Rubber ducks invoke a sense of bath-time fun and childhood wonder no matter how old we get. Their bright colours and kind expressions are so pleasing that one artist has super-sized the fun by creating giant, inflatable versions that travel around the world.

One of these has recently taken up temporary residence in Nakanoshima, Osaka, where it will be appearing for one week only. To add to the excitement, a local hotel is serving up limited numbers of ‘rubber duck plates’ featuring the cutest rice creation you’ve ever seen!

Created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, the huge rubber duck transforms urban waterways into massive bathtubs and turns surrounding buildings into toy blocks.

The Rihga Royal Hotel has come up with a clever way of welcoming the duck: with a miniature edible version of their own!

The “Duck Plate” is limited to 20 a day and will be on sale until December 30. For 2,000 yen (US$20.00) you’ll get a salad, a seasonal quiche, the soup of the day, vegetables, dessert, and the pièce de résistance: a rubber duck omelet with a tasty rice filling. Complete with a carrot nose and vegetable leaf tail!

This is not the first time the smiling bird has come to visit Osaka and hopefully it won’t be the last! If you’re in the area, make sure to stop by the Nakanoshima Gate to see the duck before October 18, when it will travel to the Old Namura Ship Yard for an appearance until October 20. Night visitors can enjoy the view every evening until 10:00 p.m.

For an adorable time-lapse view of the duck’s inflation last year, check out the video below:

Sources: HeT Architecture Rihga Royal Hotel Spider5319 Osaka at Night

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