Hamtaro

Hamtaro (Japanese: とっとこハム太郎 Tottoko Hamutarō, Trotting Hamtaro) is a children's anime television program whose main character is the eponymous hamster named Hamtaro (Hamutaro in the original Japanese). The anime is based on Ritsuko Kawai's animated storybooks. Hamtaro is licensed by ShoPro Entertainment in North America.

Supporting characters include other hamsters. Hamtaro is owned by a girl named Laura Haruna (Hiroko Haruna or "Roko-chan" in the original Japanese). The show also features the household's dog, Brandy (Burandon or "Don-chan" in the Japanese series). This television program teaches children about sharing, adventures, and real life situations.

Characters

List of main hamsters

The English name is listed after the Japanese name. The English Wikipedia will refer to Hamtaro characters by the names used in the English-language editions.

• Hamutaro (ハム太郎 Hamutarō, sometimes ハム太郎くん Hamutarō-kun) / Hamtaro - Owned by Laura. Hamtaro is involved in a love triangle between himself, Bijou, and Boss. One of the more courageous ham hams, Hamtaro isn't above helping out his friends and his owner Laura. However, he cannot stand being ignored by Laura, and when she once did this, Hamtaro left her and tried to make his own home, which brought them to Ham Ham Land (As shown in the first Hamtaro movie). He is also very clueless about...pretty much a lot of things, especially love (much to Bijou and Sparkle's dismay)
• Ribon (リボンちゃん Ribon-chan) / Bijou - Owned by Maria. Bijou has a crush on Hamtaro. A somewhat conceited hamster who loves her blue ribbons, but she isn't above getting dirty when she needs to help her friends and has been known to be generous and helpful. She used to live in France before moving to where she is now (most likely Japan) and feels more attached to Japan and even refused to go back to France.
• Taisho (大将君 or タイショーくん Taishō-kun) / Boss - a field hamster. Boss has a crush on Bijou. The self proclaimed leader of the ham hams (though the ham hams do consider him the leader most of the time). Often times, he will try to look like he knows everything, only to have it backfire in his face. He has a bit of a temper, but he is very dependable, courageous, and nice, even shy at times (especially around Bijou). Because he is a field hamster, he is more familiar with nature and is more independent compared to the other ham hams. He has even developed a field hamster sense that tells him what kind of weather is rolling in. However, he cannot deal with the sea for he is prone to sea sickness.
• Koushi (こうしくん Kōshi-kun) / Oxnard- Owned by Kana. One of Hamtaro's best friends in the series. He has the biggest appetites of the ham hams and also has a crush on Pepper. He originally started as an easily frightened ham ham, but he has been a lot more braver and more dependable in recent episodes. He is also a great at tarot card reading, which soon attracts the other girls, much to the dismay of the other boys. Most of the time, Oxnard's predictions come true, especially for Boss (which usually end in Boss getting hurt in some way).
• Maido (まいどくん Maido-kun) / Howdy - Owned by Goldie. A ham ham notorious for telling bad jokes, especially at the wrong times. In the english version, he has a southern accent and a kansai accent in the japanese version. He often rivals for Pashmina's affection with Dexter, causing many bouts between them.
• Megane (めがねくん Megane-kun) / Dexter - Owned by Curtis. A refined hamster and is incredibly smart. He loves Pashmina, but often battles with Howdy for her affection.
• Mafura (マフラーちゃん Mafura-chan) / Pashmina - Owned by June. Considered to be the more motherly ham ham as seen with Penelope. She always wears her pink scarf and loves the color pink. Dexter and Howdy often fight for her affection, but she doesn't seem to notice. She would rather have them get along.
• Chibimaru (ちびまるちゃん Chibimaru-chan) / Penelope - Owned by Kylie. Considered the youngest of all the ham hams, Penelope is usually never caught out in the open without wearing her yellow blanket (though a few seconds in the opening theme shows her blanket coming off, revealing her brown fur). She feels attached to Pashmina, though she's friendly to everyone else. She is both innocent and naive, but due to her age, she often gets herself into trouble more than most of the other ham hams. In season two, she has been seen to have affection for characters beyond her own race. This includes Herbert the Pig, a boy by the name of Ethan (who later befriends Mimi, much to Penelope's dismay), and a rabbit at Ethan's school. Unlike the other ham hams, Penelope can't say anything more than 'ookwee' or 'ookyoo' (though she has been heard saying 'bookwee' during the Halloween episode) Though not explained, fans have speculated that this is due to her age.
• Noppo (のっぽくん Noppo-kun) / Maxwell - Owned by the eldest son of a bookstore owner. Always carries a book around and is often turned to for knowledge. Has a crush on Sandy. Though not revealed in the English version, he tends to be just as clueless as Hamtaro when it comes to love.
• Torahamu-chan (トラハムちゃん Torahamu-chan) / Sandy - Owned by Hillary. A sporty young girl ham who carries a ribbon. Her interest in gymnastics have been influenced by Hillary, who is a gold medal gymnast. She has a crush on Maxwell. While it seems like the two have confessed in the English version, a Japanese episode confirms that they aren't romantically involved yet. In the english version, she has a valley girl accent.
• Torahamu-kun (トラハムくん Torahamu-kun) / Stan - Owned by Noel. Sandy's twin (older) brother, who is often caught flirting with the other girls. As a result, he is often an annoyance to the other guys, especially Boss, Howdy, and Dexter. Initially, Sandy and Stan were seperated when Noel (who had a crush on Hillary) offered to take care of one of her hamsters. He is often seen shaking his maracas or riding his skateboard.
• Neteru (ねてるくん Neteru-kun) / Snoozer - A mysterious hamster that Boss found in his hideaway (which would soon become the clubhouse). It is unknown where he came from. He is always sleeping, but often utters some helpful advice when the ham hams are in need of it.
• Panda (パンダくん Panda-kun) - Owned by Mimi. A ham ham who's fur matches his name, he is the builder/carpenter of the ham hams. Has built and repaired many things throughout the duration of the anime as well as the game.
• Kaburu (かぶるくん Kaburu-kun) / Cappy - Owned by Kip and Sue. One of the younger ham hams, Cappy loves hats. The two hats he mostly commonly carries are his green swimming cap and the giant saucepan that he usually is hiding under. While he loves his home, he doesn't like being spoiled and even looks up to Boss due to Boss' independence as a field hamster. He has developed some sort of a rivalry with Stucky, especially when it comes to hide and seek.
• Tongari (トンガリくん Tongari-kun) / Jingle - a field hamster. Appears occassionally throughout the series. He speaks in rhymes, which often confuse the other ham hams. He is also very clueless about many things, but tends to let out some wise advice. Always seen carrying his guitar. In 'Hamtaro, Please Come Home' and all other appearances afterwards, he is seen with Herbert the Pig. He also has a habit of forgetting names. Whenever he appears, he usually mispronounces someone's name (Hamtaro most of the time). Whenever he is corrected, he usually replies "You changed your name again?"
• Lapis or (in Japan) Lapis-chan (ラピスちゃん Rapisu-chan) - owner unknown, not yet made television debut outside Japan.
• Lazuli or (in Japan) Lazuli-chan (ラズリーちゃん Razuri-chan) - owner unknown, not yet made television debut outside Japan.

