Tag Archives: 2011

Christmas 2011 Net Shop Exclusive!

Christmas came early this year!

I was so excited to start my 2nd week of medical school with this super-cute Christmas 2011 Net Shop Exclusive!

Christmas 2011 San-X Net Shop Exclusive - full

Merry (early) Christmas!

Christmas 2011 San-X Net Shop Exclusive - Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma

Their Santa outfits are removable, and exchangeable!

Christmas 2011 San-X Net Shop Exclusive - Kiiroitori

Kiiroitori is the angel on top of the tree hahaha

Christmas 2011 San-X Net Shop Exclusive - ISP

Probably one of my favorite parts of this set: an indifferent snowperson? Hahahaha

Christmas 2011 San-X Net Shop Exclusive - log

The set also comes with the giant roll cake log pillow with Rilakkuma’s face embroidered on it with strawberries, holly, and star details haha it reminds me of the huge Rilakkuma island that came with the Aloha Rilakkuma series’ Net Shop Exclusive.

Christmas 2011 San-X Net Shop Exclusive - tag

Cute tag with the set in illustrated form! Looks like Santa Rilakkuma is a little lazy as expected hahaha

Yay!!! Even though it’s still summer haha I was so excited to get this! I think this is my favorite Christmas Net Shop set, but they are always so nice every year!

Also lmao this set was WAY larger than I expected – I thought that they’d be regular sized collectible plushies like the 22 cm ones, but they’re about the size of my medium Rilakkuma, so a little over a foot tall for the bears. It’s so great that they ended up being so big, but I’ll have to get a side table for them or something hahaha

Thank you so so much to Ariel for helping me obtain this set! Check out her awesome Rilakkuma blog, Rilakkuma Desu, if you haven’t already!

I don’t really know the story behind the super indifferent snowperson but it’s so cute! … and disinterested. I wish it appeared more often. :| :| :|

I know it’s so early to talk about Christmas things, but since my apartment is too small for a proper tree, I’ll probably put this set out instead! And since it’s so cute, I’ll end up being one of those people who puts up Christmas decorations way too early (just this set though)!

Speaking of Net Shop exclusives, this year’s Christmas San-X Net Shop exclusive goes on pre-order this Friday, August 23! Preorder is here!

Christmas 2013 San-X Net Shop Exclusive

With a little stage for the band!

Christmas 2013 San-X Net Shop Exclusive

The whole band!

Christmas 2013 San-X Net Shop Exclusive

And they can all be used as ornaments, too!

Since I just bought another Christmas Net Shop Set, I’m not sure I’ll go for this year’s but we’ll see haha

Sweets & Sweets Cupcake Rilakkuma plushie!

Wah it’s been raining so often here in Florida recently – good thing I have Rilakkuma to brighten my day!!

Cupcake Rilakkuma does just the trick!

Sweets & Sweets - full

Wearing a cupcake, dressed like a cupcake!

Sweets & Sweets - hat detail

The prettiest cupcake I’ve seen!

Sweets & Sweets - key detail

What’s this key for? Korilakkuma’s and Kiiroitori’s are pink!

I actually love cupcakes, but don’t really eat them with frosting unless it’s cream cheese based. My favorite flavor of cupcake is funfetti! Rilakkuma’s cupcake kinda looks like funfetti hahaha

He’s from the Sweets & Sweets series, which came out in 2011.

We picked him up at the Umeda Rilakkuma Store – did you know the Umeda branch is the oldest? I wonder what they’ll be doing for their 5th anniversary this year… it’s coming up soon (September 13)!

Anyway, continuing with the pink theme… my family bought a Rilakkuma ice tray while we were in Japan!

According to the San-X Net Shop Blog, this ice tray appeared in April 2013! It features Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, and Kiiroitori!

Rilakkuma Ice Tray - part 1

We filled the tray with raspberry lemonade instead of water so they’d be pink!

Rilakkuma Ice Tray - in fridge

In the freezer! The tray has little holes on top so the 3D shape can be as perfect as possible!

We’ll let it sit for the night and see how the turn out in the morning.

Will update with the next Rilakkuma post! Hopefully they turn out well!

Mikan Rilakkuma UFO Catcher Plushie!

Last but not least from the big UFO catcher batch: Mikan Rilakkuma! He was released into the UFO catcher wild by Fansclub and San-X in December 2011.

Mikan (Citrus unshiu) are citrus fruits of Japanese origin, and are also known as satsuma mandarins or satsuma oranges. We actually have a tree full of these out in our yard – yum!

Mikan Rilakkuma - full body shot

Hello Mikan Rilakkuma!

Mikan Rilakkuma - hat detail

Cute citrus hat!

Mikan Rilakkuma - scarf

Lovely scarf with fuzzy citrus details on both ends!

Because of Chinese tradition and symbolism (and some clever wordplay), my family loves to display and serve oranges to ring in the new year since our word for “fortune/success” sounds similar to the word for “orange”.

