Bevy of busty beauties from the modeling and cosplay worlds take part in pun-based festivities.

Despite widespread popularity stretching back generations, puns and breasts are often relegated to dirty-pleasure status in many modern societies. Japan, though, remains steadfastly unabashed in its appreciation for a turn of phrase or bounce of chest, and those passions dovetailed on November 8.

Written numerically, November 8 becomes 11-8, or 11-08, if you want to use all possible digits. In Japanese, “1” can be read as i and “8” as ppai. And while it’s not an indigenous reading, you could fudge the rules a bit and read “0” as o, due to its similarity to between-N-and-P letter of the alphabet. Once you’re done jumping through all those hoops, you end up with 11-08 becoming “ii oppai, which just so happens to be how you say “nice boobs” in Japanese.

The logic was sound enough for Japanese Twitter users, and so November 8 has become Nice Boobs Day in Japanese online circles, with gravure swimsuit models kicking off the festivities with shared snapshots.

▼ Social media–savvy Jun Amaki, always ready to leap into online trends

▼ Idol singer Erina Kamiya, whose breasts were last seen attempting to shatter roof tiles, karate chop-style

▼ Saki Yanase, the woman with the Pokémon chest

Speaking of Japanese animation, November 8 was also a busy day for cosplayers, who marked the occasion by posing in in low-cut anime and anime-inspired outfits.

▼ Super Sonico is an obvious choice for Ii Oppai Day

▼ Fate/Extra’s foxy Caster

Some cosplayers couldn’t decide on a single set of clothing to represent the day, instead opting to post collages.

Alternatively, some contributors chose to take the focus off their apparel with extreme close-ups.

Due to its linguistic origins, Ii Oppai Day was mainly celebrated by Japanese models, including Tsubura and extra-tan Rina Hashimoto, the so-called “Black Diamond” of the Japanese gravure industry.

But the hashtag managed to transcend national borders as even some overseas cosplayers got in on the act.

Finally, if all this has you feeling a little overheated and you’d like to cool off, here’s illustrated character Penpen the Emperor Penguin’s take on Nice Boobs Day.

Or if the origin and visuals of Ii Oppai Day have merely whet your appetite, you can enjoy a second helping of breasts and linguistics here.

Source: Hachima Kiko
Featured image: Twitter/@HzakiK