Mascot character 'Black Teitan' debuts in Kitakyushu

KITAKYUSHU, Japan - A new mascot character of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, "Black Teitan" (L), an antithesis of the city's existing "Teitan" mascot that has a polar bear motif and means eco-friendly, makes its debut at the municipal government on May 19, 2014. While Black Teitan is "egoistic in character," an official of the southwestern Japanese city said eco and ego are two sides of the same coin, thus expecting Black Teitan to act as a "reverse teacher" in tackling environmental problems.