Moyoco Anno 2019 Calendar

1 / 24 / 19

This is my first year purchasing a calendar by manga artist Moyoco Anno (Sakuran, Sugar Sugar Rune), so I couldn’t miss the opportunity to share! I don’t know how long Moyoco Anno has been selling limited run calendars in Japan, but I’ve been pining for one for a couple of years.

For 2019, I decided to get the wall-mounted calendar design featuring characters in kimono, which was 3,500 yen (approximately $35) with free shipping within Japan and limited to only 1000 units. At the time of this post, there are still some available, but keep in mind that you’ll need a forwarding service if you don’t live in Japan.

The calendar is a traditional style where you rip the pages off every month instead of flipping it, which is a bit daunting, so all the more reason to take a few pictures beforehand!

Cardcaptor Sakura Flower Garden Cafe (+ Giveaway!)

7 / 1 / 18

The new Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card anime means there’s a ton of new Cardcaptor Sakura events and merchandise, and I’m all for it! Currently there’s a Sakura and Tomoyo Flower Garden Cafe being held at Sweets Paradise locations throughout Japan through the end of July. Cardcaptor Sakura art is always gorgeous, but the flower garden and sweets theme makes this collaboration extra adorable!

Japan Envy: Animal Crossing Ichiban Kuji (+ How to Buy!)

2 / 16 / 183 / 6 / 18

The Animal Crossing Ichiban Kuji is coming out in Japan on March 17th, and the prizes are drop-dead adorable! It’s a great excuse to bring back my Japan Envy series! Let’s take a closer look at the prizes you can win, and at the end I’ll share ways for you to purchase these awesome items for yourself!

Japan Envy: Sake Kit Kats

2 / 2 / 16

As regular readers of Chic Pixel are well aware, I am a huge fan of Japanese Kit Kats. Well, Nestlé Japan has just announced that the latest in exclusive Japanese Kit Kat flavors is none other than nihonshuu, or the classic Japanese alcohol sake! According to Rocket News 24, these special Kit Kats contain “sake powder which has been kneaded into the white chocolate-encased wafers, giving the chocolates all the flavour and aroma of a top-quality rice wine, while providing a light and refreshing aftertaste.” Fancy!

The sake Kit Kats will come packaged in two versions, the three stick pack at the top of the post, and this nine stick pack featuring an actual sake bottle design! I really like the contrast of the pink package with the blue bottle, and the added cherry blossom flourish definitely screams Japan.

I’ve tasted my fair share of Japanese Kit Kats, and in my noble pursuit to try them all, I think I’ll have to add sake Kit Kats to my list. Luckily Jlist is currently taking preorders for the nine stick pack for only $9, so now’s your chance to grab some too! Maybe I’ll add some red sweet potato Kit Kats and wasabi Kit Kats to my order while I’m at it…

Note: Jlist is a Chic Pixel affiliate. Thanks for your support!

Japan Envy: Nerdy Christmas Cakes

12 / 12 / 15

Christmas is just around the corner, and in Japan that means reservations for Christmas cakes are everywhere you look. While most western cultures probably associate fruit cakes with Christmas, Japan has popularized a light, usually white cake with strawberries and cream as a common Christmas eve treat. Now, Christmas cakes are so popular that they come in nearly every flavor imaginable, and every decoration imaginable, too! From Monster Hunter to Yowamushi Pedal, all kinds of nerdy fandoms are represented in Christmas cake form… And I’ve rounded up some of the best to share with you today.

Japan Envy: Pokémikke Okashi no Machi (Candy Town) Series

11 / 9 / 1511 / 9 / 15

Another day, another adorable Pokémon merchandise series I absolutely have to get my hands on! To be fair, it’s actually been a while since I wrote about Pokémon merchandise (but my last post is more than worth checking it if you haven’t already – it’s drop-dead adorable). Rest assured, I wouldn’t break my Pokémerch silence for any less than the best!

And the best it indeed is, as Pokémikke has just announced its third series, titled Okashi no Machi, or Candy Town. The new line of criminally adorable merchandise goes on sale in late November in Japan, and it just may be my favorite Pokémikke series yet! Here’s the full lineup:

Japan Envy: Kirimi-chan x KFC = Kentucky Fried Salmon

10 / 9 / 15

Sanrio’s salmon fillet mascot character Kirimi-chan has teamed up with an unlikely partner for her latest collaboration: KFC. That’s right, Kentucky Fried Chicken establishments in Japan will now be offering fried salmon, because why the hell not!

Billed as special fall Hokkaido salmon, the fried salmon will be available for one month only from October to November, both on its on with tartare sauce or in a salmon sandwich. To celebrate the collaboration, Sanrio has even created a new friend for Kirimi-chan called Agemi-chan, which comes from the Japanese for “deep fried,” or “age.”

You can head over to the official Kirimi-chan x KFC website to see the full menu, but more importantly, they have wallpapers:

At least those of us outside of Japan can have something fun to enjoy from this collaboration! In related news, somehow I totally missed this promotional video Sanrio released where Kirimi-chan transforms all of her friends into bishonen:

Kirimi-chan was never my favorite Sanrio character, but she may be growing on me…

Category Archives: Japan Envy