About once every six months my students take up a new fad. For a while it was all things おしりかじり虫. That in itself was pretty mind boggling. Now they have taken up a new avatar. I though I would share.

Introducing (or not if I am late to the game) まりもっこり. Soon to be attached to a 13 year-old's pencil case near you. And for those of you who may not be able to "get it" right away, もっこり has a rather interestingly worded definition in jdic.

Ha. Thanks for sharing.

Oh...my...god.

Eh? Oshirikajiri Mushi was weird, but this is taking it to a whole new level... Bimyou...

Google: "SafeSearch is Off."

Nightmares ahead!

Chuckle chuckle. Marimokori is the Hokkaido mascot or somesuch, right? I`ve been seeing these things since I came here in July. So weird.

Yeah, these are not new. While they've been available in Hokkaido for ages, it seems they've spread to the rest of Japan over the past few months. My girlfriend actually just picked up a Shinsengumi Marimokkori for me today while she was in Kyoto.

I thought this picture off the OPs link was 'interesting'. Just in case you hadn't noticed the 'bulge' :|

http://another.homeon.jp/images/mokkosi_2_thumb.jpg

Mighty_Matt Wrote:I thought this picture off the OPs link was 'interesting'. Just in case you hadn't noticed the 'bulge' :|

http://another.homeon.jp/images/mokkosi_2_thumb.jpg

Just imagine your own face when you see that nightmare dangling from a JHS student's pencil/bag/mobile phone. I really wanted to believe it was an exaggerated outy belly button...

Where can I buy one?

Just got back from 雪まつり in Sapporo and they had giant snow sculptures of these guys. What was most interesting to me was the hordes of Japanese people walking past eye level with the bulge and not even cracking a smile. I, on the other hand, was giggling like a little school girl.

Yes, I saw that yesterday at Sapparo also (my ship is in Otaru for four days). The snow festival is very pretty with some amazing sculptures, but that one stuck out (pun intended). Granted, I did not know what it was, so I just lied to the guys saying it was some fertility symbol.