In promotion of the forthcoming live-action films Rurouni Kenshin: The Final and Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, both of which will be released on April 23 and June 4 respectively this year, the series is rolling out a collaboration with Sanrio’s globally-beloved character Hello Kitty on April 14.

Original Merchandise

Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Plush Toys (2 Designs) | ¥3,850 Each (Tax Included)

Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Plush Toys (4 Designs) | ¥2,750 Each (Tax Included)

Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty A4 Folder Set | ¥495 (Tax Included)

Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Bottle | ¥1,540 (Tax Included)

Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Tote Bag | ¥2,200 (Tax Included)

Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Ballpoint Pens & Mechanical Pencils (2 Designs) | ¥770 Each (Tax Included)

Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Hand Towels | ¥1,430 (Tax Included)

Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Pins (6 Designs) | ¥330 Each (Tax Included)

Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Acrylic Stands (8 Designs) | ¥715 Each (Tax Included)

Rurouni Kenshin x Hello Kitty Sweets Paradise Collaboration Cafe

Menu Excerpt

Kenshin Hello Kitty Beef Bowl / Battousai Hello Kitty Omurice

Enishi Hello Kitty Orange Crepe / Tomoe Hello Kitty Anmisu / Kaoru Hello Kitty Strawberry Pancake

Acrylic Mascot Key Rings

10 Designs

Plush Toys

This marks the second collaboration between Rurouni Kenshin and Hello Kitty, the first taking place back in 2014 in promotion of Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends. Fans can get their hands on a collection of cute merchandise with Hello Kitty dressed as various characters from the series, as well as tuck into a themed menu which will first be served at Sweets Paradise Ueno ABAB from April 22 before rolling out to six more Sweets Paradise branches in Japan.

©和月伸宏／集英社 ©2020 映画「るろうに剣心 最終章 The Final/The Beginning 」製作委員会

Dear readers, the time has finally come once again—the Spring season at Starbucks Japan officially begins on March 17, which means we can expect plenty of tasty-looking beverages to drool over. This begins with two coffee delights: the light and uplifting Banana Almond Milk Frappuccino®︎ and the subtly sweet Honey Oat Milk Latte, both of which will hit Starbucks branches across Japan this Wednesday.

Banana Almond Milk Frappuccino®︎ | ¥620 (Tall Size Only)

The Banana Almond Milk Frappuccino is exactly what it says on the cup. A bright, uplifting combination of naturally-sweet banana and the nutty flavour of almond milk. The drink is topped with Starbucks’ first-ever almond milk whipped cream and finished with a topping of banana chips fried in coconut oil for texture.

Honey Oat Milk Latte | Short ¥430, Tall ¥470,  Grande ¥510,  Ventii®︎ ¥550

The Oat Milk Latte made a delicious appearance at Starbucks Japan last year for a limited time where coffee-loving customers could customise their beverage. This year, it arrives in a new flavour: added to the shot of espresso and oat milk is an irresistible squeeze of honey flavoured-sauce which has a slight fruity flavour to it.

This is just the start of the Spring season at Starbucks in Japan, there are sure to be even more drinks to come so stay tuned.

Ichiban Kuji is releasing a new stationery set themed on the popular anime and manga series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba at bookshops, Animate stores, and elsewhere in Japan on March 13.

Ichiban Kuji is a popular brand of kuji, sure-win lucky draw games in Japan where fans are guaranteed to win a piece of merchandise.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Stationery Collection

Promo Video

The Merchandise at a Glance

A-Prize: Pencil Case

B-Prize: Set of 3 Pens

C-Prize: Stickyle Compact Scissors (3 Designs)

D-Prize: A5 Notebooks (11 Designs)

E賞：和紙風クリアファイル 全15種 A4サイズ

Last Prize: Bamboo Pencil Case

The A-Prize is a pencil case inspired by Nezuko and Tanjiro, the B-Prize is a set of three different pens coupled with a metal charm, the C-Prize is the Stickyle compact scissors, and the D-Prize is a gorgeous collection of A5 notebooks.

(C)吾峠呼世晴／集英社・アニプレックス・ufotable

Starbucks Coffee Japan has announced that the 14th entry to their “JIMOTO made SERIES” will be a new 296ml coffee cup which comes with a koshu inden lacquer sleeve. The item will be released exclusively in Yamanashi Prefecture at 8 Starbucks branches.

JIMOTO made Series KOSHU – 296ml Cup With Koshu Inden Sleeve | ¥8,200 (Before Tax)

Inden no Yamamoto

The “JIMOTO made Series” is a collection of unique products by Starbucks Japan that incorporate the local resources and traditional craftsmanship from each region across the country, and as such are sold exclusively at branches in those regions. The line-up showcases the various designs particular to the regions. The series began in December 2015.

