Move over, Labubu – Chiikawa is the new craze in Hong Kong

The Star

3 days ago

HONG KONG: Step aside, Labubu – there's a new sensation in town. Meet Chiikawa, a small and cute hamster-like character from a popular Japanese manga series whose creations and merchandise have now taken Hong Kong by storm.
Chiikawa, the titular character, has a big round face and beady eyes. It is gentle, timid, and prone to tears. Its name is derived from a Japanese phrase that means 'something small and cute'. It does not talk, but can sing 'u uwawa uwa'.
The manga series started as a web comic on Twitter in 2020, following the adventures of Chiikawa and friends – including Hachiware, a cheerful cat-like creature, and Usagi, a fearless rabbit-like character – as they navigate daily challenges at work and celebrate small wins.
The story was adapted into a TV anime series in Japan in 2022.
For Chiikawa fans like Elizabeth Chow, the appeal goes far beyond its cuteness. While the cartoon might appear like it caters only to children, its storylines and characters address deeper issues that strike a chord with adults, said Chow.
For example, the characters work in menial jobs like weed pulling or fruit labelling to make ends meet. Living from pay cheque to pay cheque, they have to budget for simple pleasures like treats and meals with friends.
'Although the setting is 'kawaii' (cute) on the surface, it is an adult world where the characters have to face everyday hurdles and stress,' said Chow, a finance industry worker who started following the series in 2025 after her friends shared it with her.
'With their friends' support during periods of burnout, they navigate and achieve every minor but meaningful victory. These stories offer therapeutic and comforting experiences, as viewers witness the support and perseverance displayed by the characters in overcoming their daily struggles that mirror the viewers' own anxieties.'
The anime offers a form of 'empathic escapism', showing that 'it's okay to struggle – as long as we stay resilient and persist, we will find joy in life', Chow said.
Going viral
Hong Kongers' interest in Chiikawa started in 2024, with online searches for the comic character rising steadily across the year, according to Google Trends.
But the craze truly took off around the summer of 2025, when more Chiikawa merchandise and exclusive products from brand collaborations arrived in Hong Kong and were quickly snapped up by fans.
The queue for the 'one time chance' to buy Chiikawa merchandise from the exhibition. - Photo: ST
The city's first Chiikawa pop-up store with Instagrammable photo spots opened at Tsim Sha Tsui's Harbour City mall in April and immediately drew snaking overnight queues.
Brands like Uniqlo, Converse, Casetify, Chow Tai Fook and 7-Eleven started launching limited-edition Chiikawa collections of apparel, sneakers, mobile phone cases, jewellery, tumblers, keychains and so on.
By July, the adorable characters could be seen everywhere across the city, even at MTR stations where gantry gates played Chiikawa sound effects as passengers tapped their cards.
In late July, McDonald's started offering Chiikawa-themed Happy Meal toys.
A week later, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and Trade Development Council (HKTDC) jointly launched and promoted a large-scale exhibition that centred on the comic character.
The Chiikawa Days exhibition features life-size interactive 3D displays and the characters in the form of dim sum dishes like har kow and siew mai. - Photo: ST
The Chiikawa Days exhibition, which features life-size interactive 3D displays and the characters in the form of dim sum dishes like har kow and siew mai, opened on Aug 1 at the K11 Musea mall in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Originally slated to run for three weeks, it was extended to end-August on opening day after the first two rounds of tickets sold out within 30 minutes.
Unscrupulous scalpers are reselling the HK$180 (S$29) tickets for as much as HK$500. Exclusive collector sets of figurines from the event are also being resold online at up to five times their retail price.
A special Chiikawa-themed ramen restaurant is set to open on Saturday (Aug 16) at the Langham Place mall in Mong Kok. The Chiikawa Ramen Buta store will be the first such restaurant to open outside of Japan, which has four eateries of the same theme.
Mental refuge
Psychologist Adrian Low attributes the popularity of Chiikawa in Hong Kong to a combination of psychological, cultural and marketing factors.
'The character's innocence and positivity provide a mental refuge from daily pressures in a fast-paced, high-stress city like Hong Kong,' said Dr Low, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Psychology.
Second, he said, Hong Kongers' longstanding appreciation for Japanese pop culture, in particular the 'kawaii' (cute) aesthetic, makes Chiikawa 'instantly appealing'.
Third, the HKTB and HKTDC's 'aggressive marketing campaigns also created a sense of exclusivity and urgency, with social media amplification further fuelling the craze as people seek to participate in a shared cultural moment'.
'The collective enthusiasm for Chiikawa fosters a sense of community. Owning merchandise or attending events thus becomes a way to connect with others and feel like a part of a larger trend,' the psychologist noted.
