When Domo Meets the Malayan Tapir: A New Photo Spot on Tokyo Streets

Visitors take photos in front of an interactive Malayan tapir wall nearly 10m long and about 4m high. (Photo provided by Li Qiyue)

The creator of the Malayan tapir, Cherng, signs his name on the wall. (Photo provided by Li Qiyue)

DOMO CAFE offers a tasting set of Malayan tapir pearl latte and tiramisu. (Photo provided by Li Qiyue)

Over the past five years, rising illustrator Cherng has brought this lazy yet adorable black-and-white animal—the Malayan tapir—onto the international stage with humorous, heartfelt, and relatable content, making it a beloved iconic image representing Taiwan.

This time, the Malayan tapir teams up with DOMO, a light travel brand also from Taiwan. Leveraging ten years of localized life experience in Tokyo, besides offering homestay services to travelers, it also carries the grand vision of promoting cultural exchange between Taiwan and Japan, creating Tokyo’s first brand café that blends the cultures of both Taiwan and Japan: DOMO CAF

DOMO Corporation President Liao Huiping stated, "It is our greatest honor to introduce more friends

Director Zheng Yiping of the Tourism Bureau’s Tokyo Office under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications stated during the unveiling ceremony that DOMO is a model example of a Taiwanese accommodation brand expanding overseas, and that the Malayan tapir is a highly recognizable illustrated character in Taiwan. She expressed great joy at seeing a new mural of the Malayan tapir at DOMO Café & Guesthouse in Japan, as well as the collaboration to launch an exclusive set menu featuring the Malayan tapir. Of the foreign tourists visiting Japan each year, approximately 4.3 million come from Taiwan.

She added that Japan has always been a top choice for many international travelers, and many of them choose to stay at DOMO accommodations. Through this opportunity, not only Japan or Taiwan, but people from all over the world will be able to get to know the Malayan tapir. It is also highly anticipated that this will further promote cultural exchanges between Japan and Taiwan.

The unveiling event for the giant interactive Malayan tapir wall was held on the afternoon of December 14. The event featured the public reveal of an interactive Malayan tapir wall nearly 10 meters long and about 4 meters high, as well as a tasting session for the new Laimo x DOMO collaborative product — the Malayan Tapir Pearl Latte Tiramisu Set Menu. Additional perks were offered for fans who had lined up early, including a Tokyo autograph session with Cherng.

Li Qiyue, CEO of the DOMO Group, said: “We are grateful to the Tourism Bureau for facilitating this cross-industry collaboration between DOMO and Laimo. In the future, we plan to organize more meaningful events like this one. Through cultural creativity and tourism exchanges, we aim to bring Taiwan and Japan even closer, and to introduce Taiwan’s vibrant creative energy to Japan. Next April, DOMO will also join hands with Laimo to expand to Malacca, Malaysia — the hometown of the Malayan tapir — to grow and shine together.”