The new JIMOTO made Series KOSHU is made in collaboration with Japan’s only shop—which is located in Yamanashi—that holds an official title to manufacture koshu inden, a traditional style of leathercraft in which the artisans use lacquer to pain designs on deerskin. The coffee cup sleeve’s design incorporates numerous motifs related to Yamanashi Prefecture, such as the Takeda clan crest, the cherry blossoms of Mount Fuji, the Japanese bush warbler, and of course coffee beans as part of the collaboration with Starbucks.

Do you own any of the collectables in the JIMOTO made Series? Be sure to find out if a Starbucks you’re visiting while in Japan is part of the series.

Starbucks Coffee Japan is starting Valentine’s Day early with a line-up of three chocolatey drinks inspired by the day of love that will begin being served in Japan from January 20, 2021.

The first two drinks to arrive are the Melty Raw Chocolate Frappuccino®︎ and Melty Raw Chocolate Mocha. The third and final drink, the Chocolate On The Chocolate Frappuccino®︎, will hit coffee branches on January 27.

Melty Raw Chocolate Frappuccino®︎ | Tall ¥590 (Tall size only)
Melty Raw Chocolate Mocha | Short ¥450 / Tall ¥490 / Grande ¥530 / Ventii®︎ ¥570

Coffee couples can look forward to sipping on the Melty Raw Chocolate Frappuccino®︎, a rich drink made with velvety fresh cream, smooth chocolate cubes, a drizzle of raw chocolate sauce, and topping of red-coloured chocolates shaped like love hearts. If they’re looking for something to keep them snugged up warm and cosy this winter, then the Melty Raw Chocolate Mocha is the one to go for, a twist on the classic caffè mocha that contains chocolate cubes that slowly melt into the drink.

Chocolate On The Chocolate Frappuccino®︎ | Tall ¥620 (Tall size only)

If you’re really craving chocolate during Starbucks’s Valentine’s season, then you’ll want to order the Chocolate On The Chocolate Frappuccino®︎, a mountainous drink loaded with three kinds of chocolate. Crushed chocolate biscuit, chocolate cubes, brownie and cake-like chocolates, and more. Mix it all together for a tasty experience that’s sure to have you falling in love – whether with the drink or your date!

Classic Chocolate Cake | ¥440

Ruby Chocolate Cake | ¥540

Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without some delicious desserts. Starbucks has prepared a classic chocolate cake. Simple but tasty and pairs perfectly with a cup of Starbucks Caffè Verona. The ruby chocolate cake is love at first sight, a fruity delight that comes as Starbucks Japan’s first dessert to be made with ruby chocolate – the fourth type of chocolate alongside milk, dark, and white.

Starbucks Coffee Japan is pouring four new beverages into its ongoing winter beverage series starting on December 26: the Earl Grey Honey Whip Frappuccino®, Earl Grey Honey Whip Tea Latte, Chai & Whip Chocolate Tea Latte, and Houjicha Cream Tea Latte.

Fragrant Frappuccino® combining Earl Grey and sweet honey

Earl Grey Honey Whip Frappuccino®: Tall ¥590 (Tall Size Only)
Earl Grey Honey Whip Tea Latte (Hot Only): Short ¥450 / Tall ¥490 / Grande ¥530 / Venti® ¥570

Serving: December 26, 2020 – January 19, 2021

What better way to enjoy the winter season than with a cup of the Starbucks Earl Grey Honey Whip Frappuccino® or Earl Grey Honey Whip Tea Latte, both of which fuse the fragrant and elegant flavour of Earl grey with refreshing milk, sweet honey, and a topped of whipped cream. Both beverages are finished with a snow-dusting of white chocolate flakes.

Tea, tea, tea! Three tea lattes with distinct flavours

Earl Grey Honey Whip Tea Latte (Hot Only): Short ¥450 / Tall ¥490 / Grande ¥530 / Venti® ¥570

Chai & Whip Chocolate Tea Latte (Hot Only): Short ¥450 / Tall ¥490 / Grande ¥530 / Venti® ¥570

Houjicha Cream Tea Latte: Short ¥430 / Tall ¥470 / Grande ¥510 / Venti® ¥550
Serving: December 26, 2020 – January 19, 2021

As well as the Earl Grey Honey Whip Tea Latte, there’s the spicy Chai & Whip Chocolate Tea Latte topped with white chocolate and nutmeg as well as the Houjicha Cream Tea Latte which contains houjicha tea, white chocolate syrup, and whipped cream dusted with brown sugar. The mix of tea and milk makes for a harmonious indulgence.

