This year marks the 15th anniversary for Rilakkuma. The Rilakkuma Town Cafe (リラックマタウンカフェ) that was a great success earlier this year in spring is making a comeback in Osaka this summer! The cafe will be open at DELASOUL CHARBON in Abeno Q's Mall from Friday 31st August and will close on the national holiday Monday 8th October.

Citron Melon Cream Soda — (￥990 + tax)

 

Three-coloured Rilakkuma Stew — (￥1,490 +tax)

 

Korilakkuma's Fluffy Curry Udon —  (￥1,190 +tax)

  From the Citron Melon Cream Soda to the Three-coloured Rilakkuma Stew and Korilakkuma's Fluffy Curry Udon, the Osaka-limited edition menu is full of photogenic treats!

Cafe-limited clear file — (￥350 +tax)

Cafe-limited acrylic keyring — (2 designs available,￥600 each)

  The cafe is also selling limited edition goods specifically designed for this occasion, including clear files, keyrings and much more!  

A  special gift will be presented to those who make advanced reservations — an extra large badge with an original design (one of three designs will be chosen at random and presented to you)

This special gift will be presented to customers who dine without reservations — an original lunch mat (one of four designs will be selected at random)

  You can reserve your spot at the Rilakkuma Town Cafe. For those of you who do, you will receive an original large badge as a thank you. Those of you who turn up without making a reservation will receive a lunch mat with an original design. If you order one item off the special menu, you will also receive an original postcard! For all free giveaways, the designs presented to you will be chosen at random. Which design will you receive? You’ll have to wait and see! ♪   Let’s celebrate Rilakkuma’s 15th anniversary together! ♪ Don’t forget to reserve in advance!  

Tabemasu is a wagashi sweets series that creates sweets of different characters. To celebrate his 15th anniversary, the company are releasing a Rilakkuma themed wagashi that features the cute bear himself and his pal Kiiroitori. The set of two wagashi will go on sale from May 15, 2018 and will be available in limited stock at Lawson convenience stores across Japan (excluding Lawson Store 100 branches).   This is the fifth Rilakkuma wagashi to be released from Tabemasu. The pack contains two wagashi: a strawberry flavoured Rilakkuma and a honey maple flavoured Kiiroitori. The release comes under the Taberareru Mascot ('Mascots You Can Eat') series, and as the name suggests, the wagashi are crafted with a great attention to detail, capturing the characters' cuteness.   The theme of this release is 'strawberry' which in Japanese is ichigo. This lines up with Rilakkuma's 15th anniversary as 1 in Japanese is ichi and 5 is go. We have Rilakkuma's cute pose holding a strawberry with both paws, and Kiiroitori with a leaf on his head also hugging a strawberry. Inside the sweets is strawberry flavoured red bean paste and vanilla maple flavoured red bean paste respectively. Kids can also enjoy eating these as they are bite-sized and easy to eat. Find the closest Lawson to you and get your hands on a pack of these cute wagashi for yourself!    

