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SCMP Reporter

DIGITAL cheeping chickens are Japan's latest rage.

  'Tamagotchi', the electronic pet, comes housed in an egg-shaped piece of plastic with a postage stamp-sized digital screen displaying 'your chick'.

  Aspiring parents must 'feed, play with, clean and discipline' their chick by pressing one or more of the three buttons.

  Failure to take care of the electronic pet can make the pet screech out in distress, turn ugly or worse - die.

  Success is a mature bird, in as little as five days if all goes well. But success takes constant attention - and this seems to be the reason for the runaway success of the gadget.

  Released just two months ago, more than 500,000 Tamagotchi have been sold with early morning queues forming outside any store rumoured to have replacement stocks in.

  The chick requires constant attention. It peeps whenever it is hungry, wants to play or needs its droppings cleaned up. When it gets sick, an electronic injection can be administered. Sweets can also be given.

  At night, the lights must be dimmed or the chick gets insomnia.

  Take good care of your chick and it responds with delighted peeps and smiles.

  Maltreat it and its character can become warped.

  Forget about it and it will die.

  As the fad has caught on social commentators have started in on what makes young Japanese choose to interact with a digital egg they can hang off their key ring.

  Mariko Suzuki, an 18-year-old student who has had her pet for a couple of days, thinks it is fun.

  Eager fans unable to find Tamagotchi in the shops are willing to pay up to 20,000 yen (HK$1,260) per egg, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun.

  Bandai, the toy's maker, plans to ship up to three million of the 'made in China' eggs, sniffing a major boom on its hands.

  Fads among Japan's young are famous for their intensity. Everyone gets in on the act.

   Just as quickly though the fad can fade into a distant memory.



Digital chicks do not come cheap