The is a handheld digital pet, created in Japan by of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. It was first sold by Bandai on November 23, 1996 in Japan. As of 2010, over 76 million Tamagotchis had been sold world-wide. Most Tamagotchi are housed in a small egg-shaped computer with an interface usually consisting of three buttons, although the number of buttons may vary.

is a 2009 Japanese fantasy slice of life anime series produced by OLM's Team Kamei division, officially based on the Tamagotchi digital pet jointly created by Bandai and WiZ. It is directed by Joji Shimura of Pokémon and written by Aya Matsui of Boys Over Flowers, with character designs done by Sayuri Ichiishi, Shouji Yasukazu and Miwa Sakai. It officially aired on TV Tokyo and other affiliate stations in Japan from 12 October 2009 to 3 September 2012, lasting for seven seasons.