Eel-aeroplane hybrid named Japan's best mascot
A half-aeroplane, half-eel creation has been named Japan's favourite mascot
The city of Narita's Unari-kun polled a staggering 805,328 votes in the annual Yuru Chara Grand Prix to choose the country's top regional mascot, the Mainichi Daily News reports, 40,000 votes ahead of its nearest rival.
Unari-kun represents two things for which the city of Narita is famous - its airport, which serves as Tokyo's main international terminal, and unagi freshwater eels, a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine.
The honour proved too much for Narita's deputy mayor Kenji Sekine, who was present at the event. "I'm close to tears," he said as he thanked the voting public.
