Japan, Kyoto – A strange souvenir is an unexpected hit at Kyoto Aquarium in the city’s Shimogyo Ward: Japanese giant salamander stuffed toys.
They may not fit everyone’s idea of cute, but the stuffed salamanders are flying off the shelves of the aquarium’s gift shop.
Unlike the real amphibian, whose mottled bodies are “slimy and gooey,” the toys are fluffy and cuddly, an aquarium official said. They faithfully reproduce the salamander’s four toes on its front feet and the five on their rear feet. Their small black eyes are quite adorable.
The approximately 20 live salamanders at the aquarium pile up on each other and hardly move, but are popular with visitors. Plenty of kids and adults hover around the spot where they’re displayed to watch them.
The Japanese giant salamander, one of the world’s largest amphibians, is 150 centimeters long or more when mature. The largest of its stuffed toy counterparts commands attention for its enormous 170 cm-long size.
The price tag is sizable, too: 25,720 yen ($234), including tax, but they often sell out and are the gift shop’s top item year-round, with the December gift-giving season providing an even bigger sales bump.
Source The Asahi Shimbun
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201901310009.html
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