The Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) often uses moe mascots to help recruit people. Their most successful mascots in fact are known as I ☆ P’s (pronounced as Eyepiece), which represent their air, ground, and maritime defense forces.
The trio are so successful in getting people to enlist that when the Japan Self Defense Force’s Okayama Provincial Cooperation Office introduced them in 2013, they experienced a 20% increase in recruits. But now, it seems that they’re looking into having more ladies joining in, so they introduced three new male mascots.
The JSDF is featuring the three new mascots across recruitment centers in Japan, and so far, people seem to like them. When twitter user @X09_Customdoll first tweeted out the recruitment poster, it immediately went viral.
Erlikon, the same artist behind the 2014 poster, illustrated the 2019 version, which features the male mascots.
source: JSDF Ibaraki
