TOKYO –
A long-running legal battle between two nearly identical Japanese mascots, Chiitan and Shinjo-kun, is heading to the Supreme Court after the city of Susaki in Kochi Prefecture announced on October 21 that it had appealed a ruling ordering it to pay 18.87 million yen in damages to the operator of Chiitan.
Shinjo-kun, the official mascot of Susaki, was created in 2013 and became a popular local character, attracting crowds at shopping districts and public events. Its popularity grew nationwide after it won the Yuru-Chara Grand Prix in 2016, a competition celebrating Japan’s regional promotional mascots.
Chiitan, meanwhile, was introduced in 2017 as an officially recognized character of the Akihabara Tourism Promotion Association in Tokyo. The two mascots bear a striking resemblance to each other, having been created by the same designer.
Initially, the characters maintained friendly relations and even appeared together at promotional events. However, their relationship gradually deteriorated after Chiitan began posting increasingly extreme videos on social media, raising concerns among officials in Susaki.
In 2019, the city filed a lawsuit against the company operating Chiitan, alleging copyright infringement involving Shinjo-kun and seeking, among other measures, a ban on the use of Chiitan costumes.
The dispute subsequently developed into a broader legal confrontation. In 2021, Chiitan’s operator filed a counterclaim seeking 43 million yen in damages, arguing that Susaki’s allegations of copyright infringement had caused financial losses.
The Tokyo District Court ruled in favor of Chiitan’s operator in 2025, ordering Susaki to pay 7.86 million yen in compensation. The city challenged the decision and took the case to the Intellectual Property High Court.
On October 7, the Intellectual Property High Court increased the compensation to 18.87 million yen, finding that officials on the Susaki side had recognized, when Chiitan was created, that the new character would resemble Shinjo-kun.
The ruling represented a further setback for the city, which had originally sought to prevent the use of the rival mascot on copyright grounds.
However, Susaki announced on October 21 that it had filed an appeal against the latest decision, refusing to accept the higher court’s judgment.
The dispute, which began with two mascots sharing the same designer and appearing together at public events, will now move to Japan’s Supreme Court, marking the latest development in a legal battle that has continued for more than seven years.
Source: FNN