Supporting Hamsters

Nin-Ham/Ninhamu-kun/ニンハムくん: Ninja hamster who comes from a far away valley. Being the worst ninja in his home, he left so he could be appreciated by non-ninja hams.

Stucky/Nekenai-kun/ぬけないくん: Run away hamster stuck in a hamster tube toy. He chants "roly-poly" as he rolls to get around. Rivals Cappy in hide and seek, though the two have become best of friends lately.

Sparkle/Kururin-chan/くるりんちゃん: Owned by Glitter. Sparkle is a spoiled pop star hamster. She didn't like the ham hams at first, but she progressively became attached to them. In the japanese episodes, Sparkle began to bear a crush on Hamtaro and has since then been trying to get him to notice her. She has been unsuccessful and may not get to be with Hamtaro since there have been small hints that Hamtaro loves Bijou. Because of this and many other reasons, she has seen Bijou as a rival.

Pepper/Jajahamu-chan/じゃじゃハムちゃん: Pepper is Oxnard(Japanese: Koushi-kun)'s girlfriend. She is the pet hamster of Kana's cousin, who lives in the country. Compared to Oxnard, however, she is a lot more braver and can be very rough.

Omar/Oashisu-kun/オアシスくん: Hamster from a far away land that looks exactly like Snoozer. Left his wealthy owner to travel the world.

Sabu/Sabu/サブ: Hamster with a dove named Françoise. He appears in the series from time to time with different roles. Mainly, he's seed vendor that feeds anyone he sees. At one point, Boss considered him more of a man than he was.

