From Hello Kitty to Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, and more – Sanrio’s internationally adored cast of characters can be universally agreed to be representatives of Japan culture of ‘kawaii.’ In celebration of Sanrio’s 60th anniversary, the company have announced an exhibition centred on the beginning of kawaii culture. The event will take place at TOKYO CITY VIEW from September 17, 2021 to January 10, 2022.

60th Anniversary Sanrio Exhibition: The Beginning of Kawaii recently finished up at the Matsuzakaya Art Gallery in Nagoya on June 12 and is set to move to Ōita Prefectural Art Museum where it will run from July 10 to September 5 before heading to TOKYO CITY VIEW. This exhibition will not only look back over Sanrio’s 60-year history, but will also dive into how Japan’s culture of ‘kawaii’ came about. Fans of Sanrio and Japan’s kawaii can expect product and design showcases, in-depth explanations, and more.

Sebastian Masuda’s iconic artwork is the centrepiece of the exhibition

Entrance exhibit in the daytime

At the entrance of the venue is the Unforgettable Tower, a symbolic art piece by Sebastian Masuda created exclusively for this exhibition which towers 6 meters tall. It’s made up of countless plushies of Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty.

Entrance exhibit in the evening

The kawaii installation stands gorgeously against the cityscape of Tokyo which makes for an Instagrammable photo in the evenings when the city is lit up. The piece, as its name suggests, hopes to create unforgettable memories. The exhibition is set to run through Halloween, Christmas, and New Year, so visitors are sure to make some memorable ones.

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

Shouta Aoi’s voice as the tour guide

Having lent his voice to other Sanrio events, including at Sanrio Puroland and in collaboration with the Little Twin Stars, the Japanese singer, actor, and voice actor Shouta Aoi has recorded announcements for the exhibition which will be played to guide people around the event.

A themed menu created for the Tokyo exhibition

From Left: Anniversary Afternoon Tea / Hello Kitty Daisuki Fried Apple Mille-Feuille / Cinnamoroll’s Balloon Trip

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

THE SUN & THE MOON, a cafe and restaurant fusion on the same floor of the exhibition, will serve up food, desserts, and non-alcoholic cocktails inspired by the Sanrio characters. Special seasonal afternoon tea sets will also be sold on Halloween, Christmas, and more too.

Dates
Restaurant: September 17, 2021 – January 10, 2022

Cafe: December 15, 2021 – January 10, 2021

*Closed December 21-26

The main exhibition

The exhibition will be split into six zones with 10 different themes. Over 800 products, documents, and materials related to Sanrio will be presented, many of which will shine a spotlight on some of their most famous characters out of their roster of 400, such as Hello Kitty and My Melody, and other characters that might not be known to those outside Japan such as best friends Patty & Jimmy. It’s a chance to walk through the history of Sanrio and Japan’s culture of kawaii.

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

One of the six zones will look into secrets of Sanrio through the globally-beloved kawaii icon Hello Kitty. Another will display outfits such as the Hello Kitty dress worn by Lady Gaga.

Original merchandise

A small peek at just some of the items available

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

Sanrio fans can also get their hands on a collection of merchandise with designs ranging from the exhibition’s main visual to classic designs. There will be over 100 items to sift through.

Tickets for the exhibition will be available from August 1. A limited number of special tickets that include free merch will also be released.

© 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO. SP610376

Tower Records has announced Rilakkuma x Tower Records Campaign 2021, an event set to run from August 4 to August 29. The retail music chain is joining paws with Rilakkuma and company for a campaign with the theme “Wow, what a surprise!” at Tower Records stores, their online shop, and Tower Records Cafe.

Merch collab line-up

Tower Records has collaborated with Rilakkuma every year since 2009. This year sees the arrival of brand new original merchandise, a CD, and themed cafe.

The merchandise will be available at 27 Tower Records stores, Tower Records Cafe Omotesando, and online. Enjoy adorable original artwork of Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, Chairokoguma, and Kiiroitori. There’s lots of freebies to get your hands on too – check out the line-up below.

Available at 27 Tower Records stores, Tower Records Cafe Omotesando, and the online shop

Available at Tower Records Shibuya, Tower Records Cafe Omotesando, and the online shop

Free character cards with every purchase

Red Rilakkuma zabuton floor cushion

For this year’s campaign, Rilakkuma fans can win themselves a zabuton floor cushion too. For a chance to win, you need to sign up online.

Tower Records x Rilakkuma CD cover

Postcard included with CD

The eighth Tower Records x Rilakkuma CD includes background music for doing yoga. There are 15 popular J-pop tracks in total which can be enjoyed for just chilling out to as w2ell.

