Domo-kun first appeared in short stop-motion sketches in December 1998 to mark the 10th anniversary of NHK's satellite broadcasting. The name "Domo" was acquired during the second episode of his show in which a TV announcer said, "
dōmo, konnichiwa"
(どうも、こんにちは), which is a greeting meaning something along the lines of, "Well, hello there!", but which can also be interpreted as "Hello, Domo", and thus is a convenient pun (
dajare). The
kun suffix on "Domo-kun," the name used to describe the character in the Japanese versions, is a
Japanese honorific often used with young males.
Domo, the main character, is described as "a strange creature that hatched from an egg ...
domo can only communicate by producing a low-pitched noise which sounds somewhat like his own name, but other characters appear to understand him ... Domo lives in an underground cave with Mr. Usaji ...
Mr. Usaji is a wise old rabbit who has lived in a cave for decades, loves to watch television and drink astringent green tea.
Mr. Usaji is not into any "new" materials, and does not own a telephone In terms of fashion, Mr. Usaji focuses on materials instead of shapes. Mr. Usaji's favorite food is carrots and his least favorite food is "something that is meaningless.
