Kawaiisrael

From the Israel in Japan Facebook page, a contest that proves yet again that no concept can escape being made into a yuru-kyara mascot.

This time, the mission is to design a supercute character to represent the Israeli Embassy of Tokyo. As always, the point is to ride that fine line between silly and just plain lame - and don't forget to toss in as many local foods, customs, and tourist attractions as possible. Meet some of the top contenders below.

Lions and menorahs:

A positively proctological kebab:

Falaffels in a pod:

Hummus-man?

Meshugana for moé:

Wacky Wailing Wall!

Cats? Why not.

My personal favorite: