Funassyi

is a fictional Japanese mascot character, unofficially representing the city of Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture. It was created by a citizen of Funabashi with the objective of cheering up local residents and helping promote its hometown. It has subsequently appeared at events and festivals, as well as on numerous TV programs and commercials, gaining popularity around Japan. To date, there have been 4 CD albums and 6 singles and DVDs released featuring the character. It starred in its own anime series and live-action drama special, headlined its own concert at Budokan, and merchandise has been sold at a Funassyi character goods store. While it remains as an unofficial character, Funassyi is used frequently in official events for Chiba prefecture, the city of Funabashi, and Japan itself due to their popularity and high name recognition.

== Fictional profile == According to the mascot's lore, Funassyi is said to be neither a girl nor a boy but is a fairy, and its parents are said to be ordinary pear trees. According to the in-character interviews and articles: it is the fourth of 248 children, its birthday is July 4, and it was 1,883 years old as of 2021 (in a literal time frame, it was possibly born in the year AD 138). Its full name is said to be , and its favorite food is peaches. The character is fond of heavy metal music, revealing that it bought Deep Purple's Machine Head as its first album, and is also fond of Aerosmith and Ozzy Osbourne.