Character cafés are a unique experience in Japan which sees a café collaborate with well-known anime series, game series and various franchises by decorating the café interior with designs and illustrations based on them and meals and drinks inspired by them.   Here's a compilation of collaborative cafés you can look forward to in September 2018.    Howacolo Club x Hands Cafe (August 22 - September 17) The hugely popular characters of Howacolo Club―a Japanese web comic―have are teaming up with five Hands Cafe branches around Japan until September 17. There are 5 different foods and drinks themed on the characters in Howacolo Club including the popular puppy Howacolo-chan. The cafe interior, too, has been be transformed into the world of Howacolo Club with illustrations, plushies and more. Enjoy a fun café time with your pals at Howacolo Club♡   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/122234     Cardcaptor Sakura x SAKURA Fantasy Cafe (July 12 - September 30) The Sakura Fantasy Cafe is themed on the latest entry to the Cardcaptor series, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, with three branches that were opened in Tokyo (Harajuku), Osaka (Abeno) and Saitama (Koshigaya). The Saitama branch is the last branch open. It has a line-up of photogenic food as well as a photo spot and more, all with original illustrations drawn specially for this collaboration. There's also a range of original Cardcaptor merchandise you can’t get anywhere else. The menu includes cheese toast, roast beef, smoothies, pancakes and more.   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/116035     Pompompurin x BOYS AND MEN (August 21 - September 30) The Pompompurin Café in Nagoya themed on the popular character Pompompurin from the Sanrio franchise is teaming up Japanese variety show Boy Boy Mugendai by BOYS AND MEN until September 30. The collaboration is based on a skit by BOYS AND MEN titled Family (‘Usuika no Hitobito’), with food taking inspiration from the characters such as the Showa style noodle set pictured above that's made in the image of the father’s wig from the Usui family and more.   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/123124     2PM Members x ZooPM (August 31 - October 8) ZooPM Café, which was first opened in 2016 for a limited time, has gotten a revamp has reopened. Each dish on the menu is inspired by the ZooPM characters such as the Pan. K half-cooked pancakes,  Pi Young cheese curry, emperor penguin and more, as well as a range of ZooPM drinks. You must book in advance and spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis so if you're interested be sure to get in there quick.   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/123052     Grand Blue x 46 Shokudo (September 3 - October 8) 46 Shokudo has joined hands with popular anime series Grand Blue is teaming up with to open a collaborative café called Grand Blue Shokudo which is open until October 8. The theme of the café is ‘a house by the sea.’ The menu is packed with themed food and meals including Food Stall Snacks, Ramen, Nanaka & Chisa’s Sisterly Curry, Kebako’s Keba Keba Waffle, and more. Enjoy the last summer of Japan’s Heisei Period with the members of Grand Blue!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/125006     Natsume's Book of Friends: Tied to the Temporal World x BOX CAFE&SPACE (September 14 - October 14) To celebrate the release of the Natsume's Book of Friends movie on September 29, two themed cafes will open in Tokyo and Saitama as well as a character café booth at the Kyoto International Manga & Anime Fair 2018. They will serve a variety of themed dishes tied to autumn as well as merchandise with an autumn-time theme. Those who book at the Tokyo café in advance will receive one of four randomly selected original stickers pictured above. The menu items will differ at all three cafés, so be sure to try them all!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/125852     Fate/Grand Order x Sanrio (September 20 - October 28) Sanrio are collaborating once more with the hugely popular online free-to-play RPG mobile game Fate/Grand Order―which is based on Type-Moon’s Fate/stay night franchise―to open three themed cafés. They will open in Tokyo and Osaka alongside Sendai for the first time with newly drawn Heroic Spirits. All the food, drinks and merchandise available at the cafés are inspired by the Servants of Fate/Grand Order who have been drawn with cute designs. Enjoy a Fate experience you can't get anywhere else.   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/123977     The Pokémon Cafe x Limited Edition Autumn Menu (September 8 - October 31) The Pokémon Cafe in Nihonbashi released a new menu for autumn which is being served until October 31. The cute menu is inspired by different Pokémon including Gastly’s Menchi Katsu Burger, Tangela’s Halloween Mont Blanc, Golbat’s Poisonous Float Drink and more. The cafe are serving their regular grand menu too, so whether it’s your first time or you’re a regular you’re sure to have a lot of fun!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/126707     Shouta Aoi × Little Twin Stars Café (September 12 - November 4) The collaboration between Japanese voice actress Shouta Aoi and the Sanrio mascots Kiki and Lala, aka the Little Twin Stars, was so popular in Omotesando that they've teamed up once more to bring people the new Shouta Aoi×Little Twin Stars Café ~Halloween Party~ event. As well as serving the much praised collaborative themed food from last time, there will be a new range of Halloween themed food too, as well as merchandise, all with cute illustrations and designs for a fun Halloween. The cute line-up of Halloween merchandise features rare designs you won’t find anywhere else, so don't miss out!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/126272     The Very Hungry Caterpillar x J.S. PANCAKE CAFE (September 12 - November 4 *depending on branch) J.S. PANCAKE CAFE have joined hands with The Very Hungry Caterpillar to turn their cafés into the world of Eric Carle's internationally beloved picture book. The four month duration the cafés will be open from September to December will reflect both the growth of the caterpillar as well as the story of the book. The first month, September, will represent the sun on the day that the caterpillar was born. In October, he will eat fruits and grow. In November he will enter his cocoon. Finally, in December, he will turn into a butterfly. All of this will be illustrated on the pancakes each month. Don't miss out on this chance to fully immerse yourself in the world of The Very Hungry Caterpillar!   Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/124618       Which of these cafés has piqued your interest the most? There's a lot of great ones to choose from this month, so if you're in Japan be sure to go to as many as you can!