teddy bear [noun]
ted-dy bear: a stuffed toy bear
Named after President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, teddy bears were originally created in the early 1900s by both Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff in Germany simultaneously.
Although I am not a bear (more like a cat who sometimes wears a bear hood, like a reverse Neko Kumya), I have a strong love for them. My grandma didn't really like animals (especially not in the house!) but she did love teddy bears. They've become a symbol of rememberance of her, along with sweet coffee and bingo halls.
A Beary Nice Picnic by Janet Kruskamp
PLACES TO BUY TEDDIES
- Aurora World: https://auroragift.com/
- Build-A-Bear Workshop: https://www.buildabear.com/
- Brown at LINE Friends Store: https://store.linefriends.com/collections/brown
- Charlie Bears: https://www.charliebears.com/
- Cherished Teddies: https://collectorstore.com/figurines-ornaments/cherished-teddies/
- Gloomy Bear Store: https://gloomybearstore.com/
- Gund: https://gund.com/
- Honeybear JP: https://shop.honeybear.jp/
- Honeylambs: https://www.honeylambs.org/
- Jellycat: https://www.jellycat.com
- Kumamate: https://en.animate-onlineshop.jp/collections/all/kumamate
- Merrythought: https://www.merrythought.co.uk/
- Milk and Mocha Shop: https://milkmochabear.com/
- Steiff: https://www.steiff.com
- Teddy-Hermann: https://teddy-hermann.de
- Ty: https://shop.ty.com/
- Vermont Teddy Bear Company: https://www.vermontteddybear.com/
- Warmies: https://warmies.com/
- World of Bears: https://www.worldofbears.com/
MY FAVORITE BEARS
Rilakkuma and Friends
One day Rilakkuma mysteriously appeared in office lady Kaoru's apartment, with Korilakkuma soon following after. Together with Kaoru's pet bird Kiiroitori, the three keep the apartment cozy, welcoming, and make you laugh with their antics. Rilakkuma reminds us that it's ok to relax and enjoy the small things in life. Chairoikoguma was a friend introduced in 2016, who appears to be a real bear in contrast to Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma. I highly recommend watching the Netflix series Rilakkuma and Kaoru!
Usakumya and Kuma Kumya
Don't be fooled by those rabbit ears, that's a bear underneath the hood! A mascot of the lolita brand Baby, the Stars Shrine Bright. Usakumya is a white bear who wanted nothing more than a beautiful pair of rabbit ears. She pulled on her ears everyday to lengthen them, but they remained the same. A girl discovers the bear and kindly gifts her a lacy bunny ear bonnet. At last, with her long ears and red eyes from crying everyday, she looked just like a rabbit and thus, Usakumya was born! Shockingly, Kuma Kumya's ears are a hood covering her true ears too, those big 'ol ears are like wearing false eyelashes. Don't tell her I told you her secret!
Winnie the Pooh
"Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day."
A bear of very little brain, but big heart. As a toddler I was lovingly nickamed "Pooh Bear" because I loved to watch Disney's series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I've come to appreciate classic Pooh more now, but I still adore the Disney version although I don't care much for the company anymore.
Gloomy Bear
Created by artist Mori Chack, Gloomy is a bear rescued by a boy named Pitty. The bear soon grows up to be 2 meters tall and being wild, often violently attacks and eats humans, including its owner! On a side note, I used to often wear a Gloomy Bear necklace to school and would get so annoyed when people thought he was a pig.
Bewear
I love all bear Pokémon, but Bewear is my favorite (with Pangoro being a close second). It was love at first sight when the Sun/Moon leaks were revealed. A bear and red panda mix mon?? It was my dream come true! I'd happily die in a Bewear's embrace. My Bewear's name is Pancake Jr, named after my 3 ft tall stuffed panda.
Paddington Bear
Created by British author Michael Bond, Paddington has become a classic and beloved character worldwide. He is discovered by the Brown family at Paddington station (his namesake), where he traveled all the way from his home in Peru. What I love about Paddington is how even though he has a knack for accidentally getting into trouble, he always does his best to do the right thing. His kind and polite nature is sure to charm anyone he meets! Both live action movies are especially delightful and will brighten your day.
Kumamon
A mascot for the Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan. Look at that goofy face, how can you not love it? Kumamon's Twitter account always puts a smile on my face.
