Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow plushies! + New! Airplane Rilakkuma + Christmas 2014 Net Shop Exclusive!

Hello again! Now that I’m settling back into the swing of things, I’m so happy to share my new Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow plushies!

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - full

New additions: Rilakkuma as Dr. Yellow plushie and hugging pillow, and Rilakkuma Store exclusive Dr. Yellow train operator!

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - hugging pillow and train plushie

Love these two! The hugging pillow is for my sister, and the smaller plushie was chosen by Simon!

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - train side detail

For the train plushie and hugging pillow, lovely decals on the side that make them look like real Dr. Yellows, with the JR logo, too!

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - front detail, cars

“T4” stands for the set designation of the Class 923 Dr. Yellow! Hehehe I think these look kind of like faces.

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - back

And a shoutout to their series name on their backs!

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - store exclusive full

Ready to work! The Rilakkuma Store Exclusive (my pick, hehe): Classic Model 923!

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - pouch detail

With a super cute Dr. Yellow car cross-body!

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - store exclusive hat detail

A wonderful hat to match his friends’!

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - tag art

Tag art! The design is the same for all of them, but their border color is different! The hugging pillow is grey, the Rilakkuma Store Exclusive (with T-shirt) is blue, and the Rilakkuma as Dr. Yellow plushie is white – if you have another item from this set, what color was your tag?

I love the bright yellow, though their color scheme reminds me a lot of a big yellow school bus hehehe.

These fast and furious bears were part of the Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow Series, released in July 2014! As I mentioned in a previous post, the San-X Net Shop crashed when I tried ordering on release day, so my sister was kind enough to order the hugging pillow and train plushie on my behalf when I was in the Dominican Republic! Also, happy to add another Rilakkuma-themed San-X box to my collection too hehehe.

I don’t know, there’s something about these train bears that I’m really drawn to haha; I can’t stop myself from ordering all of them! I never thought of myself as a huge transportation fan, but as it turns out, I think I have the most plushies from the transportation/train series than any other in my collection.

Of course, like these Dr. Yellow bears, the train of Rilakkuma keeps on rolling! Following the transportation theme, check out the new Airplane Series!

Airplane Series - plushies

Looks like they’re flying Rilakkuma Airlines! Plushie for 1,680円, and phone charm plushie for 740円.

Airplane Series - travel items

Of course, travel items for your flight! The design and color scheme reminds me a lot of the Bonjour Series from 2010! Neck pillow for 2,000円, slippers for 1,500円, and eye mask for 1,000円.

Looks like these will be available at the major Japanese airports throughout the year – what a cool collaboration!

My mom usually has a layover on her way to the Philippines, so maybe I’ll ask her to scope these out for me when she makes her next trip!

Looking forward a few months, check out the new Christmas 2014 San-X Net Shop Exclusive – WOW, it’s a Rilakkuma advent calendar!

Christmas 2014 Net Shop Exclusive - both sides

So festive!

Christmas 2014 Net Shop Exclusive - calendar detail

On each day of December, take a new ornament out of its pocket…

Christmas 2014 Net Shop Exclusive - tree full

… and place it anywhere on the tree! And have a fully decorated tree on Christmas Day!

Christmas 2014 Net Shop Exclusive - ornaments

A sample of the plushie ornaments! I don’t really understand that half Rilakkuma in the pile down there – looks like his bottom half is missing!

So clever! Pick a new Rilakkuma plushie ornament for each day in December leading up to Christmas to decorate the tree! Really cute – I love the little snowbears hehehe.

Alternatively, you can attach the little plushie ornaments onto a keychain, and just use them for festive decoration.

My family has an advent calendar, and it’s so fun to use every Christmas!

It seems a little early to think about Christmas for me, but haha who knows? This festive advent calendar costs 18,000円, and the San-X Net Shop is taking pre-orders for this cute set until September 7.

Whew! In other news, today was my first day back in school starting my second year in medical school! We’re jumping right in learning about cardiopulmonary pathophysiology – I hope this year was as good as the last’s!

