To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rilakkuma and his adorable friends, the Rilakkuma 20th Anniversary Cafe will open in Omotesando, Tokyo from March 9 until April 16, 2023. You’ll want to come and spend a peaceful time looking back at two decades of everyone’s favorite lazy bear!

The menu features colorful and festive dishes inspired by Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, Kiiroitori, and Chairoikoguma. The characters express their thanks for 20 successful years, and fans can enjoy floats topped with Rilakkuma and friends wearing ribbons and topped with ice cream, a jelly soda inspired by Chairoikoguma and his friends in the honey forest, and a hot drink inspired by Rilakkuma’s favorite pudding.

Menu

Rilakkuma’s Honey Mustard Hamburger

コリラックマのクリームパスタ

Korilakkuma’s Cream Pasta

Kiiroitori’s Egg Burger

Chairoikoguma’s Cheese Curry　

Rilakkuma and Friend’s Celebratory Cake

Congratulatory Flower Parfait

You Can Choose♪ Rilakkuma and Friends Mini Ice Cream

You Can Choose♪ Rilakkuma and Friends Floats　

Honey Forest Jelly Soda

Relaxing Pudding Drink

Take-Out Drink Bottle

Original Merch

Acrylic Clip (7 varieties, random)

Acrylic Keychain (5 varieties, random)

Mini-Bottle / Muddler with Charm (4 varieties)

Lunch Tote / Drawstring Bag

Acrylic Stand with Clip / Cork Coaster

Stuffed Animal

In addition, the cafe will offer original goods, special offers, and a Twitter campaign to celebrate Rilakkuma’s 20th anniversary.

Come enjoy the elaborate original menu and goods while sharing memories at this limited time themed cafe!

©2023 San-X Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

 Photo by zakkubalan ©2022 Kab Inc.

On January 17, 2022, beloved composer Ryuichi Sakamoto celebrated his 70th birthday. The artist continues to battle cancer, and as a way to encourage and empower him, the commons label launched a special anniversary website titled 10 Favorites – Ryuichi Sakamoto. The site features appearances from major artists and creators who have cited Sakamoto as an inspiration, listing their ten favorite works by the composer alongside their unique perspectives and thoughts. The 25th and final installment features SUGA of the popular K-pop boy band BTS.

Comment from SUGA (BTS)

「어릴적 부모님 손에 이끌려 ‘마지막 황제’ 재개봉을 간 적이 있었습니다.
그 때 음악에 압도 되었다는 느낌을 처음 받았고 12살 음악을 만들기 시작하며 사카모토 류이치 선생님의 음악을 많이 듣고 샘플링을 하며 꿈을 키웠습니다.
저에게 수많은 영감을 준 뮤지션들은 많지만 사카모토 류이치 선생님은 더 많은 꿈을 꾸게 해주신 분입니다 (저는 참고로 코다 다큐멘터리의 재해대피소에서 연주한 Merry Chistmas Mr. Lawrence live 버전을 가장 좋아합니다)
부디 건강하세요 선생님.

“When I was young, my parents took me to see The Last Emperor. That was when I first experienced the feeling of being awed by music. I began composing music when I was twelve and dreamed about my future while listening to your music, even sampling some of it.

There are many musicians who have inspired me, but you are one of the people who has influenced me the most. (For reference, my favorite Sakamoto piece is the live performance version of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence that was performed in the area impacted by the 2011 earthquake, which appears in the documentary CODA). Mr. Sakamoto, please stay healthy.”

Previous contributors to the project include Shinro Ohtake, Goro Inagaki, Banana Yoshimoto, Shiro Takatani, Yukihiro Takahashi, Akira Asada, Kiko Mizuhara, Haruomi Hosono, Yuima Nakazato, Ryu Murakami, LEO, UA, Shin’ichi Fukuoka, U-zhaan, Lee Sang-il, Ryoji Ikeda, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Kei Wakabayashi, Shinichiro Watanabe, Kiichi Fujiwara, Miki Nakatani, Daito Manabe, Taeko Ohnuki, and Hirokazu Koreeda.

Fans of Sakamoto’s works should feel free to peruse the site, which includes English translations of the guest’s selections and thoughts.

The Kirby Cafe has announced a warm and tasty new winter menu! New items will be available from November 17, 2022 until February 28, 2023, and are sure to warm up fans of the beloved video game series.

Menu

Winter Kirby Burger & Pasta with Powdered Snow Cheese (30th Anniversary Version)

Winter Waddle Dee Burger & Pasta with Powdered Snow Cheese

Waddle Dee’s Dreamy White Stew

Chef Kawasaki’s Winter Hors d’oeuvres with Roast Beef

Transform! Carby Cake

Kirby’s Dream Ricotta Pancake

Whispy Woods Blessed Tart

Elfilin’s Twinkle☆Frozen Drink

The Winter 2022 menu offers a variety of adorable and tasty menu items featuring Kirby and his friends all dressed up for the colder months. From a burger and pasta set to piping hot stew and fluffy ricotta pancakes, there’s sure to be something for every taste. 

