Erase That

What's so different about keishi gomu (erasers) in Japan?

I'm used to a pink eraser at the end of "number 2" pencils back home and that's it. Maybe the extra knobby eraser you can add to a pencil when you've used up the eraser it came with. Sometimes fun character erasers as party favors, but they never work well. Sometimes those old school pink erasers or the kneaded ones special for drawing classes are also spotted.

*Side note * In elementary school, I was OBSESSED with the pencil dispenser in the school library where we could buy two random pencils (with erasers attached) for 25 cents I think. I collected way too many sparkly and colorful pencils until my parents made me stop.

In Japan, there usually aren't erasers at the end of pencils.

Erasers are attached to only mechanical pencils, but are super tiny (to match the fine lines of the pencil) and can be replaced when they are used up. We can buy little packs of the tiny cylinders that fit perfectly into the back of mechanical pencils.

There are really functional and affordable erasers which can be bought in several sizes in Japan, from white to black, rectangular cubes to cute 3-D animal shapes. My favorite might be the erasers that are shaped like a pencil so they always have the ability to erase just a small space. Currently I have a Rilakuma design white block eraser, a backup mono eraser, a strawberry shaped eraser, and a poop-shaped cylinder eraser.

Some kids collect the cute erasers, and I don't blame them. Even at 100 yen shops, sets of erasers that look like sushi or traditional sweets are available. They're more like toys than a functional school supply. I also understand not wanting to use them because they're too cute to ruin.

The tiny erasers in the picture above are so colorful they look like candy and need to be labeled so kids (adults?) don't try eating them. They're so cute I wouldn't mind getting one of each. But I'll restrain myself.

Japan even has erasable pens in a variety of colors and point sizes. (I'm exclusively using Pilot Frixion .5 pens because I often make spelling errors.)

What are your favorite erasers to use?