Can you believe it?? A Rilakkuma Shop will be opening its doors to the public in Times Square, NYC in a few short weeks from now!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmhB0dSBRmi/
Unfortunately, I will be out of town during the opening, but bet I’ll be there as soon as I have a free weekend!! Will you be going? I hope they have a store exclusive plush!!
MEANWHILE, I have been accumulating so many Rilakkumas but have been swamped at work, updates coming soon!
Back from a spontaneous trip to Brandon, Florida to meet Rilakkuma at the US Rilakkuma Shop’s December Christmas event at the Westfield Brandon Mall!
Simon and I showing off our Rilakkuma plush (BD Bear and Santa Rilakkuma from the Christmas 2011 Net Shop Exclusive) with Rilakkuma and the Rilakkuma lolita girls!
I had an absolute BLAST meeting Rilakkuma and the Rilakkuma lolita girls, checking out the new merchandise, and being SURROUNDED BY RILAKKUMA!
For a quick walkthrough, I shot a quick video of the new merchandise highlights on the Rilakkuma Lifestyle Facebook page, check it out!
So much fun!
Also posted more video of Rilakkuma scooting around back and forth from the photoshoot area to the backroom, so check that out, too!
Now let’s have a closer look at some of the new merchandise!
Illustrious otters! The otter series has arrived in the US in the form of super adorable Rilakkumas in grey otter suits. Perfect laying down or sitting up!
Inspired by the 2016 Otter Series that was originally released in Japan, these otters are super cute, with bright, vibrant colors. Korilakkuma represented here as a rare *pink* sea otter, hehehe
For shape reasons, Kiiroitori did not get their own otter suit, but instead has manifested as a fish companion!
Of course, with Rilakkuma otter plush, come Rilakkuma otter blind boxes! Pick one up, and you get one of six designs, but you don’t know which!
Another breathtaking new addition since my last visit, emergence of the Honeybee Series! Sleepy Rilakkuma here probably ate too much honey. This series was inspired by the Rilakkuma Meets Honey Series that was originally released in 2011, and this sleepy Rilakkuma looks a lot like the Rilakkuma Store Exclusive design—awesome! Not pictured to his right, Honeybee Rilakkuma plush standing upright (better look in my video, above!).
Korilakkuma here has a very lovely fluffy fur lining on her honeybee hood, and she looks like she behaved and didn’t overindulge on honey to the point of passing out unlike Rilakkuma. Not pictured: standing Korilakkuma honeybee plush.
Another new surprise, these EXTRA FLUFFY Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma plushes! They remind me a lot of the My Only Rilakkuma Series from 2013!
A fluffy Rilakkuma plush of Rilakkuma relaxing on his side! I think this one is so unique because to my knowledge, there isn’t a design exactly like this one in this size that’s been released in Japan before!
Finally, an amazing special set to grace the US, the Sumikko Gurashi 5th Anniversary overseas exclusive series! Really beautiful, and we are so lucky to have this here, as this series is only sold outside of Japan! My favorite is the Egyptian Sphinx Neko with the pyramid on the side! Make sure to add these to your collection as they aren’t sold in Japan!
Finally, the last of the Denim Rilakkumas!! These are the last ones, and this is one of my absolute favorite series—get them while you can!!
Overall, such a great experience! I love being surrounded by Rilakkuma and other Rilakkuma fans!
Did you go to the Rilakkuma Shop December event? What did you think, and what did you get? Let me know in the comments!
It’s such a blessing to have a Rilakkuma Shop so nearby! Can’t wait for the next event!
Emergency! The Decemeber Rilakkuma Shop Event is TODAY, December 16 at the Westfield Brandon Center!
Excited to go today and see what’s new!
Snap from the in-mall flyer!! You can meet Rilakkuma from 11:00AM – 2:30PM, and again from 4:00-PM – 8:00PM!
SEE YOU THERE!! I’ll be going sometime around 4:00PM to meet Rilakkuma!!
I’ll be wearing the Rilakkuma shirt I picked up at the October Rilakkuma Shop event, come say hi!
Hopefully gonna pick up more Rilakkuma apparel and swag today!!
Rilakkuma Shop
Westfield Brandon Center, Store #673 (by Sears, to the right of Game Stop)
459 Brandon Town Center
Brandon FL 33511
Monday-Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:AM – 6:00PM
What a day! Today was the the grand opening of AMERICA’S FIRST RILAKKUMA SHOP!
Fulfilling my life dream and purpose, I met jumbo Rilakkuma today!
