Twentythree

One of Sanrio’s top dogs is headed to McDonald’s Japan with some very cute stuff.

The recently concluded Sanrio Character Ranking election was another strong showing for Cinnamoroll, who received more votes than all but one other character. So with such a large fanbase, while McDonald’s Japan sometimes invites the Sanrio family to come play as a group, the fast food chain’s latest Happy Meals are a Cinnamoroll solo project.

ハッピーセット®︎からご報告！
7/10(金)にシナモロールがやってくるーーー！ pic.twitter.com/a660oz07ys

— マクドナルド (@McDonaldsJapan) July 3, 2026

The Cinnamoroll Happy Meals, or “Happy Sets” as they’re called in Japanese, will first start showing up on July 10, but as is often the case, McDonald’s Japan has a multi-stage rollout planned. From July 10 to 16, Happy Meals will come with one of three possible Cinnamoroll toys, a plushie strap, a “shopkeeper box,” or a “magical oven.”

The strap is pretty self-explanatory, being a cute little accessory sized for attaching to the strap of your bag.

The shopkeeper box is a little restaurant storefront facade that swings open to reveal an interior illustration…

…and the magical oven is a play piece that can display different things being cooked inside when you open the oven door.

On July 17, round two kicks off, with three new Cinnamoroll Happy Meal toys, a kitchen car storage box…

…sticker-dispensing “drink machine”…

…and a receipt-dispensing cash register, which looks like it could also work as a mini memo pad.

Round 2 is slated for July 17 to 23, but even if you can’t make it to a McDonald’s Japan branch by then, you’ve still got a shot at some Cinnamoroll swag, since from July 24 the Sanrio Happy Meals could contain any of the above items, while supplies last. And if you’re looking for some cute toys with your chow but craving Japanese food instead of burgers, Yoshinoya and Dragon Quest have something you might be interested in.

Source: McDonald’s Japan, Twitter/@McDonaldsJapan
Top image: Twitter/@McDonaldsJapan
Insert images: McDonald’s Japan, YouTube/マクドナルド公式（McDonald’s）
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Stay cool with penguins and drift ice, complete with popping candy crystals.  

Krispy Kreme has been upping its doughnut game in Japan recently, releasing cute regional-exclusive doughnuts at select locations around the country. Now, the chain is rolling out two new doughnuts that will be available nationwide, and they’re some of the cutest Krispy Kreme has ever produced.

Based around the theme of “Cool Summer Lovin’”, this doughnut duo is inspired by penguins and drift ice, and is designed to keep us cool during the hottest months of the year.

▼ First up, we have the Penguin Custard (378 yen [US$2.40] takeout; 385 yen eat-in)

This is the first penguin doughnut that Krispy Kreme has ever produced, and it’s wrapped in a vanilla-flavoured blue icing and milky white chocolate, with bitter chocolate used for the eyes and custard-flavoured icing for the beak. Inside, the fluffy doughnut is filled with rich custard cream made using Hokkaido milk.

▼ Drift Ice White Chocolate Ring (291 yen takeout; 297 yen eat-in)

Inspired by drift ice sparkling in the sunlight, this sweet treat builds upon Krispy Kreme’s best-selling Original Glazed doughnut, coating it in milky white chocolate and topping it with clear-coloured sugar crystals for crunch. Interspersed between the sugar crystals are blue candy chocolate pieces that pop in the mouth, giving you the sensation of crunching through ice.

Both doughnuts deliver good looks and taste in equal measure, giving us some much-needed respite from the heat with their cool hues and icy connotations. On the menu while stocks last from 15 July until mid-August, they can be enjoyed as is or popped into the fridge for an extra hit of coolness, as recommended for Krispy Kreme’s other summer doughnut collection.

Source, images: Press release
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Beloved movie moment, brought to life in a beautifully crafted musical diorama.

Throughout its four-decades-long history of making animated movies, Studio Ghibli has created some incredibly magical and touching moments that stay with us long after watching the film. One of those moments is the first meeting between young character Mei and giant forest dweller Totoro in the 1988 film My Neighbour Totroro, where Mei tumbles from an opening in a tree trunk and discovers the sleeping creature.

