| If you've got a son or daughter, you know that there's | | | | Japanese Erasers make excellent gifts for a |
| a hot new trend gripping schools around the world, and | | | | back-to-school son or daughter. Why? Here's one final |
| it's not likely to go the way of the Popples anytime | | | | sneaky little secret - they're the one school supply |
| soon. What is it? Japanese erasers. They're hip, they're | | | | that's also a toy. This works as a kind of camouflage - |
| cute, and they're poised to knock Pokemon off the top | | | | after all, teachers can't get angry about kids bringing |
| of the mountain as the next big grab for schoolyard | | | | school supplies to school, can they? Some teachers |
| cash. At any given lunchtime, in playgrounds from | | | | actually go through great lengths to restrict Iwako and |
| California to Massachusetts, you can find kids busily | | | | other kinds of Japanese erasers, because kids spend |
| trading miniature bowling pins for tiny cups of rubber | | | | more time playing with them and trading them than |
| Ramen, or arguing about the trade value of a miniature | | | | actually paying attention to their schoolwork or the |
| rubber hot dog. So what's the big deal...and what | | | | teachers themselves. When the order goes out for |
| makes this next fad from Japan any different from | | | | the kids to stop playing with their helicopter or penguin, |
| those Beanie Babies in the closet or the pet rocks in | | | | the kids can always claim - truthfully - that it's an |
| your garage? | | | | eraser and not a toy at all. The solution? Well, every |
| Well, more than anything else, there's a huge fun factor | | | | kid hates having to actually use the eraser, so |
| involved. Iwako, one of the largest manufacturers of | | | | sometimes a crafty teacher will ask the kid actually - |
| Japanese erasers, is constantly coming out with cooler, | | | | gasp - erase something with one of the erasers. Most |
| cuter styles to get fans to open their wallets...though | | | | kids would rather put their Iwako away than actually |
| another Japanese company, Zensinsyoji, is also big | | | | risk rubbing an ugly black pencil mark all over it. |
| and gaining market share every day. Japanese sushi | | | | Kids spend an incredible amount of pocket money to |
| sets, bowling balls, food erasers, cakes and pastries - | | | | buy all of their favorites...fortunately, these cuties cost |
| the there are HUNDREDS of different kinds, and more | | | | as little as a dollar each, so they're exactly the kind of |
| on their way every day. The erasers can be taken | | | | thing that everyone can collect and enjoy. If someone |
| apart, put back together, swapped and traded. Oh...and | | | | starts to feel left out, they're the perfect thing or a |
| yes, you can actually erase pencil lines with them | | | | teacher to use (bribe?) his or her class with in order to |
| (though after you collect a few of them, you probably | | | | make everyone feel a part of things. One teacher I |
| won't want to). | | | | know uses them as rewards for memorizing |
| Second, there's price. Unlike that sinking feeling you get | | | | multiplication tables - he keeps a big jar of erasers on |
| in your stomach every time you plunk down $50 for | | | | his desk, and anyone getting 100% correct can pull one |
| the latest Pokemon game, a couple of erasers are | | | | out at random (and yes, there's more than a little |
| unlikely to put much of a dent in your pocketbook. Not | | | | complaining when someone needed only one particular |
| only that, but if you decide that you're getting tired of | | | | piece of sushi to have a complete set, and ended up |
| one style, there's always someone out there ready | | | | with a frog). |
| and willing to trade with you. | | | | |