Kyoto Seika University
The green monster featured in "Tonari no 801-chan" has its origins in , the real-life mascot of the Misono Bridge 801 shopping center in northern Kyoto, Japan. The mascot, resembling Kyoto's well-known Kamo eggplant, was designed in late 2005 by a student at Kyoto Seika University. The shopping center itself was named for its 800-meter length, adding one to represent future expansion. Since the numbers 8-0-1 can be read in Japanese as ya-o-i (yaoi), the mascot soon became an Internet phenomenon. This brought the mascot to the attention of Ajiko Kojima, a Japanese blogger who took the mascot and slightly altered its appearance, using it as a basis for use his new webcomic "Tonari no 801-chan" in April 2006.