Auntie Viv/Ohamubaa-san/おハムばあさん: Extremely fit elderly hamster with an attitude. Used to be involved with Elder Ham.

Elder Ham/Chorohamu/長老ハム: Elderly hamster who is always falling asleep while talking. He is narcoleptic (he falls asleep often). Despite this, he is a source of wisdom for the ham hams.

Hannah/Hana-chan/ハナちゃん: Childhood friend of Howdy. Develops a short-lived crush on Dexter. One of the very few who can stand Howdy's jokes.

Mecha Jirou/Robo Joe: Created by Laura's Grandfather, Robo Joe is a robot hamster who's appearance seems to be based on Hamtaro. Robo Joe's main function is the ability to learn and mimic what he hears; both human language and ham ham language (When Laura's Grandfather plays back some of the sounds he's recorded, the ham ham's voices are heard normally). In a later Japanese episode, Laura's Grandfather places Robo Joe in a Battlebots-like tournament.

Chef Ham/Koshiku-kun/コックさん: Chef hamster.

Flora/Nasu-chan/ナースちゃん: Nurse hamster; never made an appearance in the English TV show, but made an appearance in Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue and Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(Video game).

Harmony/Enjieru-chan/エンジェルちゃん: Hamster in an angel costume, fights Spat and tries to save love for all hamsters. Never made an appearence in English TV series; made an appearance in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(Video game).

Spat/Debihamu-kun/デビハムくん: Hamster in a devil costume, fights Harmony and tries to ruin love for all hamsters. Never made an appearance in English TV series; made an appearance in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(Video game).

Barette/Poniiteru-chan/ポニーテールちゃん: Runs the photo studio in the Ham-Ham Clubhouse with her boyfriend Seamore. Never makes an appearance in English TV series; makes an appearance in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(Video game).

Seamore/Kanehamu-kun/カメハムくん: Hamster with a turtle shell on his back; can swim. Seamore never makes an appearance in the English TV series, but appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(Video game). He also runs a photo studio in the Ham-Ham Clubhouse with his girlfriend, Barette.

Ook-Ook/Ukihamu-kun/ウキハムくん: Never appears in English TV series

Buster/Taiho-kun/たいほくん: Never appears in English TV series.

Little Hams/Chibi-chanzu/ちびちゃんず: Never appears in English TV series.

Potato/Poteto-kun/ポテトくん: Never appears in English TV series.

Shake/Shieiku-chan/シェイクちゃん: Never appears in English TV series.

Sunflower/Himawari-chan/ひまわりちゃん: Never appears in English TV series.

Naasu-kun/ナッスーくん: Never appears in English TV series.

Tomato/Tomato-kun/トマトくん: Never appears in English TV series.

Chibikuri-chan/ちびくりちゃん: Never appears in English TV series.

Prince Bo/Nijihamu-kun/にじハムくん: Prince of Rainbow Land. Never appears in English TV series (with the exception of the Ham Ham Games episode), but appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(Video game) and Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue.

Ojare-chan/おしゃれちゃん: Never appears in English series.

Leo/Taion-san/ライオンさん: Member of Team Djungle; never appears in English TV series, appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(Video game).

Sabotenburazasu/サボテンブラザース: Never appears in English TV series.

Warts/Kaeru-san/カエルさん: Member of Team Djungle. Primarily wears a frog outfit, but often changes. Never appears in English TV series; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(Video game).

Bunny/Usagi-san/ウサギさん: Member of Team Djungle. Never appears in English TV series; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(Video game).

Stripes/Zebera-san/ゼブラさん: Member of Team Djungle. Never appears in English TV series; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(video game).

Rainbow Girls/Reinbokarusu/レインボーガールズ: Three members of Team Rainbow; Prince Bo is the leader of Team Rainbow. They never make an appearance in English TV show (with the exception of the Ham Ham Games episode); appear in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games(video game).

Radar/Mimiyori-kun/みみよりくん: News reporter hamster. Never appears in English TV show; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(video game).

Minoko-chan/きのこちゃん: Never appears in English TV series.

Kurohamu-kun/くろハムくん: News reporter hamster. Never appears in English TV show; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(video game).

Gelato/Jieraado-chan/ジェラードちゃん: Never apperas in English TV series.

Broski/Safua-kun/サーファーくん: Surfing hamster. Never appears in English TV series; appears in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak(video game).

Sky Ham/Sorahamu-kun/そらハムくん: Never appears in English TV series.

