Toyko , Japan ( CNN ) -- He may be diminutive in stature as he appears under the shadow of the Tokyo Skytree , Japan 's tallest structure at 634 meters . But as he twists and screams `` I 'm so pretty ! '' onstage , it becomes clear that his star is rising . The crowd of thousands goes wild , screaming his name and snapping as many photos as they can . `` Funassyi '' is a superstar in a pear costume . In the world of cute , cuddly , and sometimes bizarre mascots , these `` yuru-kyara '' ( meaning gentle or laid back characters ) , have been a ubiquitous presence in advertising in Japan for decades . But Funassyi is a hyperactive talking and dancing pear who has distinguished himself from the pack . In fact , Funassyi is a household name . Coming from the northwestern city of Funabashi , known for its delicious pears , Funassyi 's origins lie in his YouTube channel created two years ago . The fact that he spoke , jumped , and had a distinctively flamboyant personality made him different from typically quiet and cuddly Japanese mascots . Since then , his popularity has exploded , boasting an impressive resume that includes television appearances , commercials and ad campaigns , and even his own novelty single released under Universal Music Japan . Funassyi 's undeniable charisma . But what makes Funassyi so different from his countless cohorts of colorful characters ? At first glance , one may think his bright yellow color , sparkling eyes and perpetual smile is nothing new for a country with an army of crazy characters like Sanomaru , a white puppy-like mascot from Sano city with an upside down ramen bowl on his head , or Okazaemon , a creepy ghost-like character from Okazaki prefecture . However , the moment Funassyi starts dancing widely and emphatically hyping up the crowd in his high-pitched voice , ending sentences with his catchphrase `` nashiiii ! '' ( Pear ! ) -- this mascot becomes an unforgettable presence . While even the most popular mascots in Japan like Kumamon , a rosy-cheeked black bear from Kumamoto prefecture , are silent and slow moving , Funassyi 's unique costume design allows for rapid , energetic movements that he uses to jump up and down to excite and rile up his audience . In addition , his ability to speak makes him an interactive and electrifying crowd favorite . Funassyi and the iconic Japanese teddy bear Kumamon are the superstars of the 2014 Yuru-Kyara festival , which features mascots from all over Japan . People line up to meet and pose for pictures with their favorite mascots and more importantly , buy their exclusive merchandise that includes everything from handbags , towels , T-shirts , and much more . According to the Character Data Bank , a research firm that studies the character business , mascot-driven character sales amounted to nearly $ 16 billion in Japan in 2012 . Replicating the Funassyi effect . Other prefectures are hoping to replicate Funassyi and Kumamon 's enormous commercial success by releasing their own yuru-kyara 's , in an effort to attract regional tourism and land national ad campaigns of their own . Kumamon 's brand is already expanding overseas , with themed products soon to be appearing in 7-Eleven convenience stores in Taiwan . Although Funassyi 's stardom currently remains limited to Japan , it 's not unbelievable to imagine his following expanding worldwide , placing him among the ranks of other Japanese icons that became multi-billion-dollar icons . The creators of Kumamon and Funassyi are hoping for the kind of global fame as Japanese icons Hello Kitty and Pikachu .
Japanese pear mascot enjoys enduring popularity . Funassyi 's origins lie in his YouTube channel . Funassyi 's ability to speak makes him an interactive and electrifying crowd favorite .