>>6563628You're right in that the word axolotl really doesn't fit Japanese. I searched around a bit and it seems like they more or less decided to officially endorse the name upa lupa even though it's not axolotl's true name. The reason being, the Japan Upalupa Association (lol) thought they wouldn't sell well with a name that sounds like aho-lotol.
Then it took off from there.