At the Chiikawa Days exhibition, fans sported Chiikawa T-shirts, hairbands and clips, carried bags with transparent pockets showing off their personal Chiikawa collection, and posed for photos with their plushies in front of the displays.
Fans at the Hong Kong exhibition carry bags with transparent pockets to show off their personal collection of Chiikawa plushies. - Photo: ST
Amelie Chan, a fan in her 20s, treasured her experience at the exhibition, which she attended alone in early August as the tickets were 'not easy to get'.
'I first started liking Chiikawa because they are so cute; watching the anime of these pure and innocent characters helps me to relax after a long day at work,' said Chan, a legal professional.
'They are also very relatable,' she said, recalling a scene where Hachiware had to save up to buy a camera, which reminded her of her own childhood.
The Chiikawa Days exhibition was extended to end-August on opening day after the first two rounds of tickets sold out within 30 minutes. - Photo: ST
Chiikawa versus McDull
Hong Kong's Chiikawa craze echoes a similar wave of enthusiasm in an animated pig called McDull, created by local cartoonists in the mid-1990s. It took the city by storm in the 2000s and again in the 2010s.
The daily challenges faced by McDull – a very ordinary but kind-hearted pig born to a single parent – reflected the city's struggles and aspirations during a period of economic uncertainty and political transition, according to Dr Low.
'His underdog story and perseverance resonated deeply with Hong Kongers, symbolising resilience and hope,' he said.
Chiikawa, meanwhile, 'doesn't carry heavy societal messages but provides a light-hearted escape… a form of emotional relief in a highly competitive and polarised society', he noted.
For brand strategist Ken Ip, Chiikawa's 'blend of vulnerability, perseverance and subtle melancholy mirrors the emotional state of many urban youths in Hong Kong who feel overwhelmed, yet continue to quietly push through'.
The comic character's merchandise thus 'becomes a vessel for self-expression and emotional connection', said Dr Ip, an assistant professor at Saint Francis University's Rita Tong Liu School of Business and Hospitality Management.
'Being seen at a Chiikawa pop-up, lining up for exclusive merch, or sharing themed coffee photos, is as much about social currency as it is about fandom.'
Soft power hub
What makes Hong Kong's Chiikawa craze particularly special, Dr Ip said, is how much effort the local authorities have put in to spearhead and promote the campaigns centred on the anime character, in a bid to boost consumption and tourism.
HKTB partnered major travel agencies to offer packages that include exhibition tickets, flights and hotel stays. It also worked with online platforms like Klook to offer special packages targeting South-east Asian markets including Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, where Chiikawa is also gaining some popularity.
'This distinctive phenomenon reflects a broader shift in how Hong Kong positions itself as a soft power hub in the region,' Dr Ip said.
'It isn't just about pop culture. It's part of a strategic recognition that emotional consumer experiences – particularly those anchored in lifestyle, IP, and tourism – are now legitimate economic drivers.'
IP refers to intellectual property, intangible creative designs or symbols used in commerce.
'The government understands that traditional economic levers like finance and logistics must now be complemented by cultural and creative industries,' he added.
Hong Kong's retail economy has been struggling post-pandemic. Retail sales finally started ticking up only in May, after falling for 14 months straight as tourists spent less and local consumers shopped and dined in Shenzhen instead.
'By supporting or co-branding with IP-led experiences, agencies like HKTB are essentially turning fandom into foot traffic, and foot traffic into economic recovery,' Dr Ip said.
AllRightsReserved, the creative brand that designed and organised Hong Kong's Chiikawa Days exhibition, said 30 per cent of visitors to the event are tourists from abroad and that it expects attendance to reach hundreds of thousands by the end of August.
Its founder, S.K. Lam, said the exhibition sought to 'blend Chiikawa with iconic Hong Kong culture to create a stronger emotional connection with visitors', which it achieved by featuring the characters alongside Hong Kong's dim sum traditions and against the backdrop of the city's skyline.
A fan poses with the dimsum display at the indoor zone of the Chiikawa Days exhibition in Tsim Sha Tsui. She is decked out in merchandise including two bags, hair clip, magic wand and T-shirt. - Photo: ST
'Our aim is to demonstrate how IP can integrate with a city to boost tourism, retail, dining, and the wider cultural economy,' Lam said.
Chan, the legal professional, already has a range of Chiikawa collectibles and apparel, and is happy to shell out for more related experiences and merchandise.
'I see shades of myself in the characters, so they mean a lot to me,' she said. 'As a child, I could not afford to collect such items, but as a working adult now, I can.' - The Straits Times/ANN