As always, more bears to post about, which is only bound to get more severe as I have recently took on a paid tutoring job at school haha. Stay tuned!

New! Rilakkuma & SHINKANSEN collaboration + Tokyo Souvenir Series!

Hi everyone! I’m back from the Dominican Republic finally, and whew it is wild being back in the States again!

But wow, lots of cool things have happened while I was out!

First up, a Rilakkuma & SHINKANSEN collaboration!

Rilakkuma & SHINKANSEN - plushies

Rilakkuma turns into a bullet train! Keychain for 1,300円, and plushie for 1,900円.

Rilakkuma & SHINKANSEN - folders and pens

Folders for 300円, and pens for 600円 – cute!!

I picked up the Dr. Yellow version of this plushie, so I’ll probably try to get my hands on this version since I’ve traveled on this Shinkansen before!

The Shinkansen (新幹線) is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan, and it’s oldest network is the Tōkaidō Shinkansen (東海道新幹線), which celebrates its 50th birthday this year! Happy birthday Tōkaidō Shinkansen!

A first wave of these items will be sold at Tokyo Station beginning August 19, and then these products will eventually be available in Rilakkuma Stores all over Japan starting August 23.

How cool that they are continuing the success of the transportation theme, which was started by the Yamanote Line collaboration (also with a 50th anniversary theme) from last year!

Speaking of the Yamanote Line, a big congratulations to Rilakkuma for winning an award for excellence at the Transit Advertising Awards 2014!

Following the tourism theme once more, check out the new Tokyo Souvenir Rilakkuma!

Tokyo Souvenir Series - plushies

Cute souvenir plushie for 2,000円, and his keychain counterpart for 1,480円 – wow, these bears are getting pricey!

Tokyo Souvenir Series - stickers and folders

What a lovely pattern! Stickers for 300円, and folders for 350円.

In addition to the Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building, this design also features Tokyo Tower (the second tallest structure in Japan behind Skytree) and the Kaminarimon (雷門, an outer entrance gate leading to the Sensō-ji in Asakusa).

I have the Marunouchi Rilakkuma that is really similar in design, but I might pick this one up too for completion’s sake – hard to say no to these camera-wielding Rilakkumas!

Interestingly, these products will be available at all Rilakkuma Stores from August 2 – August 31, but starting from September, only the Rilakkuma in the Tokyo prefecture (Tokyo Station, Tokyo Skytree, Harajuku, Kichijoji) will be stocking these items – which makes some sense since these are supposed to be Tokyo souvenirs anyway hahaha.

Wow, San-X has been really focusing on the tourism and transportation angle recently! In addition to these new designs, San-X is also expanding on their Dr. Yellow line to include socks, chopsticks, and other merchandise now as well – cool!

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - chopsticks

Wow, Dr. Yellow-shaped chopsticks for 650円!

I’ve already made quite a few purchases on this line, but super cute nonetheless!

In other news, all of my Space Series Rilakkumas have arrived! I just got back from the Dominican Republic recently, so please be patient as I try to get my bearings back here in the United States!

Fansclub Striped Knit Rilakkuma & Korilakkuma Plushies! + A JAXA Rilakkuma Update!

It’s kind of the opposite of sweater weather around these parts nowadays, but say hello to Striped Knit Rilakkuma & Korilakkuma!

Fansclub Striped Knit Series - full

What a lovely pair! Though it looks like Rilakkuma got a little bored with our photoshoot hehehe

Fansclub Striped Knit Series - Korilakkuma sweater detail

A beautiful pink and white sweater, for a beautiful pink and white Korilakkuma! Also, this is the first time I’ve noticed even the thread for Kobear’s red button is a pretty pink just like her paws, feet, and ears!

Fansclub Striped Knit Series - Rilakkuma sweater detail

Rilakkuma looks so cozy in his orange sweater… so cozy that he sat down and took a nap.

Fansclub Striped Knit Series - tag art

Tag art features a mysteriously sweater-less Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma.

