If you love the ultra-popular Japanese chocolate stick snack Pocky, then you are familiar with Glico, the Osaka-based confectionery company that produces many of Japan's big named sweets. No trip to Osaka is truly complete without posing and taking a picture of the trademark Glico running man sign. So given the multitude of tasty Glico snacks, and Japan's love of mascots, a huggable character was needed to promote "Smile Glico" campaign. Not just any character, however, but one inspired by their original caramel candy. So that need was met by this lovely fellow:

His name is Hug Hug. As smile of the "Smile Glico" campaign, which seeks to promote a happier world (and of course the Glico line of snacks) by reminding everyone that if they just smile and be nice to each other, they can make the world a better place. So he randomly bounces around, unannounced, dispensing sweets from his mouth and asking for hugs from people. When not wearing his trademark Glico packaging hat, the giant lump of caramel (what he is intended to be), somewhat resembles a cartoonish drawing of poop--as many Japanese internet users have observed. There's a bit more to his character, but it is imperative that you watch him try to convince people to hug him, with varying rates of success.

So what is there to know about Hug Hug? Surprisingly a lot, according to his Twitter profile, he was born to make the human race smile, and is traveling around hugging 7 billion people--so he asks that if you see him to come up and give him a hug--if his aesthetic doesn't put you off, I suppose.

He has some interesting physical attributes as well: arms big enough to hug three adult humans at once, eyes that express immediate happiness when he sees a smile, a yawn and heart-shaped-chest that smell like caramel (what many schoolgirls observed in the video), and legs that he prefers that you wouldn't call short. He's two meters tall, and he weighs as much as his big dream. His head is also deceptively small from the side.

So how are things going for the big poopy caramel? Pretty swimmingly according to his Instagram and Twitter, he's burning the hugging trail!

He got big enough to hug Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

He's always popping in the club

But has plenty of love for Maiko

He'll stop at nothing to get a hug

And schoolkids love him

Because he waddles!

And hey, if you need some warming up to get used to him, just watch this commercial from Christmas where he spread the holiday spirit with a poopy grin!