Word on the street says a talking bean with a puppy-dog face is poised to be the next popular character from Japan.
Talking bean, huh?
With $30 million in retail sales, 250 products and 20+ licensees in the matter of months, it’s safe to say, Mameshiba is a licensing phenomenon in Japan. Mameshiba, literally translated as bean-dog in Japanese, are described as characters that spout random bits of trivia and have a quirky tone and family-friendly message that appeals to kids and adults. With a face that cute, how could you not love the Mameshiba characters.
It sounds like Mameshiba gained popularity from an ad campaign and has since gained so much popularity to become a household name. Other than keychains and small stuffed toys, it looks like there are various products like cell phone accessories with the Mameshiba license. I’m so intrigued by these talking beans.
The Mameshiba characters include Fava Bean, Tiger Bean, Red Bean, Soybean, Chili Bean, Almond, Edamame, Peanut, Lentil, as well as Jelly Bean and Coffee Bean characters. There are also a trio of Green Peas, a Chickpea and “The Scream,” based on the famous painting of the same name by Edvard Munch. Thought-provoking bits of wisdom include, “Did you know that the color of a hippo’s sweat is pink” and “Did you know that mosquitoes have 47 teeth?”
Had I not been so distracted by said allergies and subsequent visits to the pediatrician and ER, I would have had a chance to sort through the generous swag bag that I received from last week’s 
Crayola is challenging families to achieve the national goal of one million hours of pledged outdoor play time through the end of the summer. Research by Kaiser Family Foundation suggests that kids ages 8-10 spend an average of six hours a day consumed with electronics and in front of computer and tv screens, increasingly overshadowing outdoor play.
