The next step is to get them to iron the shirts.

I have to admit, every time I hear talk of one certain animal my hand instinctively reaches for my pearl necklace so I can give it a good clutching. I’m talking of course, about the n-n-naked mole-rats – those freewheeling hippy rodents who regularly flaunt society’s conventions and appeal to our prurient interests.

Well, thankfully capsule toy maker Kitan Club has taken the moral high road and is reminding these pint-sized hedonists that it’s not at all “groovy” to lounge around in the nude all the time. This company has shown a lot of integrity in throwing down the gauntlet and forcibly turning naked mole-rats into shirted mole-rats.

▼ Don’t worry, they’re wearing!

More specifically these figures are called Not-Naked Mole-Rats or Hadaka Janai Deba Nezumi. The Japanese name for these creatures, hadaka deba nezumi, literally translates to “naked bucktooth rats” which, despite my disdain for their nudism, seems unfairly mean since all rats pretty much have buckteeth.

Anyway, these figures come in five types starting with the classic white and pink tank tops for a more conservative look.

▼ Why, these little critters look ready for a job at IBM!

And just to show them that putting on clothes doesn’t necessarily mean the party’s over, there are also some fun and stylish designs. Below on the left we have a Superman-inspired top with the letter “D” for the Japanese word “deba“ which means “bucktooth.” The shirt next to it also uses “deba” in an adorable parody of the Puma logo.

And in the same vein, it’s also possible to have pride while hiding your shame at the same time. Just look at this feller in a bright yellow tank top with “hadaka deba” or “naked bucktooth” written on it, showing once again that ironic T-shirts never go out of style.

By now you might be thinking, “But they’re only wearing shirts, so they’re still half naked!” But lest we forget that it’s a well-established fact that one only needs to wear a shirt to not be naked. This is a time-tested truth exemplified by notable historical figures such as Porky Pig, Winnie the Pooh, Donald Duck… Pablo Picasso for a little while too, I think.

And this is exactly what I’m going to tell the judge when my trial date for taking the garbage out wearing only a T-shirt arrives. All I need to do is pick up some Not-Naked Mole-Rats for 400 yen (US$2.95) each at one of the capsule machines across the country and I’ll have all the hard evidence I need.

Thanks, Kitan Club!

Source: Kitan Club via Netlab
Images: Kitan Club
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