How can I begin to describe the surreal experience that is Kiddyland?

Ok, first of all, it is not an amusement park for 10 year olds. It is a multi-level toy store however that is also a complete understatement. Well, let me start by introducing you to a couple of characters you will meet there.

Hello Kitty has her own floor. The manufacturer, Sanrio, has monopolised a massive part of the building and filled it with these disgustingly ‘cutesy’ characters including the evil Hello Kitty and her boyfiend ‘Dear Daniel’! There are multiple ’sets’ you can buy including the ‘Empress Hello Kitty’ which sells for an absolute fortune! It is a blaze of pastels. Japan is the only country in which you can have a ‘blaze of pastels’ you know! Random fact, you can also get a Hello Kitty branded credit card. That advertisment literally stopped me in my tracks!

But I digress.

Barbie et. al. also live there, on their own dedicated floors but the Basement is where it’s at.

This is the Basement. That gigantic brown…thing…that looks like an angry weet-a-bix, is Domo-Kun (perhaps you recognise him from certain kitten-killing joke pics that did the rounds of the net a while back). I mean look at him compared to the woman next to him. As an astute friend of mine pointed out, he would need his own seat on an airplane to get him home!

Domo-Kun is the mascot for NHK, one of Japan’s main television broadcasters. He has a multitude of friends including ‘Ta-Chan’ the weasel-girl, some bats and an ancient rabbit?!? Happily, he is available in a mutitude of sizes so you can take one home without having to sit next to him. I’ve popped a link to his website at the bottom of this post so you can discover more about him!!! Trust me, it’s worth the click.

Don’t ask me what the crying blue thing is because I really don’t know. Disturbing isn’t it? If anyone does know, please feel free to post a comment and inform us all!

But the absolute crowning glory of Kiddyland is neither big, nor plush. It is a set of small foam nipple-shaped…things..that you can slip in your pocket and play with to be aroused?!? On the instructions, there is also a diagram to show how it can be used on your desk! Please tell me in what parallel universe this belongs in a kids store?

Don’t miss this when in Tokyo! It will make your head spin!

Recommended reading: ‘So Crazy Japanese Toys’ which has a great history of…well…crazy japanese toys..fromor

Links:

Domo-kun’s official site
www.domomode.com

Sanrio (evil master of Hello Kitty - have sunglasses ready for offensive pastel blaze)
www.sanrio.com

Domo-kun’s Angry Smashfest (game when D-K smashes Power Puff girls - hours of entertainment)
www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/domo/default.php

Domopers! Domo-kun does Steve Ballmer from Microsoft! (Quicktime required but this is priceless! Look out for the dancing pom-pom girls!)
Domopers!

Kiddyland Official Site (Japanese)
www.kiddyland.co.jp

Photo credit to Terry. Thanks!
www.ttsai.net