Rilakkuma

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Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma relaxing.

Rilakkuma (リラックマ, literally a combination of the Japanese pronunciation of relax and the Japanese word for bear; also called Relaxuma and Rirakkuma) is a Japanese character produced by the San-X company. He is a brown bear who lives in the house of an office lady (OL) named Kaoru. Rilakkuma, true to his name, enjoys relaxing so much to the point that he despises standing up and is often depicted as lying down while sleeping, watching television, listening to music, relaxing in a bath, or eating his favorite foods (which include omelettes, dumplings, pancakes, and pudding). There are sometimes obstacles which stand in his way of relaxing--most notably Korilakkuma (Roughly Baby/Small Rilakkuma), a smaller, younger and mischievous white bear, and Kiiroi Tori (Yellow Bird), a yellow chicken which often tries to pester Rilakkuma. Curiously, Rilakkuma chooses to be a kigurumi, meaning the Rilakkuma often seen in picture books and the like is actually a costumed character; however, supposedly the animal that is underneath the costume looks similar.

A plush Rilakkuma.

1 Merchandise
2 Picture books
3 Sticker books
4 Games
5 External link

[edit] Merchandise

Rilakkuma has been increasing in popularity since his debut in 2003. Recently celebrating his 3rd anniversary, San-x introduced many new items depicting the cute character in celebration. Although more available in Japan, Rilakkuma is becoming increasingly popular to the Western market. Available to fans through online retailers, this adorable little bear is becoming a regular face in many homes around the world. Many fans are patiently waiting for San-x to go global with its site as well.