Domo-kun (どーもくん) is the mascot of Japan s NHK television station, appearing in several short stop-motion sketches. He acquired his name during an episode of his show in which a TV announcer said, Domo Konnichiwa (roughly translated to English as Thanks, hello ). Domo-kun is known to flatulence repeatedly when nervous or in a bad mood.

Domo-kun is a short, fuzzy, brown Mon_(monster), with beady black eyes and an open mouth revealing pointy teeth. He is recognized by at least 90% of Japanese schoolchildren, who are familiar with his television antics; however, for many people outside Japan, their first experience with Domo-kun may have been a humorous mock public service announcement that states Every time you masturbate... God kills a kitten, or through various clichés popularized by humor site Fark.com. This is not at all in keeping with Domo s image within Japan itself.

Domo-kun merchandise is quite abundant in Japan, and it is heavily sought by collectors in the United States, as evidenced by its constant presence on EBay. Domo-kun is featured in the Game Boy Advance videogame Domo-Kun no Fushigi Terebi . There is also a fan-made Macromedia Flash game called Domo-Kun s Angry Smashfest that can be viewed [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/73449 here].

= External links =

*[http://www.cardhouse.com/travel/japan/domokun.htm Frequently Asked Questions about Domokun] *[http://domokun.eayz.net A German Domokun-Fanpage]

==Pictures==

*[http://i.xanga.com/staque/t/kill%20kitten.jpg The famous picture] *[http://www.bitey.org/domokun.jpg Large Domokun plush on the bridge of the Enterprise]