"Chiri-Chan": Meet the Official Mascot of Chile for the Expo Osaka 2025
This Humboldt penguin will have a prominent role in promoting the country during the 20 theme weeks that Chile will have during its participation in this event, as well as on National Day, scheduled for next May 12th.
A Humboldt penguin, an adventurous traveler, guided by curiosity and awe at the world around him. This is how "Chiri-Chan" (チリちゃん, in Japanese), the official mascot representing the country at the 2025 World Expo, which will be held in Osaka (Japan) from April 13 to October 13, defines itself.
After a survey on the official networks of Chile at the Osaka Expo 2025 to choose the name of the mascot, more than 600 people vote, with that name winning more than 54% of the votes, which is a combination of the country's name with "Chan", a Japanese suffix that expresses affection and closeness and is used to refer to close people, especially children, close friends, and pets.
The General Commissioner of Chile for the Expo Osaka 2025, Paulina Nazal, comments that "having a mascot for the country's presence at the Expo will help us enhance the Chilean Pavilion and the activities that will begin in May, especially now that National Day is approaching on May 12th. The Japanese public has a strong affinity for this type of promotional action and we believe it will be very well received, just as the 'Makün, the Mantle of Chile', which is the centerpiece of our pavilion, has been".
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As Nazal explains, "Chiri-Chan" is a reminder that the future of the planet depends on how we take care of its waters, its creatures, and its stories, something that connects with 'Saving Lives", which is the district where the Chilean pavilion is located".
Meanwhile, the General Director of ProChile, Ignacio Fernández, says that "one of the objectives of our participation in this World Expo is to strengthen our country's image in Japan, where actions like this greatly help to link the visiting public with the Chile brand and the various Chilean export sectors of goods and services, that will be present during the 20 thematic weeks planned for the coming months".
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Fernandez also thanks the joint work between the Imagen de Chile Foundation and the ProChile team to achieve the development of a mascot that is a living symbol of conservation, exploration and the unwavering connection between Chile and Japan.
More than 85 thousand people have visited the Chilean pavilion since the opening of the Expo Osaka 2025 on April 13th.
