Lawson convenience store shelves are about to get an extra dose of laid-back cuteness.
When we hear about a new confectionary or dessert coming out, we usually find ourselves counting the days until we can get our hands on it. And when said dessert is shaped like Rilakkuma, one of Japan’s most adorable illustrated characters, our anticipation only gets more intense.
So when convenience store chain Lawson asked if we wanted a sneak preview of its new two-pack of Rilakkuma-themed sweets prior to its official release, we jumped at the chance.
Believe it or not, there’s a limit to even our appetites, so we didn’t scoop up as many containers as we could in both arms and run back to our lair with them. Instead, we showed admirable restraint by taking just one pack, but even then, there was so much cuteness on display that it almost brought a tear to our eye.
We resisted the urge to cry, though, because we didn’t want our tears to sully our snacks’ taste with extra saltiness. These treats are made from nerikiri, a type of traditional Japanese confection composed of mochi, sugar, and sweet bean paste.
Because they’re so heart-meltingly cute, Lawson wisely elected to make Rilakkuma and his pal Korilakkuma bite-sized, so that you can eat them without having to see the after-effects of biting into their faithfully recreated heads.
Still, as journalists it’s our job to bring you the gory details, so we also photographed the cross sections of the Rilakkuma piece, filled with purin/custard pudding-flavored bean paste…
…and the milk-flavored Korilakkuma one.
While those might seem like odd flavor choices for the classically Japanese nerikiri, purin is widely known to be one of Rilakkuma’s favorite foods, and creamy milk is an appropriate choice for the pure-white Korilakkuma. And more importantly, they both taste so good that once Lawson’s Rilakkuma sweets go on sale April 26 for 389 yen (US$3.60), we’ll be picking up a few more packs to enjoy the experience all over again.
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