After climbing onto the character’s rotund belly and giving him a few snout rubs, Mei learns that the grey-and-white giant is called Totoro, and the two then proceed to fall asleep together, creating a cosy, heartwarming scene.

▼ That scene is one you can now take home with you, thanks to the Totoro and Mei Music Box.

Recently restocked by Ghibli specialty retailer Donguri Kyowakoku, this music box acts like a musical diorama, drawing us into the scene with the two characters.

▼ Just looking at their peaceful expressions is enough to make anyone feel a sense of calmness.

The only thing that could make this scene more magical is a gentle melody, and the diorama provides just that, with a built-in mechanism that plays “Kaze no Torimichi” (“The Path of the Wind”). This soothing instrumental piece by Joe Hisaishi, the lauded composer who’s been working with Studio Ghibli for decades, enhances the beauty of the diorama, adding to all the special details.

Other sweet details include an appearance by a few Soot Sprites, and the smaller Totoros, who join the scene as they do in the film.

▼ The diorama has been carefully designed so it can be enjoyed from all angles.

Whether it’s playing a gentle melody or quietly sitting on your desk in quiet repose, this diorama is a beautiful piece that will add a sense of calm to your decor. Priced at 14,300 yen (US$87.91), the music box can be purchased at Donguri Kyowakoku stores nationwide and at the official online store, where you’ll also find a newly released Totoro music box, designed especially for summer days.

Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku
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Butler Association Japan wants to provide training in legitimate maid skills, but says they can be applied to other professional fields as well.

“Maid School Japan” sounds like a pre-formed multimedia franchise. It’s extremely easy to imagine the trajectory of a 13-episode anime series about earnest newly enrolled students studying to become the best maids in Japan, followed by the gag manga spinoff, mobile game with plentiful alternate costume gacha-style purchases, collaboration cafe, and subsequent anime movie or second season, provided the merch sells well enough.

However, Maid School Japan is, in fact, not the latest ploy to pull otaku’s money from their wallets, and is instead an actual new educational institution that’s currently accepting applicants for its upcoming first term.

Created under the supervision of the Butler Association Japan, Maid School Japan’s goal isn’t to prepare its students to work in maid cafes. Instead, it seeks to provide training in legitimate household services to be provided to a wealthy clientele. The curriculum will cover 12 topics.

1. The foundational character and professional mindset of a maid
2. Manners, demeanor, and grooming
3. Communication techniques and mindful choices of words
4. Fundamentals and applied techniques of luxury home cleaning
5. Practical applications of table settings and meal service
6. Confidentiality obligations and handling of personal information
7. Understanding the way of life and needs of wealthy society
8. Fundamentals of household management
9. Care and management of clothing and valuables
10. Practical guest relations and VIP hospitality
11. International etiquette and global service
12. Comprehensive exercises and concluding examination

In addition to those hoping to become maids, the Japan Maid School says that its curriculum can be of use to a wide variety of professional fields, from those working in travel or general hospitality positions to salespeople, consultants, executive assistants, and other jobs where attentiveness, polished communication, and sophisticated support are helpful. Of course, a salesperson might not really have much need to learn about, say, how to clean and store expensive articles of clothing, but Maid School Japan students can elect to attend only the classes that are of interest to them, though completing all 12 units is presumably a requirement to obtain a certificate of completion from the school. All classes will be conducted online through Zoom and taught by currently working maids or butlers.

Applicants must be at least 20 years old, but no prior experience working as a maid or within the hospitality field is required, and both female and male applicants are accepted. Classes will be held from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the first term taking place from July 28 to September 3. The complete course has a tuition fee of 290,000 yen (US$1,815), while individual lessons are priced at 29,000. Attendance is capped at 20 students, and applications can be submitted online through the Butler Association Japan’s website.

Related: Butler Association Japan
Source: Butler Association Japan (1, 2) via Otakuma Keizai Shimbun via Hachima Kiko
Images: Butler Association Japan
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Forget sweet sandos, 7-Eleven wants us to explore the world of sweet burgers.

