Ragamaru-ku (left), an unofficial rugby mascot from Tokyo, poses next to Ren-G (right), a Rugby World Cup mascot.
Ragamaru-ku (left), an unofficial rugby mascot from Tokyo, poses next to Ren (right), a Rugby World Cup mascot. Koki Nagahama / Getty Images

Coronavirus is everywhere. It’s all over Slog. It’s in the XFL. It’s even in Ohio. We need to take coronavirus seriously (#SHUTDOWNSEATTLE!) and we also need to unplug and take breaks.

How are you taking Corona Breaks? I’m de-stressing by compulsively checking Mondo Mascots, an Instagram and Twitter account devoted to Japanese mascots.

Here are the two Rugby World Cup mascots dancing:

And here’s a picture of the Tokyo 2020 mascots:

The Tokyo 2020 mascots: Miraitowa (left) and Someity (right).
The Tokyo 2020 mascots: Miraitowa (left) and Someity (right). Atsushi Tomura / Getty Images

As of this weekend, it looks like the Olympics will carry on as planned.

The little noodle-brain below was posted on Mondo Mascots today. I see myself in him:

Chiitan, the “anarchic, accident-prone fairy baby otter with a turtle on its head,” is one of the most famous Japanese mascots. It (Chiitan has no gender) is what kick-started my obsession:

Here it is exercising with Mr. Bean:


I’ve watched this at least 15 times.

Chiitan is a great DJ:


Mascots worry about pandemics, too:


I’m not sure what this one is supposed to be:


Maybe it’s the self-quarantine, but this “water fairy with a rose hat” is so cute I could cry:


One commenter saw this mascot and wrote: “Truly an abomination.”

Okay, break over. Back to monitoring coronavirus updates.

Chase Burns is The Stranger's former editor. He's covered everything from gay luchadores to chemical weapons to Isabella Rossellini's favorite pets.