Care Bears
Originally painted to be used on greeting cards, Care Bears have turned into a franchise full of toys, clothing, shows, and movies. I'm a little too young to have watched the original cartoon, but I always found the artwork quite charming. Check out the links for a Care Bear personality quiz!
Little Bear
A TV series I used to love as a kid. It aired on Nick Jr. and was based on the books by Maurice Sendak (creator of Where the Wild Things Are). Little Bear goes on many adventures with his friends Emily, Duck, Hen, Cat, and Owl. Also, there was a toothpaste commercial that is still embedded into my memories from how many times I saw it growing up.
Brown
A brown bear from LINE friends, married to Cony and big brother to Choco. My favorite part about Brown is his how the shape of his mouth is an "L" shape (for LINE!) and his never-changing expression. He's lazy and loves video-games.
Milk and Mocha
Milk and Mocha were created by Indonesian artist Melani Se in 2016. Originally LINE stickers, these bears have expanded into a comic and have their own merchandise line! My favorite thing about Milk and Mocha is that they don't have a set gender, so they can be whatever kind of couple you want them to be, making them even more relatable. They have a really cute pet dinosaur named Matcha.
My Boyfriend
Yes, of course I had to add him here! Bear is my best friend, my biggest cheerleader and the love of my life. He always knows how to cheer me up and is always patient and kind, and accepts and loves every part of me, good and bad. He is pretty stubborn though! Don't play Smash Bros with him. He has punched a roach on more than one occasion.
Tiny Chum
Hello Kitty's best friend! Contrary to popular belief and his matching bow with Kitty, he's actually a boy! Tiny Chum has 5 other siblings in pastel colors, Tiny Pink is the only girl.
Osito Bimbo
This little bear is passionate about baking, which is good because he's a bakery company mascot! Created for Grupo Bimbo in 1945. I really want some mantecadas now.
Teddy (A.I. Artificial Intelligence)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence was a movie that totally captivated me as a kid for whatever reason. Teddy always sticks by David's side and looks after him as well as acts as his conscience, not to mention he is just adorable. Here is a very short behind the scenes video on him. He's not CGI, he's a very complex animatronic and it's still insanely impressive to this day!
Corduroy
From the 1968 children's book of the same name, Corduroy is a teddy bear who is almost bought by a girl named Lisa and her mother before it's realized he is missing a button. Left behind, he wanders around in a department store after hours in search of his missing button to no avail... But the next day, Lisa comes back with her own money to buy him after all! A new button is sewn onto his overalls and the two are happily reunited.
Djungelskog
A big, soft bear with a friendly face. How could you not love this bear?! I do not currently own one because half of my bed is already bears, but I think of Djungelskog often.
Truffles the Bear
Mascot for the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Truffles looks a little funny, but that's part of the charm! Truffles sitting outside is sure to attract you into the shop if the sweet aroma of fudge doesn't. I recommend the apple pie flavored caramel apple!
Stitches
A lazy cub villager from Animal Crossing. There are many wonderful bear and cub villagers, but Stitches is the only actual teddy bear. His birthday is February 10th, making him an Aquarius!
Joke Bear
Also called Jibun Tsukkomi Kuma in Japanese and Damgome in Korean. An expressive bear mostly featured in LINE stickers by mangaka Nagano (creator of Chiikawa). Often seen with friend Mellow Croquette.
FUN TEDDY LINKS
A classic song that the title of this page is based on.
Realms of GoldTumblr blog of a stuffed animal hospital. You can tell just how much love and care is put into these restorations. I can't read it for too long without tearing up.
Teddy Has An OperationA charming video about a teddy bear who has surgery. Get well soon, teddy!
Cycles by CyriakA very amusing animated video. Watch those bears go!
Teddy Bears in Lolita FashionA wonderful article detailing teddy bears throughout the years of lolita fashion. Actually part 3 of a series, so make sure to check out parts 1 and 2, which focus on general J-fashion rather than lolita.
The Tangerine BearA movie I saw as a kid, it's a Christmas themed animated film about a bear who is sewn with his smile upside down. He joins a group of other misfit toys and finds family in them.
Care Bears Personality QuizWhat Care Bear are you? Find out with this quiz! I got Wish Bear.
