Rilakkuma Casual Plush! + Rilakkuma Strawberry Party preview!

Channeling the trendy hipster aesthetic, here’s Casual Rilakkuma!

リラックマ - リラックマカジュアル - リラックマぬいぐるみ - Rilakkuma plush - Rilakkuma Casual plush - Rilakkuma Casual Series - Beanie Rilakkuma - Hoodie Rilakkuma - Tote bag Rilakkuma - cover

Casual cool, everyday Rilakkuma!

リラックマ - リラックマカジュアル - リラックマぬいぐるみ - Rilakkuma plush - Rilakkuma Casual plush - Rilakkuma Casual Series - Beanie Rilakkuma - Hoodie Rilakkuma - Tote bag Rilakkuma - beanie detail

Beautiful tomato red knit beanie with a fluffy pom pom on top and embroidered bear motif!

リラックマ - リラックマカジュアル - リラックマぬいぐるみ - Rilakkuma plush - Rilakkuma Casual plush - Rilakkuma Casual Series - Beanie Rilakkuma - Hoodie Rilakkuma - Tote bag Rilakkuma - front hoodie detail

Comfy, minimalist hoodie with a lovely front pocket that cannot ostensibly fit his paws.

リラックマ - リラックマカジュアル - リラックマぬいぐるみ - Rilakkuma plush - Rilakkuma Casual plush - Rilakkuma Casual Series - Beanie Rilakkuma - Hoodie Rilakkuma - Tote bag Rilakkuma - back hoodie detail

Back of the hoodie with the series design with Rilakkuma’s radio saying “Sorry, that’s it!” with Rilakkuma replying “…”. I… I’m not sure what this means, but I do love the mystery of it.

リラックマ - リラックマカジュアル - リラックマぬいぐるみ - Rilakkuma plush - Rilakkuma Casual plush - Rilakkuma Casual Series - Beanie Rilakkuma - Hoodie Rilakkuma - Tote bag Rilakkuma - tote bag motif detail

Lovely canvas tote bag on his right paw, simple black and white design with a bear motif. You can actually order a somewhat matching tote so you can match your Rilakkuma!

リラックマ - リラックマカジュアル - リラックマぬいぐるみ - Rilakkuma plush - Rilakkuma Casual plush - Rilakkuma Casual Series - Beanie Rilakkuma - Hoodie Rilakkuma - Tote bag Rilakkuma - tag art

Tag art with the illustration from the back of the hoodie, with the tag line “Rilakkuma feels happy and relaxed everyday.” Fabric tag with a simple blue outlined “R” for Rilakkuma.

I really love this design, enjoy this aesthetic, and I want a matching hoodie! He looks like he’s from Portland, OR hahahaha

A cool and hip plush to complete the Rilakkuma Casual Series, which was released in September 2017, which features several kitchen and lifestyle goods in addition to standard stationary designs.

You could totally find me wearing an outfit like this! Though I don’t look as effortless as Rilakkuma haha.

Thanks to my parents and my sister for picking up this casual kuma for me when they visited Japan!

In other news, are you excited for the Rilakkuma Strawberry Party campaign?

リラックマ - ストロベリーパーティー - Rilakkuma Strawberry Party Series - cover

Delicious! And you can even see a bear-bee dressed up as a strawberry, too!

リラックマ - ストロベリーパーティー - Rilakkuma Strawberry Party Series - recipe and play set plush

One of the products I’m looking forward to the most: a combo playset and recipe set so you can cook for a Rilakkuma strawberry party yourself!

リラックマ - ストロベリーパーティー - Rilakkuma Strawberry Party Series - standard plush

Standard plush, holding strawberries in anticipation for the strawberry party! Unique details include a metal strawberry charm on their ribbons, and patches with decorative powder blue, pink, and yellow strawberry pattern.

Nothing fancy or overstated, just a fluffy, airy, and cute campaign with Rilakkuma and friends living their strawberry dreams. Scheduled to debut in March 2018!

Looks like they took a lot of inspiration from the Sweet Happy Series from May 2014, and even more recently, the Korilakkuma Store Opening Series from August 2017!

I’d love to attend a strawberry party myself. Back when I lived in North Carolina, I used to go to pick-your-own strawberry and blueberry farms, and they were a blast!! Would highly recommend if you have a chance,

Which Rilakkuma series matches your aesthetic the best?

In addition to the Rilakkuma Casual series, I adore the Rilakkuma Factory color scheme! If there were a Rilakkuma wearing old hospital scrubs, that’d be me too haha.

Fansclub Strawberry Rilakkuma Plushies! + JAXA collab, Funny Parts Series, and more!

What better way to celebrate strawberry season than with these awesome Fansclub Strawberry Rilakkuma Plushies!

Fansclub Strawberry Series Part 2 - full

A handsome pair of strawbears

Fansclubs Strawberry Series Part 2 - strawberry crown

A beautiful crown of strawberries and strawberry blossoms for this Rilakkuma!

Fansclub Strawberry Series Part 2 - strawberry hood

And a snug strawberry hood for this bear!

Fansclub Strawberry Series Part 2 - tag art

Tag art featuring Korilakkuma picking up a huge heart-shaped strawberry!

Lovely! And what a dynamic duo! I like to think they became best friends over their mutual interest in strawberry headgear hehehe.

These blissful strawbears were released as part of the “Strawberry Series Part2” by Fansclub in March 2010.

Gigantic thank you to reader Trinie for this seasonally perfect pair of bears! What a splendid set, and they’re joining a strong and diverse community of strawberry bears!

Lots of cool Rilakkuma things to look forward to: check out the JAXA Rilakkuma plushie!

JAXA Rilakkuma - ad

Great jumpsuit!

