DISQUS

Tofugu Comments: Nara’s Super-Creepy New Mascot wants you to Win a Japanese Textbook!

  • Tofugu_Erin · 1 year ago
    I love how there's a mystery prize and yet the title clearly states "Win a Japanese Textbook", haha. Anyway, I think I'm gonna submit one, just for kicks. Will you write the story for me, Ko? It can be a joint admin entry!
  • koichi · 1 year ago
    feel free to enter, but you can't win since you're a writer :P
  • Tofugu_Erin · 1 year ago
    We should post all the pictures deer poop-themed items we saw in Nara.

    Maybe that can be a follow-up post.

    Also, of course I can't win : }
  • Viet · 1 year ago
    I'm assuming staff is excluded from entering? :P
  • koichi · 1 year ago
    entering is okay - winning is not :)
  • Hashizume · 1 year ago
    This is such an awesome contest.

    Definitely entering.
  • Tofugu_Erin · 1 year ago
    :D
  • クリス · 1 year ago
    Looks like I need to do some research and warm up my Photoshop and Illustrator.

    *cracks knuckles*

    怖いけど頑張ります～！
  • koichi · 1 year ago
    Sweet! I look forward to seeing it :)
  • クリス · 1 year ago
    Submitted, however, I feel like I should have add more stuff to the picture. Well maybe when the contest is over I'll make a redux version of my mascot. For some reason I wanted to add more だんご and maybe some deer うんち. I was also wanted to incorporate ゴジラ somewhere in the background inspired from your video in Nara], but then again, it is about the mascot haha
  • 芙蓉 · 1 year ago
    I agree, this could definitely be interesting.... Now to look into the idea of Nara.... and perhaps glean some ideas of what previous mascots looked like..... before the weird Buddha-deer.... o.O
    BTW.... nice avatar there Koichi.........................seriously...............................
    ^.^
  • Liban · 1 year ago
    love the green flames lol
  • koichi · 1 year ago
    it's green radioactive slime!
  • It's Nicci!! · 1 year ago
    I'm gonna take advantage of my mad stick figure drawing skills and hopefully get a pity prize out of this..xD I tried finding a Genki textbook for less than $25 and it's physically impossible. I'm pretty sure I searched the bowls of internet hell itself trying to find it but I guess i'll just have to wait for my birthday and/or pity prize. All about the pity prize..
  • クリス · 1 year ago
    Actually if you check at Amazon.com or Half.com, They sell it for $17 [of course you'll have to add in tax and shipping, which might equal just about $25]
  • Bluregarde_Q_Kazoo · 1 year ago
    I looked on Amazon and Half.com, but they were all $25 not including shipping....I'll check again though, maybe it's changed :D
    Thanks ^^
  • BiZhu · 1 year ago
    So can we do both? <.<...>.>
  • insomniacgamer · 1 year ago
    why doesn't someone draw a flying reindeer dropping an atomic bomb out of it's butt which destroys the town ^_^ i would but i have poor pc drawing skills :'(
  • rinrin · 1 year ago
    Overly aggressive biting deer monsters...they really are, they chased me and my mum for our green tea ice cream. T-T evil deer.
  • SimonVaillancourt · 1 year ago
    Anything in 3D ?
  • Viet · 1 year ago
    I wouldn't see why you couldn't do it in 3D. I think the basic criteria is it must be your own original work.
  • SimonVaillancourt · 1 year ago
    I'll try to make a 3D sculpt in Zbrush... But It will not be for the contest because I would not have the time to finish in time ;)
  • SimonVaillancourt · 1 year ago
    Oh I forgot ... Do you recommend the book Learning Japanese in Mangaland ?
  • kevinnwhat · 1 year ago
    I live in mangaland with fairies.
  • appletrees · 1 year ago
    So would making a comic be alright? 2 page? 1 page?
  • Majutsuko · 1 year ago
    Whoever designed that monstrosity should be made to commit seppuku.
  • eLsa · 1 year ago
    =P the mascot looks somewhat alike an oversized baby with branches sprouting out of his head...
  • Neil_Duckett · 1 year ago
    That's a pretty wierd looking Mascot .... not that i could come up with better though.
  • Jesse · 1 year ago
    Okay so I have no clue where I should of posted this question. Does anyone on this website via staff or viewer know whether or not you call stuents by their first name or by their family name? I am curious because I’m going to school for Japanese Studies and when I am finished I would like to move to Japan to become a ESL instructor. Thanks.
  • Tofugu_Erin · 1 year ago
    Japanese professors call their students by their last name + さん. I've never heard a Japanese professor call a student by their first name, I think it's just not done. I read a news article about a professor who had his pay docked because he added ちゃん to his female students' last names, though, haha.
  • クリス · 1 year ago
    What a way to get get docked, haha.