Sleepy Rilakkuma is one of my favorite alternative faces, and I think the knit sweaters are really well done! In fact, I’d love to have one of these sweaters for myself so I can match – Rilakkuma is so stylish!

These snug bears were released as part of the Fansclub Striped Knit Series in in December 2013 – with that season’s polar vortex here in North America, looks like Rilakkuma and friends had the right idea for the peak of sweater season!

I also appreciate the stripes on these sweaters as a foreshadowing to the Stripes Stripes Everyday Series that was released just 3 months later – very clever! The standing Rilakkuma from this series even has the same color scheme!

Enormous thanks to generous reader Trinie for this snug pair of bears! During next winter, they’ll be the most prepared bears in my collection hahaha.

Also a little update on the JAXA x Rilakkuma collaboration! People were curious when this plushie appeared on the San-X Net Shop July lineup with no announcement, then mysteriously disappeared shortly after.

JAXA x Rilakkuma - back

Wow, how did they get him to stand up like that? Engineering at its finest, I suppose. One small stand for bear… one giant leap for bearkind!

Good news is that his page on the Net Shop is back up, and San-X announced a little more information about him!

As it turns out, not only is this plushie a collaboration between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Rilakkuma, but it’s also a special product for the Space Expo 2014: The Great Challenge of NASA · JAXA being held at Makuhari Messe (幕張メッセ) in Chiba – hey Ariel, is this anywhere near you?

As part of Space Expo 2014, this plushie celebrates the rich history of both American (NASA) and Japanese (JAXA) achievements in space exploration and engineering. I love this background, and now knowing more about the context, I think I’m leaning more toward getting this plushie!

In other news, interested in what a Rilakkuma Caravan event looks like? Check out Moriwaki’s video of this year’s Space Series Caravan in Kobe!

Rilakkuma looks so professional in his space suit!

I’ve always wanted to go to one of these events! It’s funny to see all those people rubbing his head when he’s leaving hehehe.

You know, it was watching Rilakkuma videos like this that actually first got me interested in Rilakkuma! Something about him waddling around like that around his adoring fans is really endearing! What’s your favorite Rilakkuma video?

New! Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow!

Back from Charleston, and ready to get back into the (Rilakkuma) swing of things! I hope to post a few of my photos on this blog, once I get around to sorting through the hundreds of takes haha.

In what feels like news to welcome me home, San-X swarms us again with a dashingly cute collaboration with JR (Japan Railway) this summer: Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow!

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - cover art

“Rilakkuma’s ears and Kiiroitori’s body are yellow. The yellow color brings you happiness.”

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - Rilakkuma Store exclusives

Wow! Cheerfully yellow Rilakkuma Store Exclusives (from top left): collectible 22 cm plushie (1,900円), keychain (1,300円), standing plushie (2,100円), and camera strap (2,200円). Standing plushie and camera strap will both be available on the Net Shop as well.

dryellow-3

And this time, Rilakkuma even gets to be a Dr. Yellow!! And Kiiroitori gets to play stationmaster. Available at Rilakkuma Stores as well as select locations: Rilakkuma as Dr. Yellow (1,900円) and Kiiroitori (1,900円).

Rilakkuma Meets Dr. Yellow - face close-up

“Ready for my close-up!”

Now this was a collaboration I really didn’t see coming!

Dr. Yellow (ドクターイエロー) is the nickname for the high-speed test trains used on the Japanese Shinkansen (bullet train) – as the name implies, these train cars are “doctors” that help diagnose problems on the track, and sport a beautiful bright yellow! A lovely complement to the lime green theme from last year’s Rilakkuma x Yamanote Line collaboration.

And just like the Yamanote collaboration too, looks like Korilakkuma got left out again :[

Specifically for this collaboration, Rilakkuma represents a Dr. Yellow Class 923, as designated on his shirt and by the blue stripe.

No time to rest for this release y’all – these items and more (such as keyrings, storage boxes, and pens) will be available July 19! There will also be a special commemorative bag, and if you make a purchase over 1,900円, a commemorative sticker, too!

