Howamoko

Howamoko Japanese Name: ほわもこ Literal Translation: Soft and Fluffy White1 Released: December 2002 Original Japanese: WWW We’re releasing “Howamoko,” a strange character from the sheep family! Howamoko doesn’t want his wool to become a sweater, so he strays from the normal behavior of a sheep. Instead of horns, he wears other things! “Howamoko” will unfold with fun friends, so check it out in stores! Howamoko is a sheep character; perhaps many people have such a character about them?! If you see a suspicious sheep, more than likely that’s Howamoko! If you’re with Howamoko, you’ll always feel good and have fun! 羊の宅で出来た不思議なキャラクター「ホワモコ」の登場です！ほわもこはセータになるのがイヤで羊のふりして逃げ出しました。だからツノ代わりにいろんなものをつけてるよ！楽しい仲間と繰り広げる「ほわもこワールド」をお店でさがしてみてね。 ひつじのふりしたほわもこは、みんなのそばにもたくさんいるかも！？ あやしいひつじを見かけたら、それはきっとほわもこだよ！ ほわもこと一緒にいれば、いつもあったか楽しい気持ちになれるよ！ Characters Howamoko Soft and Fluffy White1 He has 100% of his wool! His horns are roll cakes! He makes his friends out of his very own hair! ウール１００％！ツノはロールケーキだよ！自分の毛でお友達が作れるよ！ Howamoko (Candy) Soft and Fluffy White1 (Candy) Roll cakes were boring, so this Howamoko made her horns out of candy. Howamoko likes her. ローるケーキでつまらないとキャンディをツノ代わりにしている。ほわもこの憧れ。 Usagichan Little Bunny Howamoko made this friend out of his own hair. He can make several of these little bunnies. ほわもこが自分の毛で作ったお友達。何匹でも作れるらしい。 Netsan Mr. Net2 This friend helps gently wash Howamoko. He’s a reliable friend. ほわもこを優しく洗いあげる達人。頼りになる仲間。 Sentakukisan Mr. Washing Machine He cleans up Howamoko. He’s a little short-tempered. ほわもこをもくもくと洗い上げる。ちょこっと短気。 Bouchuu Kyoudai Mothball Brothers These are twin siblings, very good friends. They’ve been kind, good friends since Howamoko was little. 兄弟双子の兄弟でとっても仲良いし。ほわもこを虫からまもってくれる優しいお友達。 Images

I've always wondered the story about this guy as well. Now we all know! Thank you, Dani!!!♥ Translation Notes 1. I'm not completely sure about "howa" but here are some possible explanations; I did check with a Japanese person. "Howa" might come from the word "white" written in katakana, “howaito” （ホワイト). "Howa howa" (白白) means clear or very white, as it is the character white (白) written twice. "Howa howa" (ほわほわ) could be a different dialect of "fuwa fuwa" (ふわふわ), which means fluffy. "Moko moko" (モコモコ) means soft and fluffy and comes from ”mokkori" (もっこり) which can mean poofed out or shaggy. 2. The Netsan character is about the Japanese laundry nets that people use to wash clothing so it stays protected. In Japan, these nets come in all shapes and sizes and can be bought in the 100 Yen Shops, like Daiso. They are very popular and everyone uses them since based on my experiences, I think Japanese laundry machines are much rougher than machines in the US, for example. While we use similar nets in the US as well for underwear and such, I believe that more clothing is washed in them in Japan. Daiso: Laundry Nets