Kin no unko

Kin no unko (金のうんこ) or "golden poo" is a Japanese cultural phenomenon. It is a symbol of good luck, as the name is a pun meaning "golden poo" and "good luck" in Japanese.^[1] By 2006, 2.7 million mobile phone charms in this form had been sold.^[2][3] The symbol, or something similar to it called unchi, appears as an emoji available on many mobile devices that support a Unicode expansion made in the summer of 2014.^[4] The charm is unusual outside of Japan but has been available from the English-language website ThinkGeek.^[5]

Kin no unko resting on a red backdrop

The flame ornament atop the Asahi Beer Hall in Tokyo is called Kin no unko for its similarity.^[6]

In popular culture

• The video games The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023) contain an item known as Hestu's Gift, which resembles a Kin no unko.^[7]
• Several skits of the golden poo appear in the animated American Dad series.
• The video game Cult of the Lamb released an update in which followers of your cult can create "golden poop" which provides money.^[8]
• The Tamagotchi franchise features several characters based on Kin no unko such as Lucky Unchi-kun from the Tamagotchi Angel (1997) virtual pet, a secret character that is notoriously difficult to raise and considered a symbol of luck like its inspiration.^[9]