Japan prime minister appears as Mario at Rio closing ceremony

At the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Rio, seen by millions around the world, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a surprise appearance dressed as Mario.

The appearance of the famous video game character comes as Rio passes the torch to Tokyo for the 2020 games.

The idea to put Mario center stage in Rio came from the Tokyo organizing committee, said Nintendo spokesman Yasuhiko Minagawa.

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