Mascot characters from across Japan gather at the World Mascot Character Summit held on November 22nd in Hanyu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. This was the 5th time that the annual event has been held and mascots and fans travelled from many all over Japan to attend. Mascot characters are big business in Japan and many towns, regions and organizations, including the police and firefighters, have created their own characters within the last 5 years. (Photo by Martin Hladik/AFLO)