Oolong (rabbit)

Oolong (1994- January 7th, 2003) (named after the oolong variety of tea) was the name of a rabbit owned by photographer Hironori Akutagawa, of Hokkaido, Japan. This domestic rabbit has become a well known Internet phenomenon since 2001 through Akutagawa s own home site. The home site was created for rabbit lovers in Japan which featured photo journeys of the domestic rabbit travelling with his master through the house, yard, and other areas of interest, however, it reached public awareness in 2001 through a site called [http://www.syberpunk.com Syberpunk.com], a site which focused on odd events in Japanese culture.

The reason for Oolong s large fanbase on the Internet is the fact that Akutagawa had trained the rabbit to balance objects on his head, an art Hironori called . The most well known, and most used, of these photographs was of Oolong balancing a pancake on his head, and had the tagline I have no idea what you re talking about... so here s a bunny with a pancake on its head. (Actually, the food on Oolong s head is not a pancake; rather, it s a traditional Japanese pastry known as dorayaki. )

Throughout the rabbit s lifetime, the photographer continued to document his journeys through natural and not-so-natural environments as well as take hundreds of pictures of the rabbit balancing objects. Oolong has been noticed by the media, including the New York Times , and has become a widespread Internet meme.

Oolong died on January 7, 2003. Akutagawa took [http://sokaisha.hp.infoseek.co.jp/030108/030108.htm photographs] of the rabbit s last moments alive and has included it in his website.

Akutagawa now owns a new rabbit by the name of Yuebing, which he hopes to raise in a way similar to Oolong the Rabbit.

=See also=

*Internet phenomenon

=External links=

*[http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~sokaisha/rabbit/rabbit.htm The Official Photo Journal of Oolong the Rabbit] *[http://www.syberpunk.com/cgi-bin/index.plpage=oolong Oolong dedication at Syberpunk] *[http://kimsal.com/rabbit_pancake.jpg I have no idea what you re talking about... so here s a bunny with a pancake on its head. ] (picture) *[http://www.gookalian.com/oolong/gallery/albums.php A large collection of pictures of Oolong balancing items]