Sushi, fruit, milk cartons, ice cream, baseball bats, cars, helicopters . . . the "fun erasers" that are popular among Japanese kids right now come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes. Each eraser is crafted in detail to look just like the real thing, so much so that you might not even realize they are erasers.

The "Chinese food" set has some especially imaginative items. It includes erasers shaped like dumplings, noodles, and even a pair of chopsticks. The company that produces these popular products is called Iwako, and it currently has around 250 different models in its Omoshiro-keshigomu (fun eraser) series.