A Humboldt penguin, an adventurous traveler, driven by curiosity and wonder at the world around him. This is how "Chiri-Chan" (チリちゃん, in Japanese), the official mascot that will represent the country at the World Expo 2025, which takes place in Osaka (Japan) between April 13 and October 13, is defined.

Origin of the name

After a poll through Chile's official networks at Expo Osaka 2025 to choose the name of the mascot, more than 600 people voted, winning that name by more than 54% of the votes, which is a combination of the name of the country with "Chan", a Japanese suffix that expresses affection and closeness and is used to refer to close people, especially children, close friends, and pets.

Chile's Commissioner General for Expo Osaka 2025, Paulina Nazal, comments that "having a mascot for the country's presence at the Expo will help us to promote Chile's pavilion and the activities that will begin in May, especially now that National Day is approaching on May 12. The Japanese public has a great affinity with this type of promotional actions and we believe that it will have a great acceptance, as has been the reception of 'Makün, the Mantle of Chile', which is the centerpiece of our pavilion".

As Nazal explains, "Chiri-Chan" is "a reminder that the future of the planet depends on how we care for its waters, its creatures and its stories, something that connects to 'Saving Lives', which is the district where the Chile pavilion is located."

Strengthening the country's image

The General Director of ProChile, Ignacio Fernandez, says that "one of the objectives of our participation in this World Expo is to strengthen our country image in Japan, where actions like this help a lot to link the visiting public with the Chile brand and the different Chilean exporting sectors of goods and services, which will be present during the 20 thematic weeks planned for the coming months".

Fernández is also grateful for "the joint work between the Fundación Imagen de Chile and the ProChile team to achieve the development of a mascot that is a living symbol of conservation, exploration and the unbreakable connection between Chile and Japan".

More than 85,000 people visited the Chile Pavilion after the opening of Expo Osaka 2025 on April 13.