As a future doctor hahaha, I’m actually super drawn to this design, so even though my wallet is already tired from July, I feel like I have to have a bear from this series! But with the three different Rilakkuma designs, I’m having a hard time deciding which to choose! What are your thoughts?

New! Tower Records x Rilakkuma Summer 2014!

Well, seeing as the Tower Records collaborations come out around the same time every year, I shouldn’t be surprised anymore but WOW check out the new Tower Records x Rilakkuma collaboration for summer 2014!

Tower Records x Rilakkuma 2014 - cover

Oooh it’s 70’s roller disco themed!

Tower Records x Rilakkuma 2014 - standard plushies

Check out their fabulous outfits!

Tower Records x Rilakkuma 2014 - playset and keychains

Just like last year, there’s a playset featuring all 3 performing together on a bear-shaped stage! Looks like Rilakkuma only has one wheel per skate though haha maybe that’s why he’s too tired to stand.

Tower Records x Rilakkuma 2014 - cafe

In commemoration of this collaboration, Tower Records Café will also be offering a super cute Rilakkuma menu, unique products from the Rilakkuma Factory series, and a song book!

Wow, what a glam theme! I love the bright colors and outfits – I think San-X has really been showing their creativity this year! Such an interesting design choice to put Kiiroitori on a skateboard instead hehehe

The playset looks really lovely, and I appreciate that they’re continuing the “bear band” theme from last year! I wonder what they’ll think of next!

This flashy set will be released on July 10… because there just weren’t enough July Rilakkuma releases for us to juggle, right? Hahaha

My family will be taking a trip to Charleston, SC over the next week – I’m trying to enjoy every last vacation moment I have with my family!

I’ll be back soon though, still have lots of incredible plushies to share with all of you! Hopefully I’ll be able to take some photos of Rilakkuma in Charleston, too :) Until then, take care, and let me know what you think about this new design!

Lawson Vegetable Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, and Kiiroitori Plushies! Cat Series LEAK + Space Rilakkuma Caravan news and more!

Have you been eating healthy lately? Well if you need a little health food inspiration, check out these Vegetable Rilakkuma plushies!

Lawson Vegetable Series - full

So cute in their own produce crates!! Dang, it’s good to see Korilakkuma in a pair of shorts – usually it’s Rilakkuma hahaha.

Lawson Vegetable Series - top view

Wheee look how adorable Rilakkuma’s little carrot shoes are!! :D

Lawson Vegetable Series - Kii detail

Along with holding the vegetable they’re dressed as, they are also accompanied by an additional veggie in the crate that’s another costume in the series: cabbage for Rilakkuma, tomato for Korilakkuma, and carrot for Kiiroitori!

Lawson Vegetable Series - tag art

Tag art that mimics produce price tags! Each tag has the portrait of the character, and the veggie! These tags are held by a standard plastic tag ring in the back corner of the crate.

I really love them! They’re so great in their little produce boxes, and they certainly make me hungry just looking at them mmmmm

This healthy set of bears is part of the Lawson x Rilakkuma Vegetable Series released March 2014 – the complete set includes another 3 plushies: Rilakkuma cabbage, Korilakkuma tomato, and Kiiroitori green pepper – yum!

Also exciting news rolling in about the next leaked series after the Space Series, it’s the Cat Series!

Cat Series - ad standard

Roar!! Rilakkuma looks a lot like the Year of the Tiger series from 2010! And Kiiroitori is a Calico cat – did you know all Calico cats are female?

Cat Series - ad special

And look at these alternative designs – bears as cats you can fit in the palm of your hand, and ones big enough to hug!

Cat Series - ad illustration

And of course, a beautiful illustration to go with the products! I love the little non-costumed kitty they’re with, too!

Cat Series - taiyaki ad

Yum!! Looks like Cat Rilakkuma loves taiyaki!

Meow what a cool concept! Looks like San-X is sticking to animal suits for their fall series as they’ve been doing for the past few years. No official dates yet, but I would estimate October based on the pattern of previous years? San-X usually gives us 3 months to recuperate after the yearly July wave haha. I’ll keep you updated when San-X starts to release official news updates!

