J-Subculture News

Have you ever heard of the character, Domo? Domo is a famous character in Japan. He's a monster who constantly has his mouth open. There's no need to fear him though, because he's actually sweet and cuddly despite his looks. Domo or Domo-kun, is the official mascot character of NHK, which is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. His name is a Japanese pun from the word どうも (doumo). Domo means "hello there," which depicts Domo's kind and friendly nature. 

 Like other Japanese characters such as "Hello Kitty" or "Pikachu," Domo has gained popularity among not only Japanese people, but also people around the world. Domo is the main character of a short, stop motion sketch aired by NHK. Domo was born from a mysterious egg that fell into a rabbit hole. The rabbit who lived there, Usaji, took care of Domo from the day he was born. The first thing Domo saw was a television, which was showing the news. That's when the connection between Domo and television started. 

Domo became the mascot of NHK on December 22nd, 1998 which is also Domo's birthday. He was made to celebrate the tenth anniversary of NHK. Now, Domo is a well-known character that appears both on the television screen and on others in the form of modern culture!