Alright, let’s be honest. When you see the character on the right, your first reaction should not be, “Hey, let’s eat some Japanese food in Mexico” but “WTF IS THAT AND WHY HASN’T ANYONE BROUGHT THIS UP BEFORE?” like me.
Actually, my first reaction when I saw a sign for La Cochinita restaurant while on a weekend cruise to Ensenada, Mexico was a huge burst of laughter, which I shared with my friends…while on a bus full of white people, which only made it funnier.
Has anyone else come across this restaurant (or “Japanese Food Factory”) before? More importantly, has anyone crammed in more stereotypes about Japanese people into a single mascot?
Let’s see…squinty eyes, glasses, buck teeth, huge red rising sun (for a head), martial arts costume, geta shoes and a peace sign. What’s missing? Very little, except I think this little man could probably solicit more customers with a gong, a samurai sword, and an SAT prep handbook.
A picture of the restaurant we saw is after the jump. Enjoy!
Hey, they even sell t-shirts!!!
