If Sunkus’ Red-Oni-Pants-Lookin’ Bread and Pom Pom Purin’s Purin Purin! Butt Cakes are any indication, 2016 is shaping up to be a great year for baked goods. 

On 19 January, Circle K Sunkus convenience stores began selling Red-Oni-Pants-Lookin’ Bread which is a danish-like chocolate-and-banana flavored pastry made in the image of an oni’s pants. Oni are mythical horned creatures that are often translated to “demon” or “devil,” but should probably be called “ogres” in English, because…come on. Look at it. That’s an ogre if I ever saw one.

https://twitter.com/circleksunkus/status/689681288307998720

While ogre pants may seem like an odd choice for a baked treat, the reason is a certain Japanese holiday known as Setsubun. Held on 3 February, this special day involves different customs depending on the region, but many involve throwing beans at oni that are either entirely imaginary or someone dressed up.

It’s an act which symbolizes the purification of people’s homes by expelling negative energy (represented by the oni) and welcoming in fortune (hopefully represented by fabulous cash and prizes).

Seeing as these are holiday pants, they’ll only be available from Circle K Sunkus stores nationwide until 3 February for 128 yen (US$1.10) each. While that’s not too long, fear not. There’s much more in the works around Japan.

On 11 March, Sanrio Puroland will be holding a special Mofu Mofu Street event based on one of the kawaii manufacturer’s main characters Pom Pom Purin, a kind of dog-creme-caramel hybrid. Here he is getting ready for the opening Mofu Mofu Street.

The event will feature decorations, exhibits, merchandise and food designed after Pom Pom Purin in honor of his 20th birthday. The most eye-catching of these food items has got to be the Purin Purin! Butt Cakes.

These pastries depicting Pom Pom’s puckered sphincter are surprisingly strawberry flavored and sold for 600 yen ($5.14) each. For those unfamiliar with Pom Pom Purin, letting the sun shine where the sun doesn’t shine is something of a trademark move of his. Partly due to his portly pudding-like proportions and stubby tail, and partly because animal butts have been quite popular in Japan in recent years.

▼ Here is Pom Pom’s Twitter wallpaper

We may recommend going for the Butt Cakes after ordering the chocolate-and-banana flavored Pop-rin Corn or the creme-caramel flavored Cream Purin Shake with chocolate cream. Eating it before may lead to some unfortunate mental imagery.

So it does indeed look as if this will be a fantastic year for baked goods and even if nothing else of note gets released, we’ll at least have these two sweet pieces of ass.

Source: Circle K Sunkus via Netlab, Puroland via Netlab (Japanese)
Top Images: Circle K Sunkus (PDF), Puroland 
Inset Images: Twitter/@purin_sanrio, Puroland,  Circle K Sunkus (PDF)
Video: Youtube/cyokalikai , YouTube/purolandJP