In an effort to clean up areas around Japan, everyone’s favorite lazy bear is teaming up with the Social Sports Initiative’s SpoGOMI! Rilakkuma is currently on his own nationwide tour, traveling from the northernmost to the southernmost points in Japan over 18 months. Guests visiting each event will be able to find unique prefecture-based environmentally-friendly merchandise. 

SpoGOMI is an entirely new sport started in Japan, combining a traditional sport with trash pickup! It’s always more fun to turn a chore into a game, and participants compete to see who can pick up the most garbage. 

Merchandise at a Glance

Mug

Pin

Fan

Round Coin Purse

Merchandise (Exclusive to the Hokkaido Area)

T-Shirt

Canvas Tote Bag (S)

Hand Towel (M/L)

Along with the standard rules, a new version of the game inspired by Rilakkuma will be introduced, perfect for both children and adults to enjoy.

After helping to clean up, why not enjoy some delicious local food and sightseeing? Join Rilakkuma in his efforts to clean up Japan and connect local communities. 

©2022 SAN-X CO., LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The SPYxFAMILY pop-up shop, first held inside Tokyo Station’s Character Street in April, will be coming to Matsuya Ginza from June 29 until July 12, 2022. 

Limited edition merchandise will be making a return, each featuring exclusive illustrations that saw huge popularity at the Tokyo Station event. Guests will also be able to purchase eight new items!

The lineup includes a rubber coin case (3 varieties, random), a clear multi-use pouch (3 varieties, random), an acrylic keychain featuring Anya, a Peanuts T-shirt with a new Anya illustration, and a mug. Each item is accented with Anya’s pink hair, adding to the cute factor.

Bonus Sticker

Bonus Cooling Towel

Goods

Customers spending ¥3,300 or more at the pop-up shop will receive a bonus sticker. Those spending ¥5,500 can choose between a mug or a cooling towel!

©遠藤達哉／集英社・SPY×FAMILY製作委員会  

Everyone’s favorite lazy bear Rilakkuma is bringing fans a new merchandise collection! These items show the character and friends in an amusement park filled with sweets, and these goods will be on sale at retail stores nationwide and online in early July.

Everyone would love to visit an amusement park filled with desserts, and these items are sure to add some retro pop flare to your daily life.

Product Lineup at a Glance

Memo Pad: ¥385 (Tax Included)

Memo Pad with Clipboard: ¥660 (Tax Included)

These cute memo pads are available in four designs, and fans can also grab a special set including a colorful clipboard.

Camera Shoulder Strap: ¥2,750 (Tax Included)

Give your camera some extra pizazz with this cute camera strap! Each comes with a decorated synthetic leather pad made to reduce neck and shoulder strain.

Ferris Wheel Cushion: ¥3,850 (Tax Included)

This cushion also includes pockets for small stuffed animals!

These new items were made in conjunction with the Netflix series Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure, scheduled to stream on Netflix worldwide starting August 25, 2022.

©2022 SAN-X CO., LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Everyone’s favorite lazy bear Rilakkuma is turning 20, and to commemorate the big event, Sanrio is holding a special tour that is traveling around Japan. From September 8 until October 31, events will pop up in four prefectures in the Tohoku region–Aomori, Akita, Miyagi, and Iwate. Starting in July, the event will be visiting Hokkaido.

Tohoku Area Exclusive Art♪

The tour will travel from the northernmost to the southernmost points in Japan over 18 months, and guests visiting each event will be able to find unique prefecture-based environmentally-friendly merchandise. Fans will also be able to participate in SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) such as beach cleanups and support for local food banks and social programs.

Come take part in this celebration while also giving back to local areas around Japan!

©2022 SAN-X CO., LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Steiff Japan/MS1880, a top-quality plush toy brand founded in Germany in 1880 and known to the world as the first to market teddy bears, has announced its fourth collaboration with fragment design, a project led by world-renowned creator Hiroshi Fujiwara. Only 1,000 special-edition teddy bears will be available to purchase when sales begin on June 25.

Hiroshi Fujiwara’s fragment design project has teamed up with a number of brands in the past, including Nike, Converse, and Levi’s. In past collaborations with Steiff, fans have been able to grab special keychains, a teddy bear rug, and more. 

My First Fragment: ¥9,900 (Tax Included)

The ‘My First Fragment’ plushie is 26cm tall and is a striking shade of black, symbolic of the fragment design project. The brand’s thunderbolt appears on the bear’s chest and ‘My First FRGMT’ is embroidered on one of its feet. Part of the Cuddly Friends series, this teddy bear is soft to the touch and begging for a hug, making it perfect for babies and small children. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having it on your desk at work as well!

Preorders will be open for those purchasing a bear from Isetan Shinjuku and Hankyu Umeda starting June 22.

