harder for them to get around.

Unlike many of the mascots in the U.S., Japan’s are not limited to sports teams and a handful of brands. Rather, there are mascots for everything, from entire regions to organizations, stores, events, and even airports—with famous characters from Sanrio or Pokémon becoming brand ambassadors alongside bespoke creatures, such as Kumamon, created by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture. That's why these mascots are expected to visit plenty of places, meaning they sometimes have to get on elevators, subways, buses… or just navigate narrow staircases and hallways. Fortunately, this often leads to incredibly funny footage of these characters struggling to simply go through a door.

For all the awkwardness these scenes inspire, the plight of these characters may be in line with their mission. When manga artist Jun Miura coined the term yuru-chara in the early 2000s, he also outlined some requirements for these characters. Among these, Miura mentioned that they should be laid-back and lovable, and their movements and demeanor should be unique, uncoordinated, and unpredictable.

While the fact that they may get stuck in a door is not entirely unpredictable given their size, their reactions to it, adding to their incredibly lovable faces, surely can make someone's day and send an even more memorable message.

Scroll down to check out some funny videos and images of Japanese mascots hilariously stuck in various infrastructure.

Japan's mascots, known as yuru-chara are known, among other things, for being big and plump, preventing them from getting around easily.

@butterkayalin we know Mixue Mascot is very popular now but this Donki penguin make my day. Me bad to laugh for its getting stuck walking thru the store. #mascot #fyp #sgtiktok #dondondonki #donki #ilovemascot #penguin ♬ Miracle Shopping – Koiniochite – RSP

This often leads to incredibly funny footage of these characters struggling to simply go through a door.

There are mascots for everything, from entire regions to organizations, stores, events, and even airports.

This means that they sometimes have to get on elevators, subways, buses… or just navigate narrow staircases and hallways.

@thatgunnar Mascot Life. #gamescom #gamescom2023 #lol #fyp #stuck #games #cosplay #life #funny #ohh ♬ Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice

Despite how awkward it must be for the mascots themselves, it’s an undoubtedly hilarious part of the job.

@kyokeuo Them, getting stuck is so SaMo #CapCut #twice_tiktok_official #kpoptiktok #twice #mascotfunnymoments #kpopplushies #samo #DayInJapan #11yearswithsamo #minatozakisana #hiraimomo ♬ original sound – kyoko

@joey_imintoyou #EverydayOlympian #winterolympics #bingdwendwen #sports #olypicsmascot #beijing2022 #beijingwinterolympics ♬ Swing Soon – Zero3 Music

In some extraordinary cases, they can actually get around without getting stuck, but they still make a loving impression.

Source: Japan Explores and Tokyo Express

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Regina Sienra

Regina Sienra is a Staff Writer at My Modern Met. Based in Mexico City, Mexico, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications with specialization in Journalism from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She has 10+ years’ experience in Digital Media, writing for outlets in both English and Spanish. Her love for the creative arts—especially music and film—drives her forward every day.
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