In typical quirky Japanese fashion, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe emerged in Brazil's Maracana stadium in Rio via a Warp Pipe to grace the 2016 Olympics closing ceremony to get the world ready for Tokyo 2020.
His entrance came at the end of a two-minute video broadcast at the ceremony and employed universally beloved Japanese-invented characters like Doraemon, Hello Kitty, Mario and Pac-Man. (No Pokemon though.)
Abe's entrance, as well as his role in the video skit, was a pleasant surprise as it was an uncharacteristic thing for the po-faced leader to do.
But if this clip showcasing a mash-up of video games and animated characters from Japan together with the country's top athletes and leader is a harbinger of things to come, Tokyo 2020 might just be the most cutesy, absurd and charming Olympics the world has ever seen.
Check out how they put "Rio" in "Mario":
Here's the video:
#Tokyo2020 already stepping the game up!!! pic.twitter.com/HBbDZCAztS
— . (@lmfaofa) August 22, 2016
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