"Himatane" news and stories

As many of you may know, I'm a complete sucker for bizarre Japanese snack foods and their equally bizarre packaging. Take Gorira no hanakuso, a bean-based treat whose mascot is a cartoon gorilla. But until the other day I'd never encountered a Japanese snack designed to mimic pet food.

Despite what the package indicates, Hamster's Lunch is not a meal for your furry friends, but rather a rice cracker. Each morsel is shaped like a sunflower seed, which a Japanese web site points out "is Hamster's favorite food." The site also contains these valuable words to the wise: " Attention: Please do not provide real hamsters with Himatane."

It makes no such warning about trying to feed said Himatane to any of the dozen cute hamster figurines contained in each package of Hamster's Lunch. Apparently this faux hamster chow has developed such a following online that one purveyor has run out. And just when I was about to complete my miniature hamster army with that twelfth figurine.
[via Boing Boing]