Thanks so much to reader Jennifer for the tip!! I’m actually pretty severely allergic to cats, so it’s probably fitting that the main cat I’d be able to interact with in person is a Rilakkuma cat hahaha.

And since it looks like Cat Rilakkuma loves to eat taiyaki (鯛焼き), a Japanese sea bream-shaped pastry dessert with yummy filling, we’d probably make fast friends! From the looks of it, Rilakkuma likes the chocolate-filled ones, just like me hehehe. I’ll probably try to pick up at least one item from this series, and I’m hoping one of the caravan or store exclusive plushies features taiyaki!! :)

Well, the Rilakkuma rains don’t show signs of stopping haha, as even more waves of news follow the Space Rilakkuma announcement from last week! Check out the Space Rilakkuma Caravan design!

Space Rilakkuma Caravan - ad

Whoa, that lining is out of this world! ;)

How special! Rilakkuma’s pose reminds me a lot of the Skytree set from 2012! And super lovely touch that Rilakkuma is holding the same plush bear planet that the costume bearsuits in the caravan will be holding as well!

This cosmic caravan will be going from July 12 to August 31 in various locations all across Japan, and this caravan exclusive plushie will be 1,780円.

Out of the blue, San-X also announced a mobile site exclusive Happy Natural Time playset!

Happy Natural Time Mobile Site Exclusive Playset - ad

Wow, look at all the different pies!

Whaaaat – ! I totally would’ve gotten this set if it were released with the rest of the Happy Natural Time series last year! They do look so cute eating their pies haha.

The whole set is 6,800円 – dang, bad timing for me with all of the other releases going on now, but maybe I’ll try looking for it again when the July buzz dies down a little.

And finally, to come full circle with the food theme I began this post with, San-X also released more merchandise with the Purple Yam and Green Bean pattern!

Green Bean and Purple Yam Pattern - ad

Perfect colors for the summer!

Yum! Recall that the first iteration of this purple yam and green bean pattern was back in May, and featured fans and smartphone cleaners – glad to see they expanded it into pouches and kitchenware! A pretty fitting application for this pattern, I think!

Importantly, haha, it’s great to see that Rilakkuma eats a balanced diet with lots of vegatables! Who knew Rilakkuma could become my food inspiration hahaha

Children’s Day Rilakkuma Plushie! + Kobe Rilakkuma Store Exclusive News!

For this fine summer’s day, check out Children’s Day Rilakkuma!

Children's Day Rilakkuma - full

Happy belated Children’s Day!

Children's Day Rilakkuma - koinobori

A beautiful blue koinobori! Koinobori (鯉幟) are the carp wind socks symbolic of Children’s Day, and are flown because carps are spirited fish full of energy and power (like kids!) that by legend, will stream upstream to become dragons – how inspiring!

cday-3

Rilakkuma’s wearing a handsome Kabuto (兜), a traditional Japanese military helmet that symbolizes strength and health!

Children's Day Rilakkuma - tag art

Tag art of the Rilakkuma team all together!

Hooray! This happy Rilakkuma was released by Fansclub back in April 2005 – wow, that was when Rilakkuma was barely 2 years old! Very fitting in a way, as San-X celebrates one of its most successful “children” hehehe.

Children’s Day was back on May 5th (the fifth day of the fifth month), and it’s a Japanese national holiday meant to celebrate children! It used to be just for boys, but it’s since been expanded to include girls too (yay)!

Of course, since Children’s Day comes every year, this isn’t the only Children’s Day Rilakkuma (though it’s my first!) – just last year, Fansclub released another Children’s Day edition Rilakkuma plushie set – adorable!

What a beautiful Rilakkuma! Thank you Trinie for sharing this fabulous Rilakkuma with me, and for allowing me to share not only this plushie, but all of the history and tradition that come with him!

In other happy summer news, check out this new Kobe Rilakkuma Store exclusive plushie!

