Beloved shimaenaga “snow fairies” bring the kawaii to Krispy Kreme, but you’ll only find them at four stores in all of Japan.

People around Japan take delight in the blossoming of the sakura cherry blossoms, but the appearance of the spring blooms are perhaps nowhere more welcome than in the country’s coldest regions, like Hokkaido, where people can finally look forward to warmer days after months of snow.

That’s a big reason why people in Hokkaido are being treated to one of the rarest sakura treats in the country —  the Milky Shimaenega.

Shimaenega is a bird native to Hokkaido, often referred to as Japan’s cutest bird due to its fluffy, mochi-ball like appearance. This long-tailed tit differs to tits on the mainland with a whiter face that blends in with the snowy landscapes it’s often pictured in, leading them to be known as “snow fairies“.

This native bird is a source of pride and affection for Hokkaido locals, and after Krispy Kreme chose to feature it in a matcha doughnut last January, it became so popular that it’s now back for a second outing, this time being featured in a sakura setting.

This year, the shimaenega sits cosily inside a doughnut with white chocolate icing and pink chocolate shavings resembling fallen sakura petals on a bed of snow. The bird itself is a chocolate creation containing milk cream from Hokkaido, Japan’s premier dairy-producing region, with wings made from adzuki red bean paste and a beak and eyes made with bitter chocolate.

While doughnuts these cute would become sell-out hits anywhere, they’re only limited for sale at the following four branches in Hokkaido: Sitatte Sapporo, Chitose Outlet Mall Rera, Sapporo Le Trois, and Sapporo Pole Town.

Priced at 367 yen (US$2.49) for takeout or 374 yen for eat-in, the adorable doughnuts will be available from 1 February until late May, but only in limited numbers, so sales are likely to cease before the official end-date.

We’re green with envy that we won’t be seeing the shimaenaga here on the mainland, but given that Hokkaido is the last place in the country to enjoy hanami cherry blossom-viewing season in Japan, they deserve to have sweet cherry blossom doughnuts!

Source, images: PR Times 
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