Okiinii-chan/オーキニーちゃん: Never appears in English TV series.

Mystery/Misuteri-chan/ミステリーちゃん: Never appears in English TV series.

Magical/Majikaru-kun/マジカルくん: Never appears in English TV series.

Ice/Aisu-kun/アイスくん: Never appears in English TV series.

Candy/Kyandei-chan/キャンディーちゃん: Never appears in English TV series.

Moguru-kun/もぐるくん: Never appears in English TV series.

How/Nande-kun/なんでくん: Never appears in English TV series.

Penguin Ham/Penhamu-kun/ペンハムくん: Never appears in English TV series.

Azarashi-chan/あざらしちゃん: Never appears in English TV series.

Humans

• Hiroko Haruna (春名ヒロ子 Haruna Hiroko) a.k.a. Roko-chan (ロコちゃん) / Laura Haruna - Hamtaro's owner and the main human character. Laura cares for Hamtaro very much just as Hamtaro cares for her. Several episodes involve the ham hams trying to help Laura with whatever problem she's facing. Best friends with Kana.
  
• Hiromi Haruna (春名ヒロミ Haruna Hiromi) / Marian Haruna - Laura's mother.
• Yumetaro Haruna (春名ユメ太郎 Haruna Yumetarō) / Forrest Haruna - Laura's father.
• Yume Haruna / Willow Haruna - Laura's grandmother.
• Kana Iwata (岩田カナ Iwata Kana): Oxnard's owner. Best friends with Laura.
• Momo Iwata (岩田モモ Iwata Momo) / Mimi - Panda's owner. The only human character who can actually talk to the ham hams.
• Taichi Kimura (木村太一 Kimura Taichi) / Travis - Laura's friend. Laura has a crush on him.
• Maria (マリアちゃん Maria-chan) - The owner of Bijou.
• Kyoko (キョウコちゃん Kyōko-chan) / Kylie - Penelope's owner. Best friends with June.
• Hikari / Hillary - Sandy's owner. A very athletic girl who has one several gold medals in gymnastics. Her athleticism has inspired Sandy's own athletic nature.
• Jun (ジュンち Jun-chan) / June - Pashmina's owner. Best friends with Kylie.
• Norio (ノリオさん Norio-san) / Noel - Stan's owner. Has a crush on Hillary. Unfortunately, he is very shy, the opposite of Stan.
• Yu and Sae / Kip and Sue - Cappy's owners. They love Cappy very much and so, they constantly spoil him.
• Ichiro Yamada (山田一郎 Yamada Ichirō), later Ichiro Inatori (稲鳥一郎 Inatori Ichirō) / Mr. Philip Yoshi - Laura's teacher. A young teacher, who is very good at his job. Outside of his job, he is more wimpy and has a constant fear of chickens. However, he has conquered his fear several times to win Charlotte Rooster's heart. He is now married to her and even has a child in the japanese version, who the ham hams often try to protect.
• Sakura Inatori (稲鳥さくら Inatori Sakura) / Charlotte Rooster - Laura's teacher's girlfriend, who later becomes his wife. She is the daughter of Chairman Rooster, who is very strict and wants Charlotte to marry a wealthy husband, who can support her and the Rooster name. He hated Philip Yoshi, who Charlotte loves. After several dates, she decides she and Philip should get married. After some conflict with her father, she finally get married to Mr. Yoshi. They currently have a child.

Other characters

• Tonkichi / Herbert - Jingle's pet pig.
• Burandon a.k.a. Don-chan / Brandy - Laura's dog.

Relationships

Couples often discussed and supported by the fans. Of all the couples, Sandy/Maxwell, Hamtaro/Bijou, and Oxnard/Pepper are the most canonical.

Hamtaro/Boss/Bijou/Sparkle A love triangle often debated between the fans. Both Hamtaro/Bijou and Boss/Bijou have strong followings and often clash with each other. Both couples have had equal amounts of evidence, and even entire episodes based on the two couples ('Bijou's Favorite Ribbon' supports the Hamtaro/Bijou pairing, while 'Scary Museum' supports Boss/Bijou). It is known that that Bijou loves Hamtaro and Boss loves Bijou, but Hamtaro's take on the relationship is never truly explained (although his actions at the end of "Bijou's Favorite Ribbon" suggest that he has feeling for Bijou). However, a couple of the games and even the Ham Ham Grand Prix movie seems to support Hamtaro/Bijou more.