Kobe Rilakkuma - full

As an American, this color scheme and pattern seem very patriotic hahaha

Cute that they’re giving the new Kobe store their moment in the spotlight! As you may recall, the Kobe Rilakkuma Store officially opened back in April, so it’s great to see another follow-up plushie – a Rilakkuma and “Kobe Kobear” haha – that celebrates the port city history of Kobe!

I really love the sailor theme, and it’s great that they used a similar pattern as the old Marine Series from 2012! The Marine Series has a special place in my heart because not only was it the series that was out when I first started entering the Rilakkuma fray two summers ago, but it was also my brother’s first Rilakkuma set and our family’s first Kobear!

So I definitely appreciate this Rilakkuma stylistic throwback to 2012, when I first started collecting! Which was the first Rilakkuma series to catch your eye?

Marunouchi Rilakkuma Plushie!

It’s been just about a year since I first visited  Japan, and I miss seeing Rilakkuma at every corner!

To commemorate, take a look at this Marunouchi Rilakkuma!

Marunouchi Rilakkuma  - full

What a dapper bear!

Marunouchi Rilakkuma - camera detail

Equipped with a fancy camera, and ready to shoot!

Marunouchi Rilakkuma - shirt detail

Shirt design behind the camera – see the resemblance to the Marunouchi gate at Tokyo Station?

Marunouchi Rilakkuma - back detail

And a lovely shoutout to the Tokyo Station Rilakkuma Store at the back of the shirt!

Marunouchi Rilakkuma - tag art

Tag art with the same design as the t-shirt!

Marunouchi Rilakkuma - with Yamanote Fan

Rilakkuma camera fans! Featuring Yamanote Fan Rilakkuma :3

Picture perfect!

This Rilakkuma was released as a part of the Tokyo Station Rilakkuma Store’s 5th anniversary celebration this past February! Such an adorable nod to the local sights and history of Tokyo Station – and so perfect and meaningful for this Rilakkuma Store’s 5th anniversary!

This plushie has a beautiful depiction of the Marunouchi gate of Tokyo Station, just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Tokyo Station Rilakkuma Store! Ariel from Rilakkuma Desu has a great photo of her Marunouchi Rilakkuma in front of the gate – super cute, be sure to check it out!

Tokyo’s commercial and financial district, Marunouchi (丸の内) means “inside the circle”, which refers to its location inside the outer moat of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. A very logical name, I think.

In other news, I’m gonna start working on making a comprehensive collection page for the Rilakkuma plushies I’ve had the honor of featuring on this blog! I’m gonna spend some time really thinking about how I want to organize them all, but welcome to suggestions, too! I was thinking about ordering them by release date, but it’s still up in the air.

Also!

Happy father’s day to all the fathers out there! <3

My dad has been super supportive of my Rilakkuma collection, and I’m so thankful! I am super happy to know that he wears his Rilakkuma shorts with pride :D Collecting Rilakkuma is so fun with the support of your family!

Now that it’s summer break, I’m definitely enjoying spending more time with my family (and my Rilakkuma family)!

Fairy Korilakkuma Fansclub Plushie!

A quick break from studying to spotlight an amazing new addition to my collection: Fairy Korilakkuma!

Fairy Korilakkuma - full

Wow, my first Halloween themed plushie!

Fairy Korilakkuma - magic wand detail

Cute bear magic wand detail!

Fairy Korilakkuma - wing detail

Whoa, what iridescent wings!

Fairy Korilakkuma - tag art

Tag art! Looks like Korilakkuma decided to dress as a witch for the tag instead haha.

So pretty! This Korilakkuma is part of the Fansclub release for the 2008 Halloween season! This plushie is particularly special because this series was released so long ago that it hadn’t been listed on the Fansclub website – wow, what a great part of Rilakkuma history!

So I know Halloween is a long time from now, but this Fairy Korilakkuma reminded me a lot of the butterflies that are out right now, so I thought it’d still be appropriate to showcase her today!

