Starbucks’ Been There has never been here in Japan…until now!

It’s kind of surprising that even though it’s been around for years in other parts of the world, Starbucks has yet to bring its Been There drinkware line to Japan. This is a country that absolutely loves both the coffeehouse chain’s beverages and localized collector knickknacks, so what’s the holdu-

Oh, wait, they’re here.

As of October 13, the line has finally arrived in Japan, with the simultaneous release of no less than 20 different designs, each one filled with playfully stylish nods to the regional culture and attractions of a different part of Japan. Naturally, one of those parts is Tokyo, whose mug is decked out with illustrations of the Kaminarimon gate of Asakusa, the cherry blossoms of Ueno Park, the crepes and frilly dresses of Harajuku, and loyal dog/Shibuya meeting spot Hachiko.

Both entire prefectures and individual cities are represented, stretching from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south.

▼ Speaking of Hokkaido, you’ll find snowy scenery and wildlife such as a deer and bear on its mug.

In addition to mugs, certain locations also get stainless steel drink bottles. Let’s start with a cross-country tour of the mugs, though, where in addition to Tokyo and Hokkaido, we’re making the following stops to see sights including:

▼ Kyoto (temple pagodas and maiko/geisha in training)

▼ Osaka (takoyaki octopus dumplings and the Ebisu Bridge of the Dotonbori entertainment district)

▼ Nara (the free-roaming deer of Nara Park)

▼ Hiroshima (beautiful red maple leaves and the Shimanami Kaido island-hopping bicycle route)

▼ Yokohama (the Minato Mirai harbor district skyline and a plate of shumai dumplings from Chinatown)

▼ Oita (hot springs)

▼ Kanazawa (Kenrokuen Garden)

▼ Nagano (world-class skiing and a starry night sky free of the light pollution of big cities)

▼ Gifu (cormorant fishing and the preserved thatch-roof farmhouses of Shirakawa-go)

▼ Fukuoka (tonkotsu ramen food carts and mentaiko spicy cod roe)

▼ Kumamoto (Kumamoto Castle)

▼ Sendai (one of the tree-lined streets the city is famous for, plus a view of the nearby islands of Matsushima)

▼ Tochigi (mountain scenery and the hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil, see-no-evil monkeys of Nikko)

▼ Nagoya (the mythical Kinshachi creatures from the roof of Nagoya Castle and a car, likely from the nearby Toyota factory)

▼ Kobe (the city’s harbor and preserved Meiji-period western architecture)

▼ Nagasaki (a dragon dance in Chinatown)

▼ And last, Okinawa (a sandy beach and some shisa guardian lions)

In alphabetical order, that’s Fukuoka, Gifu, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Kanazawa, Kobe, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nagoya, Nara, Oita, Okinawa, Osaka, Sendai, Tochigi, Tokyo, and Yokohama. If you’re having trouble playing favorites, though, there’s also an all-purpose “Japan” design with Mt Fuji, cherry blossoms, and susuki.

All 20 designs are available as mugs, and seven (Fukuoka, Hokkaido, Kyoto, Okinawa, Osaka, Tokyo and Japan) also come in bottle form.

The mugs are priced at 1,980 yen (US$18.15) and the 473-milliliter (16-ounce) bottles at 4,840 yen. The specific-place Been There designs do indeed require you to have been there, as they’re only sold at Starbucks branches in those locations, but the Japan design is available through Starbucks Japan’s online store here.

Source: Starbucks Japan
Top image: Starbucks Japan
Insert images: Starbucks Japan (1, 2, 3)
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