Featuring our resident Rilakkuma artist Simon, as well as my first Rilakkuma (BD Bear) and Store Exclusive Aloha Rilakkuma (though he’s Hawaiian themed, I was going for a beachy Florida feel by bringing him haha)
It was everything I could’ve imagined and more! Rilakkuma is so cute and round, and the mascot is surprisingly soft!!
The unexpected best part, however, was getting to watch Rilakkuma scoot around the shop back and forth:
Hahahaha hilarious and adorable!
I had a great time checking out all the Rilakkuma products! There are even lots of new products today that weren’t available during soft opening!
Most surprising addition: DENIM RILAKKUMA. Can you believe it??? Of all the potential Japanese imports, I was exquisitely surprised and happy to see this line here. This is one of my favorite recent series, and I really feel that it’s a perfect fit because it’s so appropriately American haha. Grab ’em while you can!
Ever want to make your own Rilakkuma food? You can now with this Rilakkuma rice mold!
New addition! Lovely bowls and mugs perfect for any kitchen. My favorite detail is the little dango on the inner side of the bowl. Didn’t get a great shot of the mug at the end, but it features Koguma-chan, one of the few products I found with the new bear cub—awesome!
Gorgeous matching Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma bowls! Loved these, and thinking I may go back to get a set next time I go back!
Aloha Rilakkuma exploring some of the featured notebooks on the front display! I spy Koguma-chan!
Need a (soft) place to put your phone, keys, or glasses? Or maybe your Rilakkuma plush needs a place to stand? Look no further!
Just featuring the newer items here today that weren’t around during the soft opening. For the items that are still on sale from the soft opening, check out my previous post from September 30!
After browsing the store for… several rounds and several hours, my first Rilakkuma plush had some fun around the store:
Meeting the American M classics! Completely different construction! My Rilakkuma (middle) is a little faded because he’s been played with a lot too haha.
Can you spot BD Bear here? These may look like very malformed banana costumes at first glance, but they are, in fact, simply form-fitting yellow sleeping bags.
Can you find him in the front display?
He’s a little easier to find in this one!
Simon and I at my favorite Rilakkuma wall display!
I had such a fun time meeting other Rilakkuma fans!
The energy is seriously so amazing here—it’s such an incredible feeling to be surrounded by so many Rilakkuma fans of all different ages and backgrounds. I encourage any Rilakkuma fan from casual to hardcore to check it out! It’ll only be here for a couple months, and it is an absolute gem!
Look forward to my next post with what I got, including the giveaway!
If you want more, check out the grand opening video I posted on the Rilakkuma Lifestyle Facebook page!
Did you go to the grand opening?? What did you think? And importantly, what did you get!
It’s finally here! The US Rilakkuma Shop Grand Opening is this Saturday, October 14!
Me at the soft opening 2 weeks ago, with a Korilakkuma Meets Chairoikoguma bag my sister Rachel got me from this year’s Korilakkuma Cafe!
The grand opening is full of fun events for any Rilakkuma fan! There will be fun activities and giveaways, and Rilakkuma-themed Lolita girls, as is standard for these events. Come out to celebrate the grand opening of the first Rilakkuma Shop in the United States, here in sunny Florida!
What I’m looking forward to the most is meeting the JUMBO RILAKKUMA! And of course, snapping tons of photos with Rilakkuma!! The Rilakkuma mascot will first appear from 11:00AM – 2:00PM, then take a break to relax, then from 4:00PM – 8:00PM.
Don’t get lost like I did during the soft opening! The Rilakkuma Store is located inside the mall, near Sears.
Rilakkuma Shop
Westfield Brandon Center, Store #673 (by Sears, to the right of Game Stop)
459 Brandon Town Center
Brandon FL 33511
Monday-Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:AM – 6:00PM
It’s easy to get lost in this big mall! Click to enlarge.
I gotta say, I’ve been looking forward to a Rilakkuma Shop opening near me for a long time, and even then I didn’t expect the first one to be in Florida where I live! Here’s to many more Rilakkuma Shops in the future!
I will be there around 10AM, and I’ll be wearing one of my favorite Rilakkuma outfits with a tank top that @rilakkuma.crossing got me from JapanLA!
Excited to meet other Rilakkuma fans!! Come say hello!
Hope to see you there! What will you be looking forward to the most?
Putting the “soft” in soft opening via tons of Rilakkuma plush, the Westfield Mall in Brandon, FL opened its doors as the first Rilakkuma Shop in America today!
This Rilakkuma Shop is the first of its kind here in the United States, and you can find it tucked away near the Sears side of the mall next to Game Stop.
Beautiful and welcoming storefront!
On the right-most window, jumbo Rilakkuma relaxing and advertising himself.
On the left-most window, a bevy of bears!
When you walk in, you are welcomed with a stunning display of Rilakkuma everywhere!