Butterscotch Latte returns for winter

Butterscotch Latte (Hot/Iced): Short ¥420 / Tall ¥460 / Grande ¥500 / Venti® ¥540
Serving: December 26, 2020 – March 16, 2021

Taking inspiration from Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo, all Starbucks branches in Japan will serve the Butterscotch Latte, using different ingredients from Roastery Tokyo, a combination of rich buttery and caramelly butterscotch sauce, a shot of espresso, and steamed milk.

Starbucks Coffee Japan opened a new branch on Thursday (November 25) in Nishitokyo, a western area of Tokyo, next to an ancient 300-year-old camphor tree. The coffee shop opens with a gorgeous wooden interior.

Starbucks Nishitokyo

Starbucks Nishitokyo was built on top of a long-standing cafe called Kusunoki in Musashino, Tokyo that was loved by locals for 40 years before closing down. The Starbucks branch, with its striking warm wooden decor, takes inspiration from an old 300-year-old tree that stands 23-meters tall and 7 meters in circumference. The old round pillars that kept the previous cafe Kusunoki standing have been kept in place and built around, incorporating a tall new triangular roof, lights, and the walls, and more—all as an homage to the old cafe. This way, memories of the beloved can be passed on while making way for a new chapter in history.

Starbucks’s wooden decor

Starbucks Shinshu Zenkoji Nakamise-dori branch

Starbucks Shikishima Park branch

Starbucks Nishitokyo comes as the latest Starbucks branch to have entirely wooden decor, something which the company has been incorporating much of in Japan in recent years. The Shinshu Zenkoji Nakamise-dori branch is made using five different types of trees sourced in Nagano Prefecture. The Shikishima Park branch offers an incredible view of the park’s flowers and trees, including the cherry blossoms when they bloom in spring.

Starbucks Japan is opening another wooden branch in Spring 2021 at Ise Grand Shrine.

An initiative to use wood grown in Japan

Starbucks Shinjuku Gyoen branch

Starbucks LINKS UMEDA branch

The number of shops and cafes using local wood in Japan is on the rise in response to the issue of using domestic wood from places outside of a local area. Starbucks Shinjuku Gyoen, for example, has walls, a ceiling, and drinks counter made from wood sourced in Tama, Tokyo, while Starbucks LINKS UMEDA has pillars made of wood taken from trees in Umeda, Osaka.

Starbucks Coffee Japan has announced the opening of a new branch at Ise Grand Shrine’s Naiku Inner Shrine in Spring 2021. Ise Grand Shrine is an ancient shrine in Ise, Mie Prefecture with a history spanning almost 2,000 years.

The new coffee shop will opposite Oharaimachi-dori, a beautiful, stove-paved 800m road that continues from Uji Bridge along the Isuzu River. The two-floored cafe features wooden architecture while incorporating Starbucks essence in a way that does not make it look unnatural in this historical and traditional area. Its first floor is where you will find the bar counter ready to welcome guests with vim and vigour while the second floor will be the bustling seating area.

Starbucks hopes to act as a hub for the locals and visitors to the shrine where they can foster community over a cup of coffee. The cafe windows offer a beautiful view of the street together with the mountain range in the background. A must-visit for anyone travelling to Ise Grand Shrine.

Starbucks Coffee Japan has revealed that its second instalment of its limited-edition holiday season 2020 beverages will be the “Matcha x Matcha White Chocolate” and “Matcha x Matcha White Chocolate Frappuccino®” which customers can order from November 24. A new batch of festive Starbucks merch will also hit Japanese branches on November 30.

A harmonious fusion of matcha and sweet white chocolate

Matcha x Matcha White Chocolate Frappuccino® Tall ¥590 (Tall-size only)

Matcha x Matcha White Chocolate: Short ¥450 / Tall ¥490 / Grande ¥530 / Venti® ¥570 (Hot option only)

Matcha is one of Starbucks Japan’s signature flavours and just to happens to have been in the spotlight in last year’s holiday season drinks. This year sees marbling mixture of of rich matcha sauce and sweet white chocolate syrup with the Frappuccino®, finished with a squirt of whipped cream, brownie bits, and snowy powdered sugar. The hot version comes as a marriage of matcha and white mocha mixed together with steamed milk to warm the cockles of hearts during the cold months.

New holiday season merchandise

The theme of the second batch of merchandise is “Brilliant Season” which capture the bright and sparkly vibe of winter like with the snowflake-covered stainless steel bottle, a glass mug with beads in it that move around when shaken, a snow globe, and more. The perfect line-up for capturing the holiday season mood during your coffee break.

