Kashiwamo-Chan
Kashiwamo-chan, is a delicious type of leaf-wrapped mochi (Japanese sweet), who is also a ghost. In Japanese: お化け柏餅（おばけかしわもち）
Confused? So are we, but Japan is the land of cute.
In Japanese, the suffix "chan" is used to indicate small children, girls, and various things that are cute. "Mochi" is a soft, spongy "cake" made of rice that was pounded into a paste and shaped into a ball. "Kashiwa" is a type of oak tree native to Japan. Its leaves are used to make this type of mochi.
Ishiyamadera O-Saru-San
This little guy lives at the gates of Ishiyamadera Temple (石山寺), in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. At this temple, Murasaki Shikibu (紫式部) was inspired to write the world- famous classic, "The Tale of Genji" (源氏物語).
In Japanese, the word monkey is "saru" (さる) but more affectionately, "o-saru-san" (おさるさん). "Saru" can also be written with the Kanji character 猿, which is a Japanese ideograph (letter) that originally came from China.
If you are in Japan, please stop by and say "hello" to O-Saru-San!
Hinomaru-Kun
Hinomaro was recently adopted by Hinoki Foundation as a new mascot.
He is half hinoki tree (Japanese cypress) and half shiba-inu (Japanese hunting dog). He lives in mountainous forests, and likes to climb trees and play dodgeball. Loyal, strong, playful, and green - the best of everything!
ひのき財団の新しいマスコットキャラクター、ひのまろ君を紹介します。
山林に生息する、半分檜（ひのき）の柴犬（しばいぬ）ミックス犬。
木登りとドッジボールが大好きな不思議な生き物。
Follow Recent Activity on Social Media!