Starting from the left as you enter, shelves upon shelves of Rilakkuma plush—this side features the classics!
Then, lovely wall decor of Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, and Kiiroitori in their natural states.
Moving forward, another shelf full of plush, this time with a few of the bath series and bunny series!
And in the back, the classic bear-shaped shelf I’ve come to expect of Rilakkuma stores!
On the right side, more Rilakkuma plush, with the cat series and panda series!
One of my favorite shelves displays lots of cute Rilakkuma jewelry!
The back of the front-most display with cute bags and wallets!
I bought this shirt!
Sumikko Gurashi fans will be overjoyed too! Small display in the back with Sumikko Gurashi plushes of all sizes!
If you’re not already following me on Facebook, I posted a video and panoramic shot if you’re looking for a closer look!
Rilakkuma Shop
Westfield Brandon Center, Store #673 (by Sears, to the right of Game Stop)
459 Brandon Town Center
Brandon FL 33511
Monday-Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:AM – 6:00PM
The Rilakkuma Shop is currently operating as a temporary pop-up shop, and will be operating for the next 3 months, so get here while you can!!
It’s not every day that Rilakkuma fans in the South are blessed like this. In addition to the grand opening in 2 weeks, they will have multiple events planned at this location, so stay tuned and keep your eyes open!
I’ll also be covering the grand opening on October 14th—hope to see you there!
For those of you who went to the soft opening, what did you think?? I’d love to hear from you!
Taking a break from working in the intensive care unit for amazing news:
The first Rilakkuma Store is opening in the US, and it’s coming to FLORIDA!!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZg9-0gB0Cg/
This limited time pop up store has a soft opening on September 30, with a grand opening on October 14!
The soft opening happening this weekend will just be the doors opening to the public. The big festivities will take place during the grand opening two weeks later, which will feature photo opportunities, prizes, and giveaways!
For more information, check out this article from Business Wire, and follow Rilakkuma North America (on Facebook and Instagram) and Rilakkuma US (on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).
I can’t believe the first Rilakkuma Store is opening in my home state!!
I hope this is the beginning of many US Rilakkuma Stores to come, and can’t wait to see if there will be any store opening exclusives announced—maybe Rilakkuma eating an orange, our state fruit? Or perhaps an alligator Rilakkuma, or a Florida tourist Rilakkuma?
I am planning on attending both the soft opening AND the grand opening, and I will be covering this pop-up store on my blog — will I see you there?
Hello, and I hope everyone had a relaxing Memorial Day!
Check out these photos from our trip to Los Angeles and Las Vegas!
Our first stop was LA! This was my first time in LA, and we had a lot of fun! This trip was short and sweet to see family I haven’t seen in years (and meet some cousins I’d never met before!!!!), but I really wish I could have stayed for longer!
Rilakkumas in Hollywood, ready for their close up!
Koguma-chan joined in on the fun, too! Silver screen ready!
Rilakkumas at Urban Light! This installation in front of the LA County Museum of Art features 202 restored street lamps from the 1920’s and 30’s!
Unfortunately, didn’t get to check out any of the stores that stock Rilakkuma in LA because this was a short trip just to spend time with family, but next time I have the chance to go and more time, I will definitely make it a Rilakkuma-themed vacation!
It would be great to have an LA Rilakkuma fan meet-up as Melanie suggested in a previous post! I hear there’s even a Rilakkuma cafe there, too! When will Florida get more Rilakkuma??
After LA, we headed off to Las Vegas, my first time there, too!
Beautiful view at the Venetian! Such amazing art everywhere, felt like I was really in Venice hehehe.
Peeking through a Roman face at the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace! This is actually a chair on the other side :O
Relaxing at the stunning Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens! The current theme is Japanese Spring, making Rilakkuma feel right at home with these breathtaking floral displays!
Whoa there, Mr. Crane! (Don’t worry, the crane is made of flowers and no Rilakkumas were harmed in the making of this photograph!)
Spent most of our days eating all over the Strip, at places such as Bacchanal, Wicked Spoon, Bouchon, Gordon Ramsay Burger, China Poblano, and even the Taco Bell Cantina (the flagship Taco Bell with extended menu). No gambling for these bears!
This was such a unique experience, and I’m really fortunate that I had the chance to visit with my family. Hopefully, see you again soon, LA and Vegas ;)
What would your ideal Rilakkuma vacation look like? I’d want to eat at all the Rilakkuma cafes, there are so many open in Japan right now!
I graduated, and now I’m officially an MD! Feeling so relieved, and now I have a whole month to relax before starting my intern year!
So after our vacation in Hawaii, we made a quick stop in Seoul, South Korea!