7-Eleven Japan is famous for its sweet sandwiches, commonly filled with fruit and cream, but now the chain is shaking up the convenience store scene by bringing out a new sweet burger. Called “Rare Cheese & Almond with Orange Peel Sweets Burger”, or “Brioche with Cheese Cream, Almond & Orange Peel” in English, this new treat was released on 23 June and is already creating a buzz online, so we picked one up at our nearest branch to see if it was worth the hype.

The burger looked even sweeter in person, and kind of reminiscent of a maritozzo, a sweet brioche-style Italian bun filled with a generous amount of whipped cream that previously took Japan by storm.

▼ 7-Eleven even tried to bring the craze back by releasing a maritozzo in January this year.

Sadly, the passion for maritozzo failed to reignite, and less than six months later, the “Sweets Burger” appeared. Whether by design or coincidence, this new creation does seem to hold its own place in the convenience store world, being distinct from a maritozzo and unlike any other treat we’ve seen at 7-Eleven before.

After taking it out of its packaging, we marvelled at the pink hue of the buns, which were reminiscent of the chain’s recently released fruit sando and chocolate chip sandwiches, which feature pink-coloured bread.

▼ 7-Eleven seems to have developed a fondness for pink bread this year.

Measuring around 7 centimetres (2.8 inches) in diameter and 6 centimetres in height, it’s on the small side for a sweet bun, especially given the 313 yen (US$2.15) price point, but the tiny size only adds to its cuteness.

Slicing it in half for a closer inspection of the cross section, we were impressed to see that the almond and orange peel pieces extended all the way through the cream, promising to deliver a satisfying eating experience from start to finish.

It also became clear that this was definitely different to a maritozzo – instead of containing whipped cream, this brioche had a firm, Australia-sourced cream cheese centre. It was the most unusual “patty” we’d ever seen, and biting into it , it was one of the tastiest too, with the almonds and candied orange peel adding extra depth to the rich, creamy flavour while providing a light finish on the tongue.

The smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture of the cream cheese patty was made even more satisfying with the chewy contrast of the brioche buns.

The only problem was, the burger was so delicious we couldn’t get enough of it, and after finishing one we had to resist the urge to race out and buy more of them.

This is definitely one of the most unusual finds you’ll come across in a Japanese convenience store right now, but stocks are limited and likely to sell out so be sure to get in quick to try it while you can. And while you’re there, don’t forget to wash it all down with another viral find, the super creamy iced latte.

Images©SoraNews24
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Beautiful soft cloth versions of iconic Ghibli scenes warm the heart and inspire the spirit.

Though they’ve come around to the idea of using more digital effects in some of their recent productions, Studio Ghibli is still strongly associated with producing animation via classical techniques. But while it would be cool to own a strip of film from one of Ghibli’s anime movies, such a collectible wouldn’t be a very practical item, nor would it be the kind of thing you’d feel secure carrying around with while out and about in your daily life.

However, if you’d like a nod to Ghibli’s cinematic legacy that’s cool to look at and useful to have on you, specialty shop Donguri Kyowakoku has a line of very cool “film mini towels.”

▼ Don’t try bending an actual Ghibli film strip like this!

Each towel features an iconic piece of character artwork from one of Ghibli’s masterpieces, but rendered in soft, moisture-absorbent fabric, and with patterns along two edges simulating film perforations.

The towels also feature iconic lines of dialogue from their respective anime, but with a bit of a twist. Each line is written in English, and some of the renderings might differ slightly from those used in official English-language overseas releases of the films.

▼ Laputa/Castle in the Sky’s spell of destruction has been romanized several different ways over the years, but Donguri Kyowakoku’s towel goes with “Balus!”

▼ Porco’s English is a little shaky here, but just because a pig’s got to fly doesn’t mean he’s got to use proper grammar.

The complete line consists of eight designs, one each for My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Laputa, Porco Rosso, Whisper of the Heart, and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Unfortunately, the Howl’s design is currently sold out, but the remaining seven are all available, and with four of them (Princess Mononoke, Porco Rosso, Kiki’s, and Laputa) having only recently been restocked, hopefully it won’t be too long until Howl is back in the fold too.

Despite the “mini towel” name, each towel is 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) square, making them a handy size as a hand towel or handkerchief, the latter of which is something very nice to have in your bag during Japan’s hot and humid summer. They’re all priced at 880 yen and can be ordered through the Donguri Kyowakoku online shop here.

