Tokimo, the mascot of Kawagoe city

Almost every village, town and city in Japan have a representative mascot of their municipality. In Saitama Prefecture, I think it is every single village, town and city. I certainly can't think of an area without a mascot. More than just a fun representation of the area, a mascot serves as a reminder, an advertisement almost,  of what the area is famous for. Take Tokimo for example...

Tokimo is the mascot of Kawagoe City, pictured. His name is a portmanteau of what he represents. "Toki" means clock and represents the "Toki no Kane", the bell tower symbol of Kawagoe. The "i" is not written twice, but used twice - for "imo", which is the Japanese for potato. It represents sweet potato, which Kawagoe is known for.

Not only is the name a representation of two of the key symbols of Kawagoe, the mascot itself represents both. Its body and face are sweet potato and it wears a bell tower on its head! It is loved by locals, but on the national scale, it doesn't do so well! It is currently well below 200th place and has been below 300th place in the past too. 

 It makes an appearance for special events in Kawagoe and neighboring towns and cities, as well as occasionally traveling to other prefectures for mascot events. Have you ever seen Tokimo in the flesh, so to speak!?