The Carby cake, inspired by Kirby’s special transformation in the recent game Kirby and the Forgotten Land, has been reimagined in a winter version. Fans won’t want to miss out!

This winter, come enjoy plenty of Kirby-inspired treats while you can!

©Nintendo / HAL Laboratory, Inc.

SEGA’s popular ROMAPI purikura machines nationwide are currently teaming up with BTS! Fans can find some adorable Butter-inspired stamps with their favorite TinyTAN characters, useful for spicing up snapshots. The collab is running until December 12, 2022.

During this event, a total of 39 TinyTAN stamps are available, all inspired by the group’s hit song Butter. Two stamps are also available, and images can also be sent to your smartphone using Purikura ON. 

Fans of BTS shouldn’t miss this opportunity to snag some cute shots!

The eight members of BT21 are the latest to be picked up by the character-inspired Japanese confectionery series Tabemas. These tasty treats will go on sale at FamilyMart stores across Japan starting November 8, 2022. Two characters will be included in each pack, and fans can snag either KOYA & RJ, SHOOKY & COOKY, MANG & CHIMMY, or TATA & VAN. Each pack will cost ¥398 (Tax Included). 

About Tabemas and BT21

All eight characters from BT21, a globally popular character brand featured as part of LINE FRIENDS, have been transformed into Japanese sweets. KOYA, RJ, SHOOKY, MANG, CHIMMY, TATA, COOKY, and VAN are cuter than ever before in these 3D treats, and this is the first time that the Tabemas series has revealed all eight characters in a collaboration. When all of the sweets are gathered together on a plate, it will look like the characters are having a party!

Why not enjoy a fun and tasty time with your favorite members of BT21?

(C)BT21

The 13th iteration of the BT21 Cafe will open at six venues in five cities around Japan. Fans in Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, and Sapporo will want to visit this exclusive event titled ~MAGICAL TIME~. The first cafe opens in Shibuya on November 3. In celebration of BT21’s 5th anniversary, this special cafe is filled with joy and excitement and aims to give fans the best possible experience.

Cafe Menu

Magical Tea Time Set

Food Plate

Food Plate (7 varieties)

Dessert Plate

Dessert Plate (7 varieties)

Drinks

Magical Milk Tea

Black Tea

Iced Coffee / Hot Coffee

Original Goods

Acrylic Keychain (7 varieties, Random)

Acrylic Clip (7 varieties, Random)

Satin Sticker (7 varieties)

Clear Folder (2 varieties)

Handkerchief (7 varieties)

Tote Bag

Mug

Masking Tape / Balloon on a Stick

Dolomite Coaster (2 varieties) / Mirror (2 varieties)

[Online Store Exclusive] Acrylic Keychain (7 varieties, Random)

The cafe’s new menu includes afternoon tea, perfect for warming the body and soul during the cold winter months. The colorful food items and desserts are sure to be a hit on social media, and fans will enjoy the Magical Milk Tea and other dishes inspired by the popular BT21 characters.

In addition to new merchandise and bonuses featuring newly-drawn art, a photo spot will welcome guests to the cafe and invite them to celebrate this five-year milestone. 

Why not take a break from everyday life to enjoy a magical time with these cute characters?

©BT21

Bandai’s Candy Division will open preorders for a new collection of Christmas cakes inspired by popular characters at the end of September! The five new cakes, part of the company’s Charadeco line, include Kamen Rider Geats, Precure, Sumikko Gurashi, BT21, and Avataro Sentai Donbrothers. All cakes come with original Christmas exclusive toys and bonuses, so you won’t want to miss out!

Charadeco Christmas Cake – Kamen Rider Geats / Precure Delicious Party / Avataro Sentai Donbrothers / BT21 / Sumikko Gurashi

These beautifully decorated cakes are perfect for celebrating this festive season, and each is packaged in a character-designed cake box and wrapped with a special film. 

*The Sumikko Gurashi cake does not include film. 

Customers can link separately sold toys with the special toy included with these cakes to hear exclusive character voices!

Why not grab one of these fun cakes to enjoy with your family this Christmas?

©2022 石森プロ・テレビ朝日・ADK EM・東映

©ABC-A・東映アニメーション

©テレビ朝日・東映AG・東映

©BT21

©2022 San-X Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

BTS fans will want to head to Nagoya! The TinyTAN Licensed Product Special Exhibition is now open at Nagoya Kintetsu Pass’e until October 2, 2022. Tons of new products inspired by Butter are available at an on-site pop-up shop!

The exhibition opened on September 17, and fans of the BTS song Butter are flocking to the event to snag some adorable new merch. In addition to new interior goods being unveiled for the first time, popular products have been released with entirely new designs. 

