Japan had to be the first country to feature video game characters alongside real time human athletes. The nation known for Manga and video games played on its most popular cultural contribution to the world in a teaser for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics.
Featured most prominently in the two minute teaser is Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as the Nintendo mascot Super Mario. En route to the closing ceremony in Rio, Abe realises he will never make it in time as a human, and puts on his Mario hat, literally.
Aided by Doraemon (a blue robotic cat), he makes a tunnel straight from Tokyo to Rio and emerges a few seconds later in Rio. The Mario costume falls to reveal Abe, clutching a red ball that is the logo for the Tokyo games.
The video was developed by the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to the New York Times. The report says, "An outline of the performance was given to reporters covering the Rio Games in advance, but it only mentioned ‘a surprise guest from Japan!’”