A day for chinchillas

Today, and January 18th annually is Beloved Chinchilla Day, 愛するチンチラの日 (Ai suru Chinchira no Hi). Chinchillas are a very popular pet in recent years, possibly driven by their suitability for apartment living and their "kawaii" (cute) appearance. No doubt, social media has also played a part.

I had never seen a chinchilla until I came to Japan! They are not a common pet in my home country, and I had never seen them at a zoo either. A lot of people in my area in Saitama own chinchilla. And during the pandemic several places opened where you can interact with chinchilla. The photo in this post is of one such place, where, under supervision, you can hold or pet a chinchilla. They are so soft, it is quite therapeutic to pet one.

The reason January 18th is a day for chinchillas is because the numbers of January 18th, 1-1-8, can be read as "ii ha", good teeth, and chinchilla are known for having continuously growing teeth! Also, when 118 is pronounced playfully in Japanese, ichi-ichi-hachi, the sound "chi" appears three times, echoing the word chinchilla.