Many other world premiere products will also be available, including the 4 Season Blanket decorated with TinyTAN characters and inspired by spring, summer, fall, and winter. This will be available in limited quantities, so don’t miss out!

Conveyor-belt sushi chain Kura Sushi will hold its second campaign in tie-up with BT21, the globally popular character brand featured as part of LINE FRIENDS, starting October 1, 2022.

The first tie-up campaign took place in January 2022 and instantly trended on social media. This new campaign will feature newly-designed posters, clear folders, and notebooks. The first round will be held starting October 1, the second starting October 14, the third starting November 2, and the fourth starting November 18. These four giveaways will reward customers for every ¥2,500 spent. Visitors pulling a winning ticket in the Bikkurapon game can also snag some other goods with the theme ‘Home All Day,’ like pins and keychains.

Original Goods Gift Campaign

Round 1: Posters

Running: October 1 ~ Items Sell Out (400,000 total)

Round 2: Clear Folders

 Running: October 14 ~ Items Sell Out (400,000 total)

Round 3: A6-sized Notebooks

Running: November 2 ~ Items Sell Out (400,000 total)

Round 4: Clear Folders

Running: November 18 ~ Items Sell Out (400,000 total)

Bikkurapon BT21 Original Goods

Figures (7 varieties)

Rubber Keychains (7 varieties)

Pins (10 varieties)

Collaboration Menu

BT21 Traditional Japanese Sweets (7 varieties)

Available: October 1 – November 1, 2022

KOYA, RJ: Smooth Anko

SHOOKY, MANG, CHIMMY: Chocolate

COOKY, TATA: Strawberry

BT21 Milk Caramel Cafe Latte with Original Cup

Available: November 2 – November 30, 2022

BT21 Strawberry Milk

Available: November 2 – November 30, 2022

*Stickers gifted to customers will be random.

Special tie-up menu items, including Japanese sweets shaped like popular BT21 characters, will be available, along with special BT21 Strawberry Milk paired with one of 10 exclusive stickers. Look forward to the second edition of this super popular campaign where fans can win valuable original merch!

Sae Okamoto’s Mecha-Ude project has attracted worldwide attention, and now, a full anime and manga series have been announced! Okamoto’s up-and-coming anime production company TriF Studio, located in Fukuoka, will work on the series, which follows Hikaru, a normal student, and Alma, a Mecha-Ude wielder who can be activated when he bonds with a human. 

Yoshino Koyoka has also started publishing a manga adaptation of the series on LINE Manga and other ebookjapan services. Three free chapters were published on September 15, and the series will run bi-weekly. TriF Studio will supervise and provide the story.

A documentary video teasing the anime series and giving more information about TriF Studio has also been uploaded to YouTube. The video shows that the pilot’s theme song was written by Eve with a music video produced by Masayoshi Oishi. Hiroshi Matsuyama, the CEO of CyberConnect2, serves as the general supervisor of the series. Terumi Nishii, the chief animation director for the popular series Jujutsu Kaisen, worked on character designs for Mecha-Ude. 

The average staff age at TriF is 25, which is incredibly young for an animation studio. What can we expect from such a unique collection of creators? 

Be sure to keep an eye on this new anime and manga project!

(C)TriF/「メカウデ」製作委員会

Noritake, a fine china maker, has opened preorders for cup & saucer sets inspired by popular BTS songs! The DNA, MIC Drop, and Dynamite sets are currently available to order, while the Boy With Luv and Butter sets will be available on September 21. If you want one of these gorgeous sets, be quick–preorders will end once all items sell out.

The cups and saucers are made of bone china, a type of porcelain, and are decorated in bright and vivid colors inspired by some of the Korean boy band’s biggest hits. The backs of the cups and saucers are decorated with the BTS logo, so fans will want to add this to their kitchen. 

(C) BIGHIT MUSIC. All Rights Reserved.

Q-pot CAFE in Omotesando will be offering up some Halloween treats to celebrate the location’s 10th anniversary! Guests will be able to sample these special sweets from September 3 until October 31, 2022.

Happy Halloween! Afternoon Tea Set

The festive Happy Halloween afternoon tea features pink Jack-o’-lantern macarons and other Halloween-inspired sweets.

Fluffy Floating Ghost Plate (Drink Included)

The adorable ghost is made from fluffy milk mousse covered with gyuhi, a typical ingredient in Japanese sweets made from rice flour. Inside is blackcurrant and redcurrant jelly with an incredibly sweet and sour flavor.

Black Devil Tea Mocha

Featuring large devil wings, this tasty and eye-catching beverage is a mix of black tea, chocolate, and milk. When the cocoa cream melts, the taste changes to something creamy and cozy, perfect for the autumn months.

Shimmering Blueberry & Grapefruit Soda

This refreshing sweet and sour drink combines blueberries and pink grapefruit along with soda and pearl powder.

Come enjoy Halloween while celebrating the cafe’s 10th anniversary!