Tarepanda

Tarepanda (たれぱんだ) is a cute panda character owned by the company San-X サンエックス (San Ekkusu).

[1][3] In February 1998, San-X launched Tarepanda erasers and letter pads, which proved enormous hits.

San-X believed these products were successful because they were released shortly after the Asian financial crisis of autumn 1997, a time when many people in Japan were facing layoffs and, consequently, were sympathetic toward a "worn-out" panda character.

[4] Sales of Tarepanda goods exceeded ¥30 billion ($291 million) in the first few months of its release.

[5][4] It became Japan's seventh top-grossing character of 1999, generating ¥66.36 billion ($583 million) in merchandise sales that year,[6][7] adding up to ¥96.36 billion ($874 million) merchandise sales in Japan by 1999.