Tarepanda

Tarepanda (たれぱんだ), which means "lazy" panda or "droopy" panda in Japanese, is a panda character who gets around by rolling, since he is so lazy (at 2.75 meters per hour, according to company literature). [ [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.12/cute.html?pg=2&topic=&topic_set= Wired 7.12: Cute Inc ] ] "Tare" means lying on the tummy or to slump/slouch. He loves to eat mochi (specifically Suama) and relax in teacups.

Character

Tarepanda has a tender touch and is surprisingly soft. They are very cute. They seem to be leaning over from whichever direction you look at them. Although they have four legs, they move mainly by rolling over, with an average speed of 2.75 m/h. It is difficult for amateurs to distinguish male from female. Rumor has it that Tarepanda increases by division. Tarepanda's favorite thing is Suama, a kind of old-fashioned Japanese confectionery, made by mashing, kneading and mixing steamed rice with white sugar. Tender like rice cake, soft to touch and slightly sweet. Tarepanda's birthday was November 25, 1995.

Creation

Hikaru Suemasa, creator of Tarepanda is said to have been inspired to fashion the character in this way when she became tired. After many attempts at drawing the character, she became fatigued and laid down to relax. After this she created a lazy panda lying on the ground. She named it Tarepanda.

Tarepanda is licensed by San-X, which introduced Tarepanda stickers in 1995. In February 1998, San-X launched Tarepanda erasers and letter pads, which proved enormous hits. San-X believed these products were successful because they were released shortly after the Asian financial crisis of autumn 1997, a time when many people in Japan were facing layoffs. "Many office workers felt exhausted thinking about the dark cloud hanging over the economy, which had grown unhindered until that time," said Kenji Sone of San-X. "I guess they saw a little bit of themselves in the worn-out panda character, so they were sympathetic toward it." By 1999, sales of Tarepanda goods had reached 30 billion yen. [Takuya Hamashima, "Stressed out? You need 'virtual healing'!", Yomiuri Shimbun, November 27, 1999, at 7.]

Tarepanda was likely an inspiration for Paranoia Agent's fictional Maromi character, which was used as a symbol of Japan's obsession with "characters".

Merchandise

Picture books

* "Tarepanda: Kyou mo Yoku Tareteimasu." (Hikaru Suemasa, June 1999)
* "Taregoyomi: Nengara Nenju Tareteimasu." (Hikaru Suemasa, September 1999)
* "Taredzukushi: Tarepanda Fun Book" (Hikaru Suemasa, March 2000)
* "Tareyukumamani: Kigatsuku to Sobani iru" (Hikaru Suemasa, April 2001)

ticker books

* "Tarepanda Shiiru" (Hikaru Suemasa, March 2000)

Games

* "Tarepanda no Gunpei" (Bandai, WonderSwan, December 9, 1999)
* "Taregoro: Tarepanda no Iru Nichijou" (Bandai, PlayStation, August 31, 2000)

Tare Panda Restaurant

There is a Tare Panda Restaurant, located in Umhlanga, South Africa.

References

External links

* [http://www.san-x.co.jp/suama/suama.html Tarepanda's official page on the San-X website (Japanese)]
* [http://www.dining-out.co.za/member_details-MemberID-2598.html Tare Panda Restaurant Info]