I’m Bill Tsutsui with another Postcard from Asia from the Center for East Asian Studies.

Lee Yu-jin sleeps with a “guy pillow” shaped like half a man’s torso with one arm inexplicably encased in the sleeve of a blue dress shirt. Hong Yun-jeong confides in Dori-Dori, a little doll that sits on her desk and answers questions with a nod or shake of her voice-activated head. Is it any wonder we’re a bit worried about South Korea? Both the “guy pillow” and Dori-Dori belong to a new South Korean market niche comprised of products aimed at providing solace to lost souls who are looking for connection and comfort in an increasingly hi-speed, impersonal world. Can cozying up to a partial, stuffed man after a hard day at the office really reduce your sense of alienation and stress? Maybe we’d better ask Dori-Dori.

With thanks to Randi Hacker for this text, from the Center for East Asian Studies, I’m Bill Tsutsui. Wish you were here.