Themed cafe menu

The cafe collaboration at Tower Records Cafe Omotesando takes on an American diner theme. Takeout drinks will also be available at the Nagoya Sakae SKYLE and Umeda NU Chayamachi branches too.

At Tower Records Omotesando

Table mats at Tower Records Omotesando

Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, Chairokoguma, and Kiiroitori themed dishes, drinks, and desserts

Receive a free fan when you book a table in advance

Receive a free postcard when you order from the collab menu

Set of 3 original stickers

Free postcard when ordering from the Special Menu

Free postcard when you order a takeout bottle

Collect all six stamps in the stamp rally to win a poster

During the campaign, for every piece of merchandise ordered, you’ll receive one of four possible character cards. 20 people who also scan the QR codes included on the cards by September 12 will be randomly chosen to win either a white Rilakkuma zabuton cushion or a ¥3,000 Tower Records gift card.

©2021 San-X Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Jambuka Abeno Q’s Mall is the only place in Osaka where locals can enjoy the incredible pancakes created by the fresh cream desserts specialist shop MILK. This summer, they are now serving a new seasonal treat: the ‘Sweet Summer Mikan & Lemon Pancakes.’

Sweet Summer Mikan & Lemon Pancakes | ¥1,089 (Tax Included)

Fresh Cream Milk Pancakes | ¥858 (Tax Included)

Fresh Cream Strawberry Milk Pancakes | ¥1,089 (Tax Included)

Fresh Cream Chocolate Banana Milk Pancakes | ¥979 (Tax Included)

All pancakes are made-to-order and are covered in a rich, creamy sauce made from fresh cream from Hokkaido. Enjoy them plain or topped with fresh fruit.

The anime film Promare is collaborating with Sanrio’s Little Twin Stars again with an exclusive merchandise collection online at THE CHARA SHOP until July 26.

Wire Keyring Illustrated by Shigeto Koyama | 2 Designs | ¥880 Each (Tax Included)

Mirror Illustrated by Shigeto Koyama |  ¥880 Each (Tax Included)

Mini Towels Illustrated by Shigeto Koyama | 2 Designs | ¥990 Each (Tax Included)

Pin Set Illustrated by Shigeto Koyama | ¥1,320 (Tax Included)

Acrylic Stand Illustrated by Shigeto Koyama | 2 Designs | ¥1,430 Each (Tax Included)

Mug Illustrated by Shigeto Koyama | ¥1,650 (Tax Included)

Tote Bag | ¥2,200 (Tax Included)

The merchandise collection features adorable designs illustrated by Shigeto Koyama in the style of Sanrio’s Little Twin Stars.

©TRIGGER・中島かずき／XFLAG © ’21 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPR. NO. S620339

The new Motosue Hanare has opened next to Motosue Kurakuen in Hyogo where they are selling a range of desserts including the Milkshake Shaved Ice and Milk Frozen.

Milkshake Shaved Ice Pudding | ¥1,290 (Tax Included)

Milkshake Shaved Ice Sweet Potato | ¥1,350 (Tax Included)

Milkshake Shaved Ice Matcha Adzuki | ¥1,200 (Tax Included)

Milk Frozen Chocolate Banana | ¥650 (Tax Included)

Milk Frozen Strawberry | ¥720 (Tax Included)

Eggy Bread | ¥750 (Tax Included)

Using milkshake as the base ingredients, the shave ice line-up gets its super fluffy texture from free range eggs. There are three flavours to enjoy, such as the pudding one which is topped with a whole Japanese pudding, adding a smooth and velvety texture to the fluffy shaved ice. Each is a perfect pick for cooling down during the summer season.

The ‘Milk Frozen’ desserts use frozen milk for the base and are topped with fruit. Each is made carefully handmade one by one, and they are even more refreshing than the shave ices. The eggy breads also come in a range of flavours including plain and custard.

Two branches of Animate Cafe in Ikebukuro and Nagoya are celebrating seven manga works of manga artist Arina Tanemura including I.O.N, Phantom Thief Jeanne, Time Stranger Kyoko, Full Moon o Sagashite, Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura, The Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross, and Neko to Watashi no Kinyōbi.

The collaboration will run from July 28 to August 23. Table reservations must be made for those wanting to dine from July 28 to August 1 as well as on weekends and public holidays. Reservations are not required for all other days.

