
It’s been a little more than a year since we reported on ttongsul, or Korean feces wine. And while many of our readers enjoyed sampling the beverage vicariously through the five victims brave young ladies we recruited for the taste test, others took us to task for not having our regular staff knock back a glass of dookie-liqueur.
In an attempt at penance, we traveled to Korea to snack on poo-shaped cakes.
Like a bad case of diarrhea, the flow of BM-related stories from Korea doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. For those looking for pottie-related fun but lacking the time to visit the country’s toilet-theme park, a quick trip to Seoul’s Insadong neighborhood will provide you with the opportunity to munch on poo-shaped snacks.
The stand we visited is located in a shopping center called Ssamzie-gil, appropriate as the mall’s name is only pronounceable by Westerners when straining themselves on the toilet. We found our poo cake vendor right inside the entrance, and while there wasn’t a line of people waiting to buy the uniquely-shaped sweets, there was nevertheless a steady stream of customers. As a matter of fact, the young man running the stand was so busy that he didn’t even have enough time to handle all of the multiple cakes he was cooking at once, as we noticed a few that had been on the grill too long and become hard and dry.
Thankfully, the snacks don’t contain any actual feces. They’re almost exactly the same as taiyaki, the fish-shaped sweet bean cakes sold in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. They even smell the same, with a soft, sweet aroma that was all the more enticing wafting through Seoul’s chilly winter air.
But whereas taiyaki look like cute little fishies, the poo cakes look like, well, poo. Specifically illustrated poo, with the distinctive coil shape in which the substance is always depicted in Asian comic books.
▼ If it makes you feel better, you could imagine they’re shaped like dollops of whipped cream.
With our purchase paid for, we broke off a steaming piece and placed it between our lips. The cakes are filled with lumpy sweet bean paste, and while its shape made us feel a little weird eating it, it tasted just as good as any other similar snack we’d eaten.
It turned out Ssamzie-gil wasn’t done showering us with feces-inspired fun yet, though, as among the mall’s multiple mascots you’ll find the character Dongchimee. Dongchimee seems to hail from the kimokawaii or “so gross it’s supposed to be cute” school of design that sometimes rears its head in Japan and Korea, as the character has either a poo-shaped hairstyle or a straight up turd on top of his (her? its?) head, along with a perpetually runny nose.
▼ There also seems to be some sort of exposed nipple thing going on, along with cheeks that look like someone just slapped the hell out of poor Dongchimee.
Despite Dongchimee’s less than stunning looks, the character is popular enough that it’s featured, along with the other mascots of Ssamzie-gil, at a children’s theme park in Heiri Art Village, located in the suburbs of Seoul. While there, you can even pick up stuffed versions of the character. The plush dolls are available in three sizes, and removing a flap over the character’s posterior revels the whimsical surprise of a half-formed log ready to be played with before Dongchimee decides to pinch it off. Of course.
▼ Bringing us to this story’s figurative and literal end.
Related: mydolls, i like daiki
Top image: RocketNews24
Insert images: RocketNews24, mydolls
[ Read in Japanese ]





Who’s ready to make poop cakes with this Japanese cooking gadget?【Photos】
This beautiful New Year’s cake is a tasty combination of Japanese lucky symbols!
We raid the new Final Fantasy restaurant on our quest for drinks, desserts, and blue ramen
Avengers assemble…for dessert! Marvel superheroes become cute and tasty cakes in Japan
3-D Mickey and Minnie Cakes are Too Cute to Eat!
Solo travel in Japan: Hidden beer garden in Tokyo is a haven for single visitors
One Piece Day 2026 brings new art, music, and new cast announcements
Tamagotchi evolves into a ring for its 30th anniversary, preorders now open
Family Mart releases Famima convenience store products nationwide, but which ones are worth buying?
Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
Flock to Tomarigi, the viral app that lets you perch in over 1,000 spots throughout Japan
Japan’s birth rate rose for the first half of the year for the first time in over a decade
Family Mart releases new Human Made Cup Noodle in Japan, with freebies for Nigo fans
Hobonichi unveils new 2027 planners, diaries and stationery with One Piece, Suica Penguin, Hello Kitty and a must-buy Mini Techo
Japan’s most popular curry rice restaurant chain, Coco Ichibanya, might be for sale
Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Farewell Final Ceremony announced for Tokyo’s life-size Gundam statue, will stream live
Hikaru Utada sings new song in Shinkansen commercial for Japan’s Supreme Class cabins
Nike x One Piece collection brings Devil Fruits to sneakers and streetwear in Japan
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Mr. Sato compares the new milk cream Hokkaido cheese steamed cake to the classic version
Suica Penguin now a cake — See his face transform as you eat!
We go crazy for 500 yen all-you-can-eat sweets and snacks at Tokyo Dagashi Bar
Celebrate your oshi’s birthday in style with this fully customisable cake
Tokyo hotel celebrates Halloween with “bloodstained” cake and chocolate that looks like turds
This Christmas you can celebrate by putting a powdered Christmas cake on your rice in Japan
These adorable animal cakes may be too cute to eat, but we’ll still try!【Photos】
A visit to Japan’s Kirby Cafe to eat the Kirby car cake and more!【Photos】
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutions
Suicide cakes – Sweets to die for
You can now eat this anime girl who’s an anthropomorphized dessert in real-life Tokyo
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Smash & Eat: We try a playful Korean sweet you have to hit with a hammer to enjoy
You’ll feel guilty about more than just the calories when you eat this Rilakkuma cake
We try Japanese desserts made with bits of tuna. What could go wrong? 【Taste test】
Bootleg anime cakes? Charges filed against Tokyo woman for selling unlicensed Demon Slayer sweets
Studio Ghibli brings anime cake from Kiki’s Delivery Service to life… without the calories