Quick answer: Chiikawa (치이카와) is a Japanese cartoon about tiny, nervous, hard-working creatures, and young Korea is obsessed: fans have camped overnight for its goods, and the movie has passed 2.2 million tickets here. If you want a taste in Seoul, there's one official store at Yongsan Station, plus a movie gift week. Checked with the shop's official Instagram and Korean news on November 2, 2026.
What is "something small and cute"?
Chiikawa began in 2020 as a comic by Japanese illustrator Nagano. The Japanese title means "something small and cute," and Koreans squeezed that into one word: 먼작귀 (meon-jak-gwi), short for 먼가 작고 귀여운 녀석. It's now the official Korean brand name too.
Meet the trio: Chiikawa, the small white one who cries easily; Hachiware, the cheerful cat ("Nantoka nare!", "it'll work out somehow!"); and Usagi, a rabbit who mostly screams "Yaha!" and "Ura!" (Korean fans still argue whether it's "ura" or "una"). The cute world is surprisingly harsh, and since the characters talk mostly in sounds and faces, the memes work in any language.
Why it's everywhere in Korea right now
The film Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island opened on September 30 and passed 2.2 million tickets by October 25, topping the weekend chart three weeks running (Ilgan Sports, Oct 26). The official shop's lines followed: Segye Ilbo counted 200 to 300 people, some on camping chairs, at 7:30 a.m. one October morning, and tens of thousands of Chiikawa listings on a secondhand app. Most fans are in their 20s and 30s.
What you can do in Seoul now
- Visit the official store: Chiikawa Shop YongsanN in I'Park Mall, connected to Yongsan Station, is Korea's only official store (daily 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m.). November 5–8 is reservation-only via Naver; walk-in waiting is due to return after that. Look for the Korea-only hanbok series.
- Catch the movie: it's still in theaters, and on weekdays from November 4 to 10 CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox hand out clear stickers while stocks last. CGV Yongsan I'Park MallN is in the same mall.
- Watch for pop-ups: none announced in Seoul for November yet. Korean fans follow the shop's Instagram, @chiikawashop_kr, where restocks and events appear first.
The shop's Korea-only hanbok series, from its official Instagram.
How long will it last? Longer than a dessert craze, we think: the shop has been open since February and new goods keep arriving every couple of weeks.
Already in Korea? Stay connected.
Naver bookings and the shop's Instagram updates live on your phone: our eSIM gives you unlimited 5G on SK Telecom plus a real Korean 010 number that can receive calls and texts after passport verification. QR by email, no SIM shop.
Sources: Chiikawa Shop Korea's official Instagram (@chiikawashop_kr), Kyunghyang Shinmun (Oct 4), Segye Ilbo (Oct 8), Ilgan Sports (Oct 26, Korean Film Council data), Gukje News (Nov 2, movie gifts) and The Korea Herald (Sept 28), checked Nov 2, 2026. Hours and booking rules change, so check the shop's Instagram before you go. Cover photo: Yongsan Station and I'Park Mall at night by Tildin Han / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).