Japanese firm reconsidering mascot's name 'Fukuppy' following online ridicule

An Osaka-based Japanese fridge manufacturer has issued an apology letter to it's customers for their latest mascot, 'Fukuppy', after it caused an online outbreak of absolute ridicule.

Fukushima Industries Corp. asserted that it may change the name of the mascot or its spelling in Roman characters, the Japan Times reported.

The company said that the name of their corporate character, because of the way it's written, has been regarded as inappropriate, or misunderstood among English-speaking people.

The unusual moniker, Fukuppy, which is an egg-shaped character with wings and red shoes, combines the first part of the company's name, Fuku, with the last part of the word 'happy'.

 

The name, pronounced "Foo-koo-pee", is supposed to reflect the company's claims that it is a 'happiness creating company', but when said in English, a different pronunciation of the name could conjure up a combination of an obscenity with "up".