Visitors take selfies with Pitaojun, one of the most popular Kobitos, at a Kobitos exhibition held in the Shanghai World Financial Center, Pudong, Shanghai. [Photo/pdtimes.com.cn]

An exhibition on Kobitos, some of the most popular cartoon images in Japan, opened in the Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) of Pudong New District, Shanghai on July 8, to run until Sept 8.

Kobitos, a bunch of unsightly cartoon images which are believed to possess miraculous powers to heal sorrows, began to get public attention when a book named The Illustrated Book of Kobitos was published in 2006.

A total of nine display areas were arranged for this event, including a gallery to show original drafts of Kobitos, an area to exhibit 60 Kobitos models and their profiles, an ecological farm, a multimedia interaction area, and a Kobitos-themed canteen.

In addition, Toshitaka Nabata, the creator of Kobitos, came to the exhibition to interact with visitors and share the stories behind them.

The exhibition wants to bring all the visitors to a wonderland and provide them with positive energies, said Mao Min, general manager of the observation deck of SWFC.