Starbucks Japan is currently serving the Berry x Berry No-Bake Cheesecake Frappuccino® and Berry x Berry White Mocha holiday season drinks for the holiday season until November 24 when they will be replaced by the Matcha x Matcha White Chocolate and Matcha x Matcha White Chocolate Frappuccino®. It is also serving the Starbucks® Christmas Blend, Gingerbread Latte, and Macadamia Toffee Latte until Christmas Day.

Starbucks Coffee Japan has announced that it is opening orders for its 2021 fukubukuro on November 16, 2020. Recipients will be chosen randomly.

Fukubukuro is a Japanese New Year custom where customers can buy bags filled with unknown contents, usually at a discounted price. Starbucks is also joining in with the annual tradition to deliver luck to its customers.

2021 Starbucks Fukubukuro | ¥7,500 (Tax Included)

Starbucks’s fukubukuro are canvas tote bags made partly with recycled cotton. The contents are unknown but it is confirmed that there will be fukubukuro-exclusive items as well as original merchandise, drink tickets, and more. This year, they have also added a special coffee bean card which customers can exchange at Starbucks in Japan for a bag of coffee beans of their choice.

Starbucks Coffee Japan has announced that the holiday season at Starbucks Reserve®︎ Roastery Tokyo is set to begin on November 13, 2020. “Special Roastery Holiday” is the theme this year, for which the specialist coffee branch will be serving a line-up of unique beverages for the holiday season, as well as decorating each of its three floors.

Eggnog Latte ¥900 | Butterscotch Chai Tea Latte ¥950 | Nakameguro Porthole Winter ¥4,200 | Strawberry Chai Nog ¥2,000 (Before Tax)

This autumn and winter, the Roastery is serving a variety of seasonal flavours for its “STARBUCKS RESERVE® CHRISTMAS 2020” line-up. Customers can look forward to the smell of warm cedar fragrance, orange marmalade, spices, and butterscotch. These beverages, each of which is served on a different floor at the coffee shop, are so beautiful they almost seem a waste to sip.

Bottom Right: Cornetti Lampone Chocolate ¥420 | Bottom Left: Maritozzo Lampone & Fragola ¥380 | Top Left: Holiday Panettone ¥5,400 | Top Right: Zuppa Inglese ¥580

Popular Italian bakery Princi® has baked up a selection of authentic Italian treats for the holiday season too, including a classic panettone.

Red Stainless Steel Tumbler 473ml ¥3,800 | Red Round Mug 355ml ¥2,500 | Small Red Tote Bag ¥2,300 | Round Tumbler 355ml ¥2,500 (Before Tax)

Starbucks Reserve®︎ Roastery Tokyo is also selling some limited-edition merchandise too both in-store and on their website so everyone can enjoy delicious drinks at home too.

Starbucks Coffee Japan is set to launch the Starbucks holiday season on November 1 with a selection of special drinks and products. The theme this year is “a Special Holiday with Starbucks Classics.”

The coffee chain revealed three seasonal drinks for the holiday season this week including the Starbucks® Christmas Blend, Gingerbread Latte, and Macadamia Toffee Latte. Now they’re showcasing the “Berry x Berry No-Bake Cheesecake Frappuccino®” and “Berry x Berry White Mocha” which will also be added to the seasonal menu.

Berry x Berry No-Bake Cheesecake Frappuccino® | Tall ¥590 (Before Tax)

Berry x Berry White Mocha | Short ¥450 | Tall ¥490 | Grande ¥530 | Venti® ¥570 (Before Tax)

Opening up the first holiday season door at Starbucks is the Berry x Berry No-Bake Cheesecake Frappuccino®, a sweet and sour combination of no-bake cheesecake and a tangy sauce made from strawberries, cranberries, and raspberries. The drink is inspired by the Cranberry Bliss Bars sold at Starbucks, indulging your mouth with a mouth-watering mixed berry fusion to bring a smile to your face at the first taste.

If you’re looking for a hot beverage during the autumn and winter season, then the Berry x Berry White Mocha has you covered. This too contains the mixed berry sauce and is also laced with a white chocolate sauce. To finish, a shot of espresso and steamed pink for a rich kick to the sweetness. The espresso adds a deep flavour akin to caramel.

Starbucks Japan have also posted a special advent calendar on their official Instagram page which will run from November 1 up to Christmas Day where they will post various clips and videos. One video will be in collaboration with Japanese singer-songwriter Dai Hirai who is set to produce a new song for the event and perform it live online.