A gigantic thank you goes out to Trinie for this beautiful Korilakkuma! I’m so honored for the opportunity to showcase such an important part of Rilakkuma history! THANK YOU!

In other news, a new Rilakkuma Store exclusive line has rolled out: Rilakkuma Textile!

Rilakkuma Textile - announcement

Oh, what a beautiful color scheme!

Rilakkuma Textile - plushies

Ponchos!

Such an interesting design choice – they look pretty bundled up for the summer time!

Similar to the Comics Series that was released around the same time last year, this is a Rilakkuma Store exclusive line based on a pattern that also features plushies!

It’s great to know that San-X is appears to be sticking to a schedule for their releases so us Rilakkuma fans can brace ourselves for what types of releases to expect throughout the year!

Out of pattern, however, is the size of the plushies – last year’s Comics Series had the standard collectible size (~22 cm) plushies, but it looks like this release features the mini-plushies (~14-15 cm) like the store anniversary plushies from the past year. Like the other mini-plushies, each one goes for 1,300 円, and will go on sale June 7.

What do you all think? I have a soft spot for the standard 22 cm sizes when it comes to Rilakkumas (and I especially loved the way the hoodies looked on the standard sized plushies last year), because I’m more used to those proportions, but hey – maybe I’m just stuck in my “old” ways hahaha.

One week left in school! :O I’ve been motivating myself (or distracting myself) with these cute new 7-11 CF’s featuring Rilakkuma! Oh and Taiwanese drama stars Lego Lee and Kirsten Jen, too haha. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8Hl9LxCBKw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqmLUY1HBzc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4FkAUT3CzQ

Aloha Rilakkuma Plushie – Rilakkuma Store Exclusive! + Simon wins the Mira Plush Art Contest!

Super exciting news!! Check out our cute new Rilakkuma Store Exclusive Aloha Rilakkuma plushie!

Aloha Rilakkuma Store Exclusive - full

Aloha, Rilakkuma!

Aloha Rilakkuma Store Exclusive - shade detail

I’d like a pair of shades like that!

Aloha Rilakkuma Store Exclusive - back detail

And his name is embroidered on the back of his shirt!

Aloha Rilakkuma Store Exclusive - tag art

Relaxed Rilakkuma on the tag art!

Aloha Rilakkuma Store Exclusive - family

The newest member of the Aloha Rilakkuma family relaxing in the sun with his pals!

I love how our Aloha Rilakkuma family has been expanding recently! This sunshine-ready bear is the Rilakkuma Store exclusive plushie from the Aloha Rilakkuma series, released in April 2013!

He is particularly special to us because Simon won him in the Spring 2014 Mira Plush Art Contest!

Simon, our resident Rilakkuma portrait artist, submitted the following piece, featuring the Rilakkuma Marine Series:

Simon Ho - Rilakkuma Crossing The Ocean

Rilakkuma Crossing The Ocean
Digital Painting
Rilakkuma Crossing The Ocean is inspired by Washington Crossing the Delaware, an 1851 oil-on-canvas painting by the German-American artist Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, painted to commemorate General George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River on the night of December 25–26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War. While Marine Rilakkuma is likely too lazy to be a general in the military like Washington, Rilakkuma Crossing The Ocean represents thoughtful reflection and serenity as Rilakkuma and pals drift across the ocean in their newspaper boat on a lazy afternoon.

Thanks so much for sponsoring this contest and so generously supporting the Rilakkuma art community, Mira Plush! Make sure you check out Mira Plush’s online Rilakkuma store – I’ve purchased from them before, and they’re very fast and reliable! Mira Plush also has a great new WordPress blog full of fun photos, so be sure to support them there, too!

It’s really so fun to share Rilakkuma art with the community! CONGRATULATIONS, Simon!

Mira Plush Drawing Contest - BD bear

Hey, even Rilakkuma likes to draw, too!

For Simon’s next work, he’s considering doing an interpretation on the new Rilakkuma in Space Series to be released in July. We’re constantly thinking of new Rilakkuma scenes and inspiration for Simon to draw – ideas are welcome!