    One thing I also heard is to never refer to yourself as 'name' + さん.
  • Tofugu_Erin · 1 year ago
    Well, because ちゃん has a certain connotation (it's a diminutive suffix and implies a certain level of familiarity/affection), it's not really appropriate for teacher-student interactions. Kind of creepy.
  • Jesse · 1 year ago
    Thanks for the info guys. I was just curious. I wasn't sure it was last name first still b/c they are younger and only students. I guess now that you guys have explained it to me it does seem kind of weird not to say their last names first. Anyway thanks again for the help.
  • Kinn · 1 year ago
    lol wowww
    I am applying for suure.
    =D
  • Rua Greenwood · 1 year ago
    Huh! Sounds like fun... ^_^
  • OuterspaceAsian · 1 year ago
    oh man, i want this really bad! i really want to learn japanese!!
  • Vicky · 1 year ago
    I will try and have a go if I get chance over the weekend :)
  • BoredGirl · 1 year ago
    whaughhhh D:

    i want to send in a picture, but i have no idea of what, i dont want to look like a moron with something completely random.

    can it be anything ? :D ??
  • クリス · 1 year ago
    Anything relating to the city of Nara (temples, deer, buddha, or a combination of all three of those things). I just googled Nara and did some research on some things that Nara is prominent for. Good Luck.
  • BoredGirl · 1 year ago
    Thanks! :)


    i luv ur hair btw
  • heartlessangel · 1 year ago
    weird I'm might draw something tomorrow I'm off lol it shall be my GREATEST WORK EVER! hahahah um ok not really but I will try just for the heck of it I really wanna see everyone else's though lol
  • WingViool · 1 year ago
    I will start drawing, soon as possible!
  • mmnessa · 1 year ago
    they should have used my mascot, it makes so much more sense than a drawing of Buddha with horns, seriously, what was the Association for Commemorative Events thinking???
  • Sougen02 · 1 year ago
    I hope that the drawings won't offend anyone from Nara you know.
    Should I watch out for anything?
  • Sougen02 · 1 year ago
    Oh my goodness. Lol i dont have photo shop or a skanner! =/
    My only choice is to take a picture and send it. Can i do that ??????
  • Sougen02 · 1 year ago
    Just to let everyone know, i had a very creepy dream about the antler, mascot guy. =_=;
    so so scary *cries*
  • Kelly · 1 year ago
    i just wanted to let you know that i saw that antler buddha on the japan times and i thought that it was adorable!! it was my facebook profile pic for a long time! i'm a dork i know! lol!

    i totally want to go to nara and see these deer and then see the monkeys on the mountain. i hear that you cant make eye contact with the monkeys cuz they'll attack you and you cant take anything with you when you see them cuz they'll steal your stuff....yes, thats right. they're evil monkeys!! ^_^
  • spacejay4000 · 1 year ago
    I just wanted to let you know that the above comment was posted by me. i literally got an account 2 minutes ago after I posted this....so anywho, this is me!!

    ....yay tofugu!!!
  • PDFoxy · 8 months ago
    I also think so the background of that mascot is deers and Buddhist temples that we often see in Nara.
  • Orlando · 8 months ago
    Buddha + Deer = Nara Mascot ^_^