This Rilakkuma will also help us welcome the lunar new year next month as well – how auspicious for this Rilakkuma to join the family at the start of 2013!

Outdoors Rilakkuma UFO Catcher Plushie!

While the last UFO plushies were gifts, I got this one for myself: it’s Rilakkuma holding a kabob! He was part of an outdoors series (アウトドアごっこ) released by Fansclub and San-X in July 2011.

Kabob Rilakkuma - full body shot

Ready to go camping!

Kabob Rilakkuma - kabob detail

Rilakkuma has cooked a yummy kabob! And he’s wearing a nice yellow bib in case he makes a mess.

Seeing this plushie on Fansclub was actually what prompted me to make my first big Rilakkuma UFO catcher plushie purchase earlier – San-X hasn’t released anything like this design in their standard 22 cm collectible size (the style I usually order), so that convinced me to make the leap!

I’m so glad I did, because he is a wonderful addition to my largely food-themed Rilakkuma collection. Yay!

Yukata Rilakkuma & Korilakkuma UFO Catcher Plushies!

My first UFO catcher plushie purchase!

It’s Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma wearing yukata! This series was released by Fansclub & San-X in June 2011.

Yukata are a kind of casual kimono worn during hot seasons – so Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma are perfectly dressed for a nice summer’s day!

Yukata Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma - full body shot

What a beautiful color scheme!

Yukata Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma - fan detail

Matching fans!

Yukata Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma - back

Obis tied into bows in the back!

As Fansclub UFO catcher plushies, they are constructed a little differently than the non-UFO catcher ones, notably in the materials, seaming, and size (they’re a few cm smaller).

I gave this cute pair to my parents for their wedding anniversary last week! So cute! They remind me of my parents hahaha.

Hara Donuts & Rilakkuma!

To celebrate the Happy Holiday Picnic Rilakkuma plushie featured yesterday, let’s take a look at another collaboration project: Hara Donuts & Rilakkuma!

Rilakkuma partnered with donut company Hara Donuts starting around November 2011. Hara Donuts uses a more minimalist approach to donuts, creating handmade donuts with all-natural ingredients. With their beginnings in a raw tofu shop in Kobe, their donuts use fresh, local tofu in their homemade recipes. Hara (はら) means “original” or “raw” in Japanese.

During the Hara Donuts & Rilakkuma campaign, they had a special Rilakkuma themed donut menu based on the Happy Holiday Picnic Series, and some great themed merchandise!

Hara Donuts - reference image

How cute is it that Rilakkuma brings donuts to a picnic?

Hara Donuts - donuts

Sweet & Sour Lemon Chocolate/White Chocolate Donuts

Hara Donuts - cell phone charm

Hara Donuts & Rilakkuma Cell Phone Charm

Cute! They also came out with a selection of coffee mugs and tote bags. I would’ve loved if they released a plushie so I could add him to my collection!

Rilakkuma meets Pancake Days!

In honor of Honey Bee Rilakkuma from yesterday, here’s a great moment in Rilakkuma history: Rilakkuma meets Pancake Days! Every so often (i.e. all the time), Rilakkuma will have collaboration projects with other companies. For this collaboration, Rilakkuma teamed up with Pancake Days, a Japanese pancake chain that likes to put happy faces (like Rilakkuma’s) on fancy pancakes, in 2011.

Rilakkuma meets Pancake Days featured the Honey and Smile Series in their promotional campaign – they even had a special Rilakkuma-themed menu!

Rilakkuma meets Pancake Days - 5 tier stack

5 Tier Pancake Stack

Rilakkuma meets Pancake Days - chocolate and orange stack

Rilakkuma’s Chocolate & Orange Stack

Rilakkuma meets Pancake Days - strawberry stack

Korilakkuma’s Strawberry Stack

Rilakkuma meets Pancake Days - honey and sweet potato stack

Kiiroitori’s Honey & Sweet Potato Stack

Also, if you spent more than 1,000円 at the Rilakkuma Stores in Harajuku or Kichijoji, you would a receive a postcard that you could show at Pancake Days for a free take-home 7 cm Rilakkuma pancake. Looks delicious!

Honey and Smile Series Rilakkuma!

This Honey Bee Rilakkuma came out as part of the Honey and Smile Series (Rilakkuma Meets Honey) released in May 2011. True to his bear character, Rilakkuma puts globs of honey everywhere: on pancakes, on toast, on Swiss rolls, everything.

Honey bee + Happy Picnic Rilakkumas - package and gifts

Decorated package came with Hello Kitty marshmallows, little packets of furikake decorated with anime, and Rilakkuma stationary. Not pictured: strawberry Pocky that I ate before I snapped this shot.

Rilakkuma Meets Honey Series - full body shot

To bee, or not to bee.

Rilakkuma Meets Honey Series - hat detail

Bee(n) there, done that.

Rilakkuma Meets Honey Series - wing detail

Don’t worry, bee happy.

My sister will be giving this plushie to one of her best friends for Christmas. It was good having him in the house for a few months! I hope he is treated well after he moves on!