Arina Tanemura Precious Wedding Party at Animate Cafe

The Menu Line-Up (Excerpt)

Full Moon o Sagashite: Negi Ramen Lunch | ¥980 (Tax Included)

Arina’s Precious Wedding Plate | ¥1,300 (Tax Included)

Phantom Thief Jeanne: Tiramisu | ¥800 (Tax Included)

The Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross: Glass Dessert | ¥800 (Tax Included)

I.O.N: Drink | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Phantom Thief Jeanne: Sindbad | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Time Stranger Kyoko: Crystal Stranger | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Full Moon o Sagashite: Honey Hot Milk | ¥600 (Tax Included)

The Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross: Espresso | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura: Soda | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Neko to Watashi no Kinyōbi: Curry Soup With Bread | ¥600 (Tax Included)

Free coaster with every menu order

Exclusive Merchandise (Excerpt)

Big Acrylic Stand (Wedding Ver.) | ¥1,600 (Tax Included)

Wedding Card | ¥800 (Tax Included)

CoLotta Acrylic Plate Keyrings | ¥800 (Tax Included)

Big Ribbon Pouch | ¥2,500 (Tax Included)

Stamp Card Campaign

Arina Tanemura made her debut in the shojo manga magazine Ribbon Original in 1996 with her short manga The Style of the Second Love. In 1998, she garnered mainstream popularity when her work Phantom Thief Jeanne began serialisation which has over 5.5 million copies in circulation. Some of her other famous works including Full Moon o Sagashite, Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura, and The Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross. In 2015, she worked as the character designer for the smartphone game IDOLiSH7.

This marks her third cafe collaboration, and this time it’s themed on a ‘Precious Wedding Party’ with food inspired by the characters from her stories as well as exclusive merchandise.

©種村有菜／集英社

A new restaurant by the name of Kimura Don is set to open inside Shinjuku Takashimaya’s Restaurant Square on July 20, 2021.

Kimura Don is a new donburi restaurant produced by Koji Kimura, a chef whose popular sushi bar Sushi Kimura, located in Futakotamagawa, has held two Michelin stars since 2013. His new eatery continues the traditions and techniques honed at Sushi Kimura while spinning innovation into new donburi rice bowl dishes conceived from the many ideas Kimura has conceived over the years.

The donburi to be served recreates that perfect balance between vinegared rice and toppings which Kimura mastered at his sushi bar. Customers can enjoy a range of additions including donburi classics such as meat and fish as well as seasonal ingredients. The restaurant also uses locally grown and reared produce and ingredients that’s also environmentally-friendly from Tokyo such as Kinuhari rice from Hachiojo and Akigawagyu beef. This will help to foster a relationship between local farmers and consumers. 

Lunchtime Dishes | ¥3,500 Each | Serving Times: 11:00-17:00 (Last Orders 16:00)

Pick from five different donburi bowls such as tuna, pilchard, and roast beef. Each season will also has its own exclusive dish made with seasonal ingredients. There’s also a special option to order a set of two smaller versions of the dishes too for ¥3,800. 

Evening Courses | From ¥12,000 | Serving Times: 17:00-23:00 (Last Orders 22:00)

The evening course line-up is also made up of five different bowls as well as seven seasonal snacks.

Koji Kimura | Comment

“I’ve been set up in Futakotamagawa for 16 years. I studied how to prepare sushi rice for many years, since it serves as the foundation, so that I could create unique sushi. I have made sushi rice that’s unique and draws a line under other restaurants, rice which when combined with toppings explodes with umami flavour. I use this same sushi rice as the basis for lots of innovative donburi dishes, and I’d love for people to enjoy a taste at the first place in Japan to do this.”

Continuing the character park’s 30th anniversary celebrations, Sanrio Harmonyland opened its 30th Anniversary ~Special Summer~ event on July 16 which is running until August 31. There’s a whole bunch of events and shows for Sanrio fans to look forward to this summer.

30th Special Greeting

For the entire duration of the event, lots of characters will come out to greet park guests twice a day. This includes Hangyodon and Tuxedosam, both of who haven’t visited Harmonyland in almost 10 years. Pochacco will be there too in a brand-new costume.

Obake Ondo! DoRoRoNRoN!

The characters will be out dressed in cute summery yukata where they will invite guests to dance Bon Odori with them.

Parade Parallel ~30th Memories~

A special 30th anniversary rendition of the park’s Parade Parallel will take place, taking songs and performances from past runs of this event which has been held since the park first opened.

30th Anniversary Night Party

Hello Kitty, Dear Daniel, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi, and 10 dancers will host a special anniversary night show to give thanks to guests for the past 30 years.

Running: July 17th-18th, 22nd-24th / August 7th-8th, 13th-15th, 21st-22nd, 28th-29th

Character Menu: Hello Kitty’s Cheese in Hamburger Curry – Cinnamoroll’s Beef Stew Rice – Smiling Pompompurin’s Pork Cutlet Curry | ¥1,380 Each

Wish Me Mell’s Heart Korokke White Sauce Omurice | ¥1,400

Acrylic Stand Keyrings | ¥748 Each

Guests can get their hands on exclusive anniversary merchandise and enjoy some limited-time dishes too.

