What is "kogepan"

is a Japanese character from the company San-X, who, like Sanrio creations Hello Kitty and Badtz Maru, can be found in books, anime, toys, stationery, and a number of other formats. The character is a burnt red bean bread bun who lives in a panya (Japanese bakery), trying to fit in and make friends with the other bread items. The name comes from kogeru, meaning to burn or char, and pan, a gairaigo word taken from Portuguese and meaning bread.

There are a number of other characters (breads) in the panya with Kogepan, including ichigopan (strawberry bread), kireipan (pretty bread), kuriimupan (a burnt cream bread), and Sumipan, a bread even more burnt than Kogepan.