＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
Apparently, “squeeze toys” are super popular among elementary and junior high school girls across the country. However, most adults would probably ask, “What exactly is a ‘squeeze’?”
So, today, I’d like to introduce you to “squeeze toys.”
1. What is a “squeeze”?
(1) The Meaning of “Squeeze”
“Squeeze” refers to a toy made of a soft, low-resilience foam sponge material that provides a pleasant grip. In English, “squeeze” means to squeeze, crush, hold tightly, or squeeze out.
The “squeeze play” (a baseball play in which a bunt is used to allow a runner to score with a runner on third base) is also called “squeeze,” meaning to squeeze out.
Squeeze toys are currently all the rage among elementary and junior high school girls, and their popularity has spread across YouTube and other platforms, leading to explosive growth.
Many of them are shaped like food, such as sweets or bread, and their strangely fluffy and chewy texture is addictive, leading many children to collect them.
In today’s stressful society, even for children, perhaps touching and stretching these soft, squishy toys helps them relieve stress? They are toys that could be called “modern relaxation.”
In Harajuku, Tokyo, about 10 “squishy specialty stores” have opened. Apparently, they have become so popular that on days when crowds are expected, such as weekends, reservations are required online.
Squishy toys are characterized by their “cute appearance,” made to look as lifelike as “food samples,” but there are also many now on the market that even have realistic “scents.”
(2) The ever-popular “squishy”
① Bread-themed Squishy Toys
② Pudding-themed Squishy Toys
③ Roll Cake-themed Squishy Toys
(3) Unusual Squishy Toys
① Rice Cake-themed Squishy Toys
② Pop-up Squishy Toys
(4) Are Adults Enthralled by the Soothing Effects of Squishy Toys?
Soft memory foam cushions were once popular, but the mysterious feel of squishy toys has a soothing effect that not only children but also adults with children obsessed with squishy toys are enthralled.
2. Reasons for the Popularity of Squishy Toys
(1) The Nostalgic Feeling
The feeling of squishy toys shrinking and slowly returning to their original shape when pressed may bring back memories of touching your mother’s breast as a child and the sense of security it brings.
(2) The Soothing Touch
I imagine it’s similar to the feeling of touching the soft memory foam cushions that were once popular. Stroking the fur of a pet dog or cat feels good, and I think squishy toys have a similar “soothing effect.”
(3) Desire for Experience
While many cute squishy toy videos are viral on YouTube, watching them alone doesn’t provide a true experience of that soft texture. Therefore, the desire to experience this sensation seems to be fueling their popularity.
(4) Addictive Pleasure
When fragile items such as alcohol, glassware, and ceramics arrive in the mail, they are packaged in polyethylene “bubble wrap” (air caps, bubble wrap). Squeezing those protrusions (bubble wrap) feels so good, many people have probably become addicted to it and done it multiple times. I think it provides a similar pleasure.
(5) The fascinating contrast between the realistic appearance and smell of the real thing and its ability to bounce back even after being crushed.
While they may look just like the real thing, “food replicas” are merely enjoyed for their own viewing pleasure.
However, “squishy” not only gives you the pleasure of touching and squeezing it, but also restores its shape, so you can enjoy it over and over again. I think the “gap” between its appearance and its appearance is also interesting.