Didn’t snap any Rilakkuma photos in Seoul, but we did get to meet some other cute bears!! Well, one is a lion without a mane, but still hehe.
First stop: the LINE Friends Flagship Store and Cafe in Myeongdong! Quick pose with mega Brown and Sally!
Yummy Brown-themed lemon roll cake from the LINE Friends Flagship Store and Cafe in Garosu-gil! This LINE Friends Store had an entire floor just for photo zones!
Picked up a super cute Dino Brown from the Jungle Brown Line! He is so fluffy and soft in his green dinosaur suit! My favorite detail is that his footprints kind of look like three-eyed smiley faces hehe. Hope he enjoys being with all the Rilakkumas here ;)
Relaxing with Ryan the lion, at the KAKAO Friends Store in Dongdaemun Design Plaza!
Tasted a delicious Ryan macaron and picked up a blue hoodie Ryan plush from the KAKAO Friends Store and Cafe in Hongdae!
We also visited the SKINFOOD Concept Store in Garosu-gil, where they had a wonderful cafe and rooftop garden! I got a tasty chocolate latte (hot chocolate) with a super cute marshmallow bear! I am not sure what this yummy marshmallow bear has to do with the SKINFOOD brand (cosmetics, skincare, etc.), but it was a very cute cafe!
SKINFOOD marshmallow bear melting into the hot chocolate!
We were staying in the Hongdae area, and we actually ran into a store that sold authentic San-X Rilakkuma plush and goods! They even stocked rare, limited edition items like the pizzaiolo Rilakkuma from the Umeda 7th Anniversary Series! Unfortunately, they were WAY expensive, but it was good anyway to see a familiar bear’s face in Korea hehehe.
Overall, I had an amazing time in Seoul eating, shopping, sightseeing, exploring, and of course, spending time with my classmates before we graduate and move onto the next chapters in our lives!
Next stop, Los Angeles, CA!
Have you been to any character cafes before? I wish there were some here in Florida!!
Hello, I hope everyone is staying cool during this hot, hot summer!
I will be graduating from medical school this Friday (finally!), and I just got back from an amazing vacation since classes have concluded! I will be sharing my Rilakkuma photos with you over the next several days.
First stop was Honolulu, Hawaii!
This was our first time in Hawaii, so of course we had to bring Shady (Aloha Rilakkuma Store Exclusive Plush) to make his first pilgrimage to Hawaii!
First stop: Waikiki Beach! We were super lucky to find a nice secluded area without many other people—what a great opportunity for these bears to relax!
To cool down, we visited the Waikiki Aquarium! Lots of amazing marine life, and Rilakkuma got to meet some cute jellyfish!
Hiked to the top of Diamond Head Summit Trail! Beautiful weather, scenic hike, and spectacular view of Honolulu at the summit!
Rilakkuma got to meet some interesting-looking pineapple species over at the Dole Pineapple Plantation! Have you ever seen a pineapple like this?
Another breathtaking hike on the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail! A peaceful view of the southeast corner of Oahu.
Of course, had to visit Hakubundo to check out their Rilakkuma goods! The Ward Center location had only a few Rilakkuma products (some coloring books), while the Ward Warehouse location stocked lots of Rilakkuma plush and stationary! Ended up picking up a Korilakkuma Strawberry folder and a Rilakkuma Bakery notebook.
Our last hike at Koko Crater Summit was definitely the most difficult! We climbed a strenuous 1,048 stairs for this 360° view!
One of the biggest highlights of our trip was the food! We ate poke everyday, and probably could’ve kept eating it everyday without getting tired of it haha. Could’ve made this entire photo album about our poke marathon alone, but here are just a few select highlights: this photo was taken at one of our favorite spots, Ono Seafood!
Rilakkuma visited the purported home of the original poke bowl: Paina Cafe!
The fresh fish was excellent! Poke close-up from another one of our favorites, from Maguro Brothers!
Finally, a hearty bowl of well-deserved udon from Marukame Udon for this hiked-out Rilakkuma!
We had an incredible time in Honolulu!
The Aloha Rilakkuma Series from 2013 is one of my favorite lines, and looking back, I think the Rilakkuma designs were very representative of our experience in Hawaii!
I’m not much of traveler, but this trip really made me want to travel more often! I hope I get the chance to visit the other Hawaiian islands in the future!
Next set will be photos from Seoul, South Korea!
What are your favorite vacation destinations? Anywhere you would recommend for Rilakkuma to visit next?
Maybe I can take Baguette Bear (Bonjour Series Caravan Plush) to Paris one day hehehe. Stay cool out there!
RilakkumaLifestyle 