If you love kawaii Japanese cartoons, surely you know Rilakkuma! In Japan this little brown bear is very famous and has a lot of merchandise from stationary to phone cases, polaroid cameras, and stuffed animals. Now even has his very own Netflix show! Rilakkuma has been described as “huge hits in Japan” by The New York Times. As of May 2010, Rilakkuma ranked as the fifth most popular character in Japan in a survey of the Character Databank.
In celebration of Rilakkuma’s 15 year anniversary, Netflix is releasing a new show titled Rilakkuma and Kaoru in over 190 countries! This new release is no ordinary cartoon, it’s a stop motion animation! It will be 13 episodes long and will run for 11 minutes per episode.
Rilakkuma and Kaoru follows the adventures of office worker Kaoru (voiced by Lana Condor) and her stuffed bear companion Rilakkuma, along with Korilakkuma and her pet bird Kiiroitori.
It’ll be an absolutely adorable show, that’s for sure. We’ll have to wait a little while before we can comment on it, but there’s no doubt it won’t be lacking in cuteness. Just look at how cute its subject is!
In spirit of the premiere of this new Netflix show, we’ve put together a couple fun facts about Rilakkuma for you! How many of these do you already know?
Do you know the meaning of Rilakkuma? In Japanese, Rilakkuma is comprised of two words, namely リラックス rirakkusu, a Japanese transliteration of the English word “relax” and クマ(熊)kuma which means bear. His name perfectly reflects is stress-free and relaxed personality!
Did you know that Rilakkuma has his very own themed cafe located in Osaka, called the Rilakkuma Town Cafe? This cafe provides a lot of sweet treats and even sells limited edition kawaii goods including clear files, keyrings and much more!
Rilakkuma Town Cafe Osaka is located on the 4th floor of Abeno Q’s Mall, 1-6-1, Abenosuji, Abeno Ward, Osaka. Don’t forget to visit, it will be the cutest experience!
How cute are these dishes from the Rilakkuma cafe in Osaka?? We want to eat them all!
There is also a traditional tea house style Rilakkuma themed cafe in Japan’s historical capital, Kyoto. The cafe “Arashiyama Rilakkuma Sabo” is a combination of traditional Japanese style decor and Rilakkuma merchandise, and offers a huge variety of food, drinks, snacks and desserts only available there!
The tea house cafe launched in the popular Arashiyama area in Kyoto, where a number of top touristic sites are located including the bamboo grove and Togetsukyo Bridge.
Check out these adorable lunch sets at the Kyoto Rilakkuma cafe! They certain have more of a traditional Japanese vibe!
San-x has combined リラックマ (Rilakkuma) and くじ (kuji – lottery), and presented Rilakkuma fans with a Rilakkuma lottery, called Rilakkuji! It is not like a traditional lottery as by purchasing a ticket for Rilakkuji you are guaranteed to win a prize! Now that is the kind of lottery we can get on board with!
How many of these facts did you know about Rilakkuma? If you think you know Rilakkuma how many of these facts do you know about Korilakkuma? Check out this article!
If you love Rilakkuma, then you’ll LOVE this mega Rilakuma prize pack! Subscribe to YumeTwins for a chance to win this awesome bundle of Rilakkuma goodies!
Already subscribed? No problem! You are already automatically entered to win! Score!
This giveaway will end on April 31st, so subscribe before then to enter!
Keep up to date with all the kawaii news coming straight from Japan by following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Want to get a FREE Japanese kawaii subscription box? Check out how to get one here!
Korilakkuma is more than acquaintances with Rilakkuma; they’re the brown bear’s energetic shadow! But who are they, and why are they so cute?
All Sanrio characters are trendy, mainly Hello Kitty, Pompompurin, and Cinnamoroll! But did you know that Sanrio has created over 450 characters in total? Let’s look at some of the lesser-known characters in this adorable line-up!
Japanese crafts are known for their adorable and cute aesthetic, which has helped to contribute to their popularity both in Japan & around the world. From adorable embroidered animals, cute ceramic figurines, to DIY kit sets & much more!
As the year