Gachapin: A Popular Japanese Idol Born on a Children’s Television Program
He first appeared in 1973, on a Japanese children’s television program that’s similar to "Sesame Street". Over the past four years, he’s started his own blog on the Internet and gathered 670,000 followers on Twitter.
"Ponkicki" characters Gachapin (left) and Mukku (right)
He has an enormous head and a green and round body. He’s also buck-toothed and has a sort of sleepy look in his eyes. This cute character is a baby dinosaur that first appeared on a Japanese children’s television program called Ponkicki. The show was inspired by "Sesame Street" and first went on the air in 1973.This 5-year-old baby dinosaur measures 165 cm / 65 inches. Once an idol among Japanese children, he’s now also very popular among adults who grew up watching "Ponkicki". Gachapin’s sidekick, Mukku, is red from head to toe and also about 5-years old, only he’s a baby Yeti (snowman). Mukku always goes along with Gachapin. No matter where he goes.
At first, Gachapin was a fairly laid-back and somewhat shy character, but he gradually became more active and daring. He began to perform a bunch of really difficult physical activities on the show: skiing both on snow and on the water, driving race cars and motorcycles, rock climbing, hang gliding, karate, deep sea diving, gymnastics, bowling, ice skating... In 1998, he went all the way to space on a Russian missile to satisfy his interest in the environment, and in 2008 he hiked up the Himalayas. Gachapin never ceases to amaze us with his activities. There's a Nintendo SD video game where you can enjoy Gachapin’s challenges.
But Gachapin isn't only interested in sports, he's also excited to explore and learn about the essence of every possible occupation. He has worked as a carpenter, store clerk, waiter, as a factory hand at an Obento factory, as a fisherman, manufacturing video games... there's no end to what he’s capable of.
Plus, Gachapin loves communicating with people. He began a blog 4 years ago that is now famous all over Japan. There are over 100 commentaries on each of his posts. He would like to answer each and every message, but he says he can't type very fast because his fingers are too fat. His Twitter account has over 670,000 followers. It's the second-most popular in Japan and only slightly behind recently resigned prime-minister Hatoyama.
As you can see, Gachapin is an idol in Japan. His fighting spirit is an admirable model not only for Japanese children but also for adults. Here are some links where you can learn more about his amazing activities:
Rock Climbing
Water Skiing
Animation (Sports)
Hip Hop Dance:
Gachapin’s experiences working in different occupations
Gachapin also participated in a music video clip with a group called The Killers
Curioblog
Language English [
"Ponkicki" characters Gachapin (left) and Mukku (right)
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