Sparkle, in the later japanese episodes, begins to have a crush on Hamtaro as well, and goes through great lengths to get Hamtaro to notice her, similar to how Boss tries to get Bijou to notice him. As a result, some fans have begun to pair Boss with Sparkle due to some of their similarities. A japanese episode also showed Boss suddenly falling for Sparkle, but that was because Boss ate a seed that made him fall in love with her (the seed was originally meant for her to give to Hamtaro). However, it is definitely not certain whether they will harbor any feelings for each other and Boss tends to think of Sparkle as an annoyance (especially in Ham Ham Games)

In the Japanese version, it seems that Boss has given up on Bijou at some point. One episode showed Bijou trying to help welcome her friend from France to Japan and Hamtaro and Bijou were dancing together at one point. Boss, on the other hand, seems to have a crush on this new French hamster. From the looks of it, it seems like Boss/Bijou has no chance at becoming a canon couple with Boss dropping out. Even then, it's following is still just as strong as the Hamtaro/Bijou following.

Sandy/Maxwell The most clearly visible couple in the series. Sandy's feelings for Maxwell were first revealed in 'Let's Dance Sandy' when Maxwell helped her up after messing up during practice for the Sunflower Seed Festival. After being forced by the other girls to tell Maxwell about Sandy's feelings, Hamtaro finally tells Maxwell, and he begins to love Sandy as well. Later episodes show Sandy and Maxwell together more often. In 'Bijou's Favorite Ribbon' they were poked fun at by Stan. Sandy was also seen giving Maxwell a Valentine's Day seed, though Stan wanted it.

In the Japanese episode 'Chisana Koi Monogatari', Maxwell is shown as being clueless about his relationship with Sandy, much to Sandy's dismay. The episode showed that their relationship wasn't really solidified yet, despite the other episodes. It ends with Maxwell barely admiting his feelings to Sandy and the two of them holding each other's paw on the night of Tanobata.

Unlike all the other couples, almost all Hamtaro fans agree that Sandy and Maxwell should stay together.

Dexter/Howdy/Stan/Panda/Pashmina Another often debated love triangle. In the series, the love triangle involved Dexter, Howdy, and Pashmina, but fans have also added in Stan and Panda.

It is unknown who Pashmina really likes. Dexter and Howdy are always seen fighting for her love, but she doesn't seem to be paying attention to them. Instead, she wants them to be friends. Currently, she isn't looking into a relationships, but a rumor of a japanese episode confirms that she loves Dexter. It also makes the most sense since Dexter is a more refined hamster compared to Howdy, who is rough and tells many bad jokes. However, it is still unknown.

Many fans have paired Stan and Pashmina for various reasons (They look cute together, Stan should be with a girl ham...). There have been a couple of instances where Pashmina seemed to like Stan (Stan impresses her at one point in 'Bijou's Favorite Ribbon' and in 'Pashmina's Present' Stan gives Pashmina a pink rose, which she likes until Stan reveals other roses for Bijou, Penelope, and even Sandy.) It is still not confirmed. There is also a rumor about Stan falling for Flora, the nurse ham.

Fans have paired Panda with Pashmina for pretty much the same reasons Stan was paired with Pashmina. There is also the fact that they have known each other longer than most of the other ham hams, but it is still an unknown.

Cappy/Penelope A couple that has gotten a small following. The fans have paired the two together since they are the youngest of the ham hams. So far, it has been fairly dispproved due to Penelope's love for the other races (currently, she loves Herbert the Pig). However, there has been some evidence. In the game, Ham Ham's Unite, Cappy tells Hamtaro that he will not go back to clubhouse without Penelope. Also, in 'Stucky's Tunnel' there was a brief scene where Stucky flirts with Penelope, which upsets Cappy. It is still not known if they will be a couple.

Oxnard/Pepper Another visible couple in the series. All of Pepper's appearances seem to indicate that both have definite feelings for each other. There was even one instance where Pepper thinks that Oxnard is interested in another girl and becomes upset. Whether or not they really are romantically involved is unknown.

Same as Sandy/Maxwell, most Hamtaro fans have agreed that Oxnard and Pepper should be together.

Movies

As of 2006, there are 4 Hamtaro movies.

Hamu Hamu Rando Daibouken/Big Ham-Ham Land Adventure:

It's Laura's birthday, and Hamtaro is feeling neglected. The Ham-Hams then tell him about a magical sunflower seed that will grant you any wish you want-- Hamtaro is determined to find it so that he can tell Laura how much he loves her. However, an evil devil hamster is after it too! Will Hamtaro ever get his wish?