ⓒ 2021 SANRIO CO., LTD.　S/D･G

Sanrio’s popular character duo Kiki & Lala, also known as the Little Twin Stars, are have brought their dreamy, pastel-coloured world to Tokyo Tower with a special summer event titled “Little Twin Stars Summer Night Fantasy Meets Kiki & Lala Exhibition produced by LIDDELL” which began on July 10.

At the event entrance, guests are given a special ‘passport’ notebook which is stamped before entering, allowing access to Kiki & Lala’s world in the clouds above.

Guests are guided by Kiki & Lala’s voice through the rose-coloured “Star & Rose-Coloured Cloud Fantasy Gate” were they are met with five different booths.

At Kiki’s Star Catching booth, visitors can experience one of Kiki’s favourite past times by ‘catching’ stars. The stars that are caught can be taken home as a fun memory.

There’s also the Starry Sky Light Shower booth which is decorated with mirror balls that reflect the light as well as a wall featuring words and phrases said by the twins, the pink and light blue-coloured Kiki & Lala’s Playroom where you can snap cute photos, the Glittering Moviegenic booth which uses your smartphone to watch an animation of Kiki & Lala, and more.

Fans of the twins can enjoy an exhibit of various artworks too, including the 8-meter tall Fantasy Wall which depicts the world above the clouds.

The day before the exhibition began, on July 9, Tokyo Tower was lit up in blue and pink Kiki & Lala colours from 19:30 to midnight. It was a special one-night experience.

If you’re in Tokyo this summer, soar up high into Kiki & Lala’s world at Tokyo Tower.

©‘21 SANRIO 著作（株）サンリオ

McDonald’s Japan released its new Strawberry & Condensed Milk Frappe and Banana Caramel Frappe beverages at McCafe by Barista® branches up and down the country on July 14. The fruity frappes and the perfect choice for the hot summer season.

Strawberry & Condensed Milk Frappe | Regular: ¥490

The strawberry frappe is made with a sweet and tangy strawberry sauce that has fresh strawberry pieces in it as well as juice taken from amaou strawberries grown in Fukuoka which are known for their fresh and sweet taste. Added to the cup is rich condensed milk along with a squirt of whipped cream for a milky and velvety finish.

Banana Caramel Frappe | Regular: ¥490

The banana frappe is filled with a banana puree sauce, banana syrup, and a crème brûlée syrup. It’s topped with smooth whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. The banana and caramel make for a delicious combination.

With just a small bit of ingenuity, turn everyday food into something cute using Kaori’s Easy Recipe! With a few simple ideas, an ordinary recipe magically transforms into a cute dish.

In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make a delicious banana cake that is tasty even if refrigerated!

Ingredients

Makes a 18cm pound cake

2 ripe bananas

100g unsalted butter

50g granulated sugar

2 eggs

100g weak flour

1

Bring the butter to room temperature and mix it with the sugar until it becomes white. I used unsalted margarine for this.

2

Gradually add both the egg whites and yolks and pour slowly into the mixture while mixing. Mash the banana with a fork, add to the bowl, and mix.

3

Sieve in the flour and mix lightly.

4

Bake at 160℃ for 40-45 minutes and it’s ready! I used a 15cm pound cake tin and muffin tin to make mine. If using a muffin tin, bake for 30 minutes.

Leave to cool and use the edge of the pound cake tin to cut ears. Finish by using a chocolate pen to draw on Rilakkuma’s face.

Kaori invites you into her world of character-themed food dishes in her recipe series. Be sure to check out her Instagram where she has uploaded many pictures of her character dishes!

Maison de FLEUR is celebrating the birthday of Sanrio’s popular character My Sweet Piano with a special merch collection that’s now available to order until July 18, 2021.

My Sweet Piano Tote Bag | ¥5,049 (Tax Included)

My Sweet Piano Flat Pouch | ¥3,949 (Tax Included)

My Sweet Piano Pouch | ¥3,949 (Tax Included)

My Sweet Piano Plushie | ¥6,589 (Tax Included)

Inside print

My Sweet Piano is a soft, pink fluffy sheep and My Melody’s best friend. Her birthday falls on July 6, and Maison de FLEUR is commemorating the occasion with a collection of four items coloured the same pink as the character including a bag, pouch, and more.

The girly line-up is fitted with pretty pink lace and branded with an illustration of both her and My Melody. There’s also a fluffy plush toy which can sit cutely on a shelf, bed, desk, and anywhere else you want to add a bit of kawaii to your room.

ⓒ’21 SANRIO APPR.NO.L629257