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Japan is to mascots what Broadway is to theatre or what France is to bicycle racing, and in Japan the Phantom of the Opera or [*name removed*] of mascots has got to be Domo-kun (simply “Domo” in other countries).

From his humble beginnings as a mascot for Japan’s national broadcaster he has achieved international notoriety and an ever expanding line of merchandise. Now, iPhone holding Domo fans may rejoice with the upcoming release of the cute and useful “iPhone Supported Smart Stuffed Toy: iDomo-kun.”

By itself, iDomo-kun is a finely crafted stuffed toy with soft “Moko-Moko Skin” (fluffy skin) and posable “Poki Poki Arms” (clicky arms). There’s also a loop so you can clip it to stuff and a pocket in the back to keep your AmEx Black Cards in.

But the real fireworks start when you bring an iPhone to the party. By sliding it into iDomo-kun’s head the smartphone replaces his mouth. You can carry it like this or use as a decorative way to charge.

By getting the free iDomo-kun app you can choose one of four settings for your new hybrid smart toy. Domo-kun Clock makes the iPhone screen resemble Domo’s ever-gaping saw-toothed mouth with a clock in the middle. An alarm using Domo’s voice is also available.

If you want to skip the time keeping you can go straight to Domo-kun Talk where you can explore the mascot’s vast vocabulary for hours by touching the screen.

Domo-kun Timeline has the cutest gosh-darn newscaster ever giving you the tweets that you need to know. Or, if you just want to relax, let Domo-kun DJ spin your favorite tracks on his wheels of steel.

The 25 cm (10“) tall iDomo will go on sale 27 April for 4,800 yen. No word yet on a conceivable half-meter iPad compatible iDomo-kun, but we can always dream.

Source: NHK via Weekly ASCII Plus (Japanese)

▼ “Mouse” is supposed to be “mouth.” How cute is that?