Japan has a tradition of using “cute” mascot characters to educate the public about things that are far from cute. In the wake of last month’s earthquake, we’ve already seen the nuclear boy who really needs to poo explaining the crisis at the hard-hit nuclear facilities. Now, here are a few examples from recent years of tsunami-related examples of this tradition.

A 2007 poster for tsunami evacuation drills:

A sign explaining how trees can act as a buffer for wind and waves:

A sign on a hiking trail reminding people to beware of tsunami dangers:

And Tsunami Man, a character who teaches children about tsunami and earthquake safety: