A few months ago, my daughter attended a birthday party and, as is the custom these days, she parted with a lovely loot bag. One of the things that caught my eye was a set of really unique erasers that came in the shape of food items similar to the ones in the picture below.

The neat part about these erasers, aside from the fact that they don't even look like erasers, is that they come apart and can be easily reassembled. Earlier this month, I was approached to review an assortment of Japanese Erasers by Iwako that are currently being distributed here in Canada by Funtelligent Toys based in Halifax. Little did I know that these erasers are environmentally friendly and recyclable. What makes these original Japanese erasers stand out from their cheaper replicas is that they have met the requirements of several safety compliance certifications and have been deemed non toxic, contain lead-free and latex-free safe materials and are non-PVC which means they do not release any toxic fume. And they don't. Trust me, my olfactory bulb is quite sensitive.

Iwako is the only company in Japan where they design and make these authentic Japanese erasers. Each eraser is a beautifully sculpted miniature of an animal, food or toy and can be taken apart and mixed with other erasers to create a new look. There are over 700 designs and new designs will be introduced to the Canadian market over the next little while.

Here are the highlights:

My daughter absolutely loved these and I know they would be a quite popular among many of my students. They certainly are a lot more practical than those 'silly' rubber bands they keep playing with at their desks. I think these Japanese erasers make a perfect loot bag gift and I love that they are so unique and are of high quality craftsmanship. And you can't forget the fun factor! It's almost a shame to use them as erasers, don't you think?

Disclosure: I was sent an assortment of Japanese Erasers in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.