Domo-kun is the brown, boxy monster with the wide-open mouth full of zigzag teeth. The Domo plush in our photos was sewn by hand for one fan, the way they wanted it. We don't keep a shelf of ready Domos: every Domo-kun plush we make is made to order, for you and your idea.
What is Domo? The NHK mascot character in a nutshell
Domo is the mascot of NHK, Japan's public broadcaster. Stop-motion animator Tsuneo GΕda created him, and he first appeared in short stop-motion clips in December 1998, made for the 10th anniversary of NHK's satellite channel. The name is a pun. A newsreader said "dΕmo, konnichiwa" (roughly "well, hello"), and Domo stuck. The "-kun" is a friendly ending Japanese people add to a boy's name.
His backstory is short and odd. He hatched from an egg and lives in a cave with Usajii, a wise old rabbit who loves TV and green tea. Domo can only say his own name, so that big mouth and two round eyes do all the talking.
From Japanese TV to the Domo craze
A lot of people in the West met him online first, in early-2000s memes and Flash cartoons, years before they knew he was a TV mascot. In 2008 he became Target's Halloween mascot in the US, and Domo hats, bags and plushies were sold at Hot Topic. If you carried a Domo backpack to school or had a tiny Domo keychain on your phone, you remember.
Why fans ask for a custom Domo plush
Talk to Domo collectors and you hear about the hunt. The jumbo store-display Domo they never found. The comfort plush that got lost years ago. The little one they wish came in hug size. Official merch comes and goes, and the big Domo dolls are hard to track down.
A handmade Domo skips the hunt. Maybe you want him big enough to hug, or desk-size to keep you company at work. Maybe a Domo in a costume, in another color, or a gift for the friend who still calls him "the brown box monster". Send us a picture and tell us the size you have in mind, and we'll send a quote.
Looking for more characters from Japan? Browse our Anime Plushies, including a flying Totoro plush. Have your own monster on paper? See Toys From Drawings.
We're an independent studio. Our Domo plushies are handmade fan pieces, not official or licensed NHK merchandise.
This Domo plush is sewn from soft brown plush fabric with a short, velvety pile. Up close it has the same fuzzy look as Domo on TV, and it feels nice to squeeze. His eyes are round, shiny and black.
The mouth is the part everyone looks at first. It's a red-orange fabric panel set into the body, with white zigzag teeth along the top and bottom edges, so he keeps that surprised, toothy grin from every angle.
Everything we use is safe and eco-friendly.
Your Domo-kun is made to order, so tell us what you picture: shorter or fluffier fur, a different color like the pink or panda Domos fans collect, or a size for a shelf, a desk or a big hug. We'll tell you what works and put it in the quote.
A custom Domo-kun usually takes 2β4 weeks to make.
That time goes into a pattern for your size, then cutting and sewing the boxy body so the top stays square and he stands up straight. The mouth takes the most care: the teeth have to sit evenly, or Domo stops looking like Domo. His face is just two eyes and that mouth, so there's nowhere to hide a crooked seam.
Every toy is sewn by hand and no two go exactly the same way, so we keep a little extra room in the schedule. Need him by a certain date? Tell us when you ask for a quote.
Delivery time depends on where you live, the shipping company and method you choose, and how close it is to a holiday. It can take up to 20 business days, but sometimes only 7.
Holiday rushes slow couriers down. If your Domo is for Halloween (he was Target's Halloween mascot back in 2008), a birthday or Christmas, count making time plus shipping and order early.
Once your Domo is finished, we pack him up and send him to your door, wherever you are.
Please keep this in mind if your Domo is a gift that has to arrive by a specific date.
We've been making custom, complex plush toys since 2009. Simple-looking characters are often the trickiest. With Domo, a mouth a bit too narrow or eyes a bit too close and the face turns into someone else, and fans spot it right away.
Before your Domo ships, you see a photo of him.
And we stand behind the result with a money-back guarantee.
If you're not happy with our work for any subjective reason within 14 days, we'll refund your money.
More toys like this
GET G.U.M. TOY
Guarantee. Uniqueness. Meticulosity.
GUARANTEE
A detailed toy youβll love. If not, full refund.
UNIQUENESS
One of a kind. Any size, any extras.
METICULOSITY
Tiny details, tough seams. Built for hugs.
Customer reviews
They Love Our Toys!
More Toy Types Crafted by Us
Order a Toy Made Just for You
Gentle stream flows,
Paths clear in moon’s soft glow β
Easy process.
GET A FREE QUOTE, FILL OUT THE FORM
You Take No Risks β We guarantee you love the toy or money back!
Custom toys start from $350.
A bigger size or extra details can cost more.
Why?
No ready-made pattern. Your photo or drawing doesn’t come with one. Our artist builds the pattern from scratch and turns a flat picture into a 3D toy. It’s the hardest and slowest part.
Materials picked for your toy. The right color, fur length and texture. Sometimes we order fabric just for one project.
Sewn by hand. Every piece is cut, sewn, stuffed and finished by hand. The face takes the most time: move an eye a millimeter and the character changes.
You approve it first. When your toy is ready, we send you photos. Something looks off? We fix it before shipping.
One toy, not a thousand. A factory spreads design costs over thousands of copies. Here, all that work goes into one toy: yours.
That’s why prices start at $350. And on a personal order, if you don’t love your toy, you get a full refund.