I missed posting about this guy because I got swept up in the Dr. Yellow line, wow, isn’t he fly? Like the Dr. Yellow series, this cute JAXA worker comes out on July 19, and costs 2,484円.

As Ariel mentioned in her post, JAXA stands for “Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency” and they’re responsible for satellite launches, asteroid exploration and much more! With the Space Series coming out this month, this collaboration fits perfectly!

I actually live really close to the Kennedy Space Center – maybe I need to take my astronaut Rilakkumas for a visit hehehe.

In case you’re still craving more Rilakkuma news, San-X will also be releasing a new line of Rilakkuma merchandise for the Rilakkuma Funny Parts Series!

Funny Parts Series - 1

Wahaha I really like these phone cases, might be something I’d like to invest in (1,200円)

Funny Parts Series - 2

Now you can pretend to be Rilakkuma with the excuse that it’s just a pouch or a towel hahaha

Great concept!

Looks like this theme features our favorite parts from our favorite bears – look forward to this release in August 2014!

I think the Rilakkuma mug is really clever, though I guess you have to hold the mug up to your nose for it to really look like you have a Rilakkuma snout haha.

And for those interested, I’ve finished the first part of my collection page!

Bear Nation - June 2014

Always growing!

Just the San-X and Lawson ones are done right now, but I hope to finish the rest of the plushies over the next week or so.

One my webpage, my running collection will be recorded on the top menu bar (“Collection”), and provides information about series and release date, as well as their original posts on my blog and San-X page. Hope y’all enjoy it!

Strawberry Bag Rilakkuma Plushie!

Summer means strawberries, so say hello to our new Strawberry Bag Rilakkuma!

Stawberry Bag Rilakkuma - full

Sleepy Rilakkuma in the summer sun!

Strawberry Bag Rilakkuma - flower detail

A beautiful strawberry blossom on his ear!

Strawberry Bag Rilakkuma - tag art

Rilakkuma and pals enjoying some delicious (and gigantic) strawberries on the tag!

Rilakkuma Lifestyle - Strawberry Festival

Strawberry Bag Rilakkuma joins a long tradition of strawberry-themed bears in the collection!

Wow, super cute! He looks super snug in his strawberry sleeping bag – pretty perfect theme for a summer nap! This sleepyhead is part of the Fansclub’s Strawberry Bag Series, released in January 2014.

This super adorable strawbear bag was a prize from Mira Plush’s I Love Rilakkuma contest! For this contest, participants held up a sign that said “I love Rilakkuma” to be entered in a drawing – awesome idea! Check out the video of all the submissions here (Simon and I are around 0:43)!

Mira Plush "I Love Rilakkuma" Contest - submission

We do love Rilakkuma! (Simon loves Rilakkuma so much, he’s smiling as hard as he can!)

Follow Mira Plush’s WordPress blog and Facebook page to learn more about their future contests! And of course, be sure to browse through Mira Plush’s online store to get this bear and many more (on sale since it’s Mira Plush’s anniversary!). Thanks so much for your continued involvement with the Rilakkuma community and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Mira Plush!

In other news, not much happening on the Rilakkuma news front as we await the Space Rilakkuma series, though the San-X Net Shop posted these really cute photos of Rilakkuma golf ball holders as inspiration for Father’s Day (June 15):

Rilakkuma Golf Ball Holders - front

Uncovered golf ball says, “Where did the others go?”

Rilakkuma Golf Ball Holders - bottom

“We’re hiding in here!”

Teehee, they’re so cute and round! If I played golf, I’d totally invest in these! They feature standard (naked) Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma, as well as Bee Rilakkuma and Bunny Suit Korilakkuma!

I’m so happy to be done with school for the summer! Hopefully, this means more time for Rilakkuma things while I have the free time. Finally being able to relax like Rilakkuma is an incredible feeling!

Tokyo Station Rilakkuma Store Opening Plushie!

Since things are kind of quiet on the Rilakkuma plushie front recently (well, except for the Yamanote release), I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at the older series on the Japanese auctions!

After compiling my Rilakkuma Reference Sheet, I was so excited to see and recognize so many of the plushies up for bid! It’s so exhilarating to recognize really old series and rare finds!

So check out my newest addition: the Rilakkuma Strawberry Car!

Tokyo Station Opening - full

The cars are all separate plushies, and can be connected into one big car by little snaps!

Tokyo Station 1st Anniversary - Kiiroitori

Kiiroitori leads the way with a Rilakkuma steering wheel!

Tokyo Station Opening - Korilakkuma

Kiiroitori and Korilakkuma’s seats are lined with pink satin.

Tokyo Station Opening - full

Rilakkuma doesn’t sit in a seat, but just kinda lays on top of the caboose.

Tokyo Station Opening - box

They also came in this wacky but somewhat appropriate Kumamon box that shows different faces of Kumamon (mascot of the Kumamoto prefecture, not the Digimon) depending on which flap is showing.

This plushie came out in February 20, 2009 – at the opening of the 2nd ever Rilakkuma Store at Tokyo Station, which also happens to be the first Rilakkuma Store I’ve ever been to :D

This release coincided with the Rilakkuma theme at the time, the Strawberry Series.

I find this set so interesting since this was one of the earliest Rilakkuma Store-specific plushies! It’s so wild that there have been six new Rilakkuma Stores that have appeared since this plushie came out. As of right now, this is my oldest plushie!!

Also, since my entire family was together the other week, we snapped a Rilakkuma family reunion photo:

Rilakkuma Family Reunion

It seems like there are so many when they’re pulled out of their boxes!

Though I JUST got another shipment sooo… haha this isn’t even the most updated family portrait, but it’s as good as it’ll get!

Wow, I can’t believe it hasn’t even been a year since I started collecting!