Source: Donguri Kyowakoku
Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku
Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2)
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Two star brands join forces to celebrate the Japanese festival of star-crossed lovers.

Stars have a special significance in Japan at the start of summer, as the Tanabata Festival is celebrated on 7 July. This annual festival marks the mythical reunion of celestial lovers Orihime (represented by the real star Vega) and Hikoboshi (represented by real star Altair), who were separated and forced to reside on opposite sides of the Milky Way by Orihime’s father, the King of Heaven, as punishment for neglecting their duties. According to the myth, the two lovers are now permitted to meet only on the seventh night of the seventh month of every year.

This celestial love story been passed down through the generations in Japan, permeating the public consciousness and sprinkling it with a touch of mystery and romance at this time of year. It’s also a prime opportunity for a certain star-associated coffeehouse chain to do something special for customers, and this year Starbucks is doing just that with a new limited-edition collection at its Reserve Roastery Tokyo branch, which is known for its star logo.

▼ Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo

Image©SoraNews24

Like the meeting of star-crossed lovers at the centre of the Tanabata festival, the Reserve Roastery will be joining forces with another starry brand, Converse Tokyo, to produce the special collection in honour of Tanabata. Converse Tokyo is a Japanese lifestyle brand created by Converse Japan to produce clothing, accessories and lifestyle products that feature the brand’s iconic star motif in cool and contemporary ways.

Based around the concept of “Go Out with Iced Coffee”, the range covers 10 items with the theme of heading out into the city or nature with an iced coffee in hand. With cool hues, metallic textures and designs inspired by Tanabata and the streets around the Meguro River, where the Roastery is located, the collection aims to add a stylish, starry flair to summer outings.

▼ The first item in the lineup is the Converse Tokyo Stainless Steel City Bottle (532 millilitres [18 ounces]), which is priced at 6,000 yen (US$37).

Made for enjoying iced coffee on the go, this large-capacity bottle features a wide opening for easy cleaning and a street-inspired graphic based on the area around the Meguro River.

▼ Next up is the Converse Tokyo Mesh Pocket Black Nylon Backpack (22,000 yen).

This stylish backpack features a front mesh pocket with a tag showcasing the same artwork as the bottle, and a roomy design that makes it ideally suited for a range of outings, from casual city walks to outdoor events.

▼ Converse Tokyo 2-Way Shopping Tote Bag (15,500 yen)

This tote comes in a choice of two colourways – Silver and Beige (above), which pairs a latte-inspired brown lining with a metallic exterior, and Navy (below), which combines a blue-grey lining with a more subdued exterior.

With a star motif on the front and an embossed Starbucks Reserve logo on the back, the bags can be carried by hand or worn over the shoulder using the included strap.

▼ Converse Tokyo Twill Navy Cap (8,500 yen)

This cap will complete your summer look while also providing you with protection from the sun’s scorching rays. The star on the front represents the Starbucks Reserve brand, while the star on the side is the logo for Converse Tokyo.

▼ Converse Tokyo Packable Black Safari Hat (8,500 yen)

Designed for both everyday outings and outdoor adventures, this hat can be folded down to a compact size and it comes with a chin strap that can be converted into a shoulder strap for easy carrying.

Rounding out the collection are a couple of hand towels, in blue or navy (3,000 yen), both of which are tagged with the same artwork as the stainless steel bottle…

 …and the Converse Tokyo Star Pouch, in silver or navy (8,500 yen each), which is handy for holding small items like earphones and can be attached to a bag using the included carabiner.

With so many different products to choose from, this range is a great choice for fans looking for a unique Tokyo souvenir or a gift for someone special. Everything in the collection has been beautifully designed, reflecting the quality and attention to detail of the two brands behind it, and it will be available from 3 July at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo and the official Starbucks online store, while stocks last.

Store information
Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo / スターバックス リザーブ ロースタリー東京
Address: Tokyo-to, Meguro-ku, Aobadai 2-19-23
東京都目黒区青葉台2丁目19-23
Open 7 a.m.-11 p.m.
Website

Source, images: Press release unless otherwise stated
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