Meaning of もったいないお化けがでる


I came across

> もったいないお化けがでる

What does that mean?




If you don't finish your plate, then the leftover food will come to life and
this you call もったいないお化け.

[Apparently](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%82%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E3%81%84%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84%E3%81%8A%E5%8C%96%E3%81%91),
this concept originates in [this TV
spot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6be2IvKKdo4) and as far as I can tell is
also nowadays a common way to encourage children to finish their plate.

Telling children that their leftover food will turn into monsters if they
don't eat it may sound quite bizarre when you say it like this, but I guess in
the context of Japanese culture it is not such an outlandish idea, considering
that objects may have a kind of "soul".




If you don't finish your plate, then the leftover food will come to life and
this you call もったいないお化け.

[Apparently](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%82%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E3%81%84%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84%E3%81%8A%E5%8C%96%E3%81%91),
this concept originates in [this TV
spot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6be2IvKKdo4) and as far as I can tell is
also nowadays a common way to encourage children to finish their plate.

Telling children that their leftover food will turn into monsters if they
don't eat it may sound quite bizarre when you say it like this, but I guess in
the context of Japanese culture it is not such an outlandish idea, considering
that objects may have a kind of "soul".