Hamu Hamu Hamu Maboroshi no Purincess/Ham-Ham-Ham Vison of Princess:

Hamtaro and the Ham-Hams are peacefully sleeping when Hamtaro suddenly has a vison. It's a princess called ha Obi calling for help! Suddenly, the Ham-Hams are takes right out of their dreams and taken to a faraway land! Ha Obi is being forced to marry an evil cat genie! Can the Ham-Hams save the land from danger?

Hamu Hamu Guran Purin/Ham-Ham Grand Prix:

Bijou is called to a distant land, and Hamtaro follows. Bijou makes friends with the village hamsters, when a group of pirate hamsters suddenly show up! The captain falls in love with Bijou, and Hamtaro is jealous. Now Hamtaro must race the captain for Bijou's love!

Hamutaro to Fushigi no Oni no Ehon Tou/Hamtaro and the Mysterious Ogre's Picture Book Tower:

This story is based off of the old Japanese folk tale of Momotaro(Peach Boy). However, Hamtaro floats down the river in a sunflower instead of a peach; thus they call him Himawaritaro(Sunfower Boy).

Broadcasters & World airing information

• In Japan on TV Tokyo and TV stations of TXN.
• In the United States on the Cartoon Network, some rumor it may end up on Nick Jr.. Hamtaro has been canceled on Cartoon Network since March, 2004, although in late-August of 2004, Cartoon Network's "Saturday Block Party" was featuring Hamtaro. It included the long-awaited 1 hour Hamtaro OVA, Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games, followed by a Hamtaro marathon of the last 6 episodes that were in English. Hamtaro has not broadcasted since then in the USA.
• In Canada on YTV
• In the United Kingdom on Fox Kids
• In Germany on RTL 2
• In Finland on MTV3
• In Mainland Europe on Fox Kids
• In Latin America on Cartoon Network LA (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico)
• In Korea on SBS (Korea) (2001), AniOne TV (2002) and Tooniverse (2003) (hangul:방가방가 햄토리, Banga Banga Hemtori)
• In the Philippines on GMA Network
• In Malaysia (and possibly Brunei) on NTV7 (It may be possible that Brunei viewers also get Hamtaro on NTV7 via the Kristal-ASTRO satellite service)
• In Thailand on Channel 7 and UBC
• In Indonesia on RCTI
• In Italy on Italia1
• In Singapore on Channel I over Starhub cable (previously known as Singapore Cable Vision) and TCS Central. Those who live near the borders the might be able to get Hamtaro on NTV7 and/or RCTI as well
• In Hong Kong on TVB Jade
• In Australia on Cartoon Network Pacific. Also aired for a short time on Network Ten
• In New Zealand on Cartoon Network Pacific and TV3 (New Zealand)
• In Mexico on TV Azteca
• In Taiwan on YOYO TV

This is just a partial list of channels. Full list of channels carrying Hamtaro is available on both the Japanese site and the English site

Licensed products

• Shogakukan: Ritsuko Kawai's books, other Hamtaro related titles, Japanese videos/DVDs
• Columbia Music Entertainment: Japanese music CDs
• Epoch Co. Ltd.: Plushes, collectible toy line, talking toys, musical toys, standalone electronic games (for the Japanese/Asian market only, but can also be found in some import stores in North America and Europe)
• Hasbro: plushies, collectable toy line
• The Learning Company: Hamtaro: Wake Up Snoozer! for the IBM PC/PC compatibles/Apple Macintosh
• Nintendo: video games -
  • For the Game Boy Color: Hamtaro (Unreleased in the US/Rest of the World), Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite
  • For the Game Boy Advance: Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak, Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue, Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games/Ham-Ham Sports, Hamtaro E-Cards for the E-Card reader(Japanese market only).
• Sega: Arcade painting game, Sega Pico titles (Japanese market only), Cocopad titles (Japanese market only)
• Banpresto: Arcade kiddie ride
• Smuckers: Smucker's Snacker's
• VIZ Media: books, English-language comics, videos/DVDs
• Seiko: Limited Edition watches
• Daiwon C&A Holdings: All market character products from Japan and United States.

The full list of licensees can be found on both the Japanese and American, Korean, Asian, European Hamtaro websites.

Other

• Another manga about a hamster, Oruchuban Ebichu, is thought to be the "anti-Hamtaro". Ebichu mainly differents from Hamtarou, for containing sex scenes.