Don’t miss out on this unique collaboration! After all, who could have expected a 120-year-old teddy bear company to release an item with so much Japanese streetwear flare?

Everyone’s favorite lazy bear Rilakkuma is turning 20! To commemorate this big event, Sanrio is holding a special tour that will travel around Japan. From July 13 until August 31, events will pop up in three cities in Hokkaido–Sapporo, Obihiro, and Hakodate.

Merchandise

Rilakkuma & Todok Collaboration Cotton Gloves

The environmentally-friendly event will offer locally designed products made from recycled materials. A special Hokkaido Ocean Cleanup will also be held with a group in Sapporo, and those participating in the event will receive a limited edition pair of cotton gloves.

Prior to the start of the event, the official Twitter account of the Rilakkuma tour (@rk_ensembletour) is running a limited-time campaign until May 29. 10 lucky people will win a magnet sticker not available for sale! To enter, just follow the account and retweet the tagged Tweet.

The Daimaru location in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, will soon begin selling limited edition Rilakkuma and Sumikko Gurashi goods! About 1,400 rare goods previously only available at 10 locations around Japan will be available in Shimonoseki from May 25 until May 30. Inspired by locales around the country, these adorable items will inspire you to travel when you can!

Limited Edition Sumikko Gurashi Goods

Ise Shop Exclusive

Dangling Stuffed Animal

Dangling Stuffed Animal

Jisho-ji Shop Exclusive

Dangling Stuffed Animal

Kyoto Kiyomizu-Zaka Shop Exclusive

Dangling Stuffed Animal

Shrine and Temple Stamp Book

Castella Manju

Dazaifu Shop Exclusive

Dangling Stuffed Animal

Rilakkuma’s Teahouse & Rilakkuma’s Bath Exclusive Goods

Arashiyama Shop Exclusive

Honey Castella Manju

Miyajima Shop Exclusive

Stuffed Animal

Roasted Mochi Pieces, Soy Sauce Flavor (with Can)

Kurokawa Shop Exclusive

Japanese Pattern Towels

Dogomachi Shop Exclusive

Stuffed Animals

Kusatsu Shop Exclusive

Stuffed Animal

With over 700 Sumikko Gurashi goods available, each symbolizing a specific locale with a cherry blossom theme, it won’t be easy to choose which items you’ll want to take home. Photo spots will also be set up at the venue, so come snap some pics for social media! Also, look forward to the Summer Bread and Sweets Festival 2022 in the adjacent venue!

Popular Rilakkuma and Sumikko Gurashi characters will be taking over Tokorozawa Sakura Town in Saitama from April 16 until May 22 during the Rilakkuma & Sumikko Gurashi Festival! Guests will be greeted by the characters themselves, and will be able to participate in tons of fun activities, photo spots, and more!

The festival will have a full lineup of exclusive merchandise only available at Tokorozawa Sakura Town, from cute and useful items like clear folders to fans to use during the summer heat.

A limited collaboration menu with Kadokawa Shokudou will also be available during the event. The ‘Rilakkuma & Sumikko Gurashi Festival Picnic Plate’ is full of fun finger foods that are easy for both adults and children to eat and includes a special lunch mat. Guests can also participate in a commemorative photo session with the characters dressed in new costumes!

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

From April 2 until April 22, Ginza Tsutaya Books will be holding a 5th-anniversary exhibition featuring art by three young female artists! These creators specialize in drawing girls, and the event will ask one question: what is ‘Kawaii?’ The artists featured are Amane Ishii, Azusa Nozawa, and Yumi Nagata. 

These three artists have captured the spotlight with their unique styles. Ishii prefers oil painting, Nozawa has a style perfect for manga, and Nagata specializes in more Japanese-style paintings. Those who planned the exhibition noted that the reason these three artists have become so popular stems from how they depict cuteness–they don’t try to conform to society’s idea of ‘cute,’ but rather depict what they themselves consider to be cute.

Many motifs in Ishii’s works are based on the artist’s personal experiences, many stemming from childhood. Her unique characters are sure to grab your attention, and although her pieces are two-dimensional, the linework almost makes them seem 3D. 

For Nozawa, ‘cute’ is the most important element found in her works. She often uses pastels, and something about the way she draws her characters is nostalgic, harkening back to purikura filters and manga characters of the early 2000s. Her unique worldview and nostalgic characters amount to truly one-of-a-kind pieces.

The girls appearing in Nagata’s pieces are projections of herself. She draws the clothes she would like to wear and the poses she’d love to strike! Pursuing her idea of ‘cuteness’ with traditional Japanese techniques and paints, she often includes polka dots in her works, which are a feminine symbol. 

The exhibition will feature two of Ishii’s oil paintings and 13 drawings, the first time such a large number of drawings have been shown all at once. In addition, three of Nozawa’s new portrait series will be on display, along with nine of Nagata’s works. 

‘Kawaii’ is one of the most prominent keywords found in contemporary Japanese culture. What does it mean to you?

Sony Park Mini, a tiny experimental art space in Ginza, is going to hold fans over until Ginza Sony Park opens in 2024. 

Sony Park Mini is located in a small 3.5 square meter space on B1F of the Nishiginza parking lot adjacent to Ginza Sony Park, which is currently under construction. The concept of the space is to “hold events that highlight local artists.”

More than 30 experimental programs will be held throughout the year highlighting unique creators and artists from all backgrounds including music, film, art, food, fashion, and shopping. Depending on which programs are popular, the project may extend to other cities. 

The first event, ‘Ayatake Exaki presents None Session,’ will run from March 23 until April 5, 2022, and will feature the musician and his piano.

Program Schedule
1: March 23 – April 5, 2022 / Ayatake Ezaki (Musical Artist)
2: April 6 – April 19, 2022 / Takuro Tamayama (Contemporary Artist)
3: April 20 – May 2, 2022 / Chiaki Kadota (Painter)
4: May 3 – May 16, 2022 / Neo Sora (Film Director), Aiko Masubuchi (Film Curator)
*The period of these events is subject to change. Any changes will be announced on Sony Park Mini social media accounts.

The Nishiginza Parking Lot Coffee shop, located inside Sony Park Mini, will offer a lineup of drinks made from carefully selected coffee beans. Vegan donuts and cookies made with natural ingredients will also be available.

The brand Buttons & Cufflinks has released an accessory collection with the popular San-X character Rilakkuma! The items are now available at 26 Cotomono Marche stores nationwide and online. 

The collection features the lazy bear Rilakkuma, the mischievous Korilakkuma, and the hard-working Kiiroitori. Fans can snag earrings of Rilakkuma with pancakes, Korilakkuma with strawberries, Kiiroitori with a four-leaf clover, and Chairoikoguma with honey.

Rilakkuma brooches are also available for adults who still like to be playful. In 2022, why not snazz up your wardrobe with everyone’s favorite relaxing bear and friends?

The Chiyoda City Tourism Association ambassador Rilakkuma is making an appearance at RESTAURANT 1899 OCHANOMIZU and Restaurant f for a limited time. Along with some scrumptious menu items shaped like everyone’s favorite lazy bear, the Tourism Association will be selling some limited edition Rilakkuma goods while supplies last starting March 18!

RESTAURANT 1899 OCHANOMIZU 

March 14 – May 31, 2022

Rilakkuma Curry: ¥1,500 (Tax Included) *Limited to 20 per day at Cafe and Diner

Rilakkuma lazes about on a comfy egg cushion while surrounded by a Japanese curry roux. The Rilakkuma-colored rice cooked with roasted green tea matches the flavor profile perfectly!

Korilakkuma Partait: ¥1,700 (Tax Included) *Limited to 15 per day at Cafe

This parfait combines Korilakkuma’s favorite strawberries and Japanese tea. Strawberry jelly and whipped cream are delicately mixed with green tea jelly and cake and milk pudding. 

Rilakkuma & Friends Latte: ¥900 each (Tax Included) *Available at Cafe and Diner

The Rilakkuma Latte features hojicha mixed with honey, while the Korilakkuma Latte is a black tea latte with strawberry sauce. The Kiiroitori Latte is made with sencha mixed with yuzu and ginger. 

Restaurant f

March 15 – June 30, 2022

Rilakkuma Collaboration Curry by Chef Nankyoku ¥1,500 (Tax Included) *Limited Quantity Available

The chef behind this creation was previously on an expedition to Antarctica! This special ‘f-curry’ is a rich curry with more than 10 spice varieties, plenty of onion, and some secret ingredients. Each order comes with salad, soup, and an original coaster (while supplies last). 

F’s Cookies – Blooming Sakura Rilakkuma: ¥700 (Tax Included) *Limited Quantity Available

Each Rilakkuma cookie has been decorated with a cherry blossom petal as a spring bonus.

Rilakkuma’s Chiyoda Ambassador Memorial Ramune Candy (10 pieces): ¥650 (Tax Included) *Limited Quantities Available

The chef put his heart and soul into making each of these iced ramune candies decorated with the faces of these beloved San-X characters. 

Chiyoda City Tourism Association Tourism Ambassador Original Merchandise

Plush Keychain: ¥1,800 (Tax Included) *Only 1,000 Available

This stuffed Rilakkuma is wearing the tourism ambassador’s official hanten.

Chiyoda Sakura Netsuke: ¥800 (Tax Included) *Only 1,000 Available

This netsuke was created from a cherry tree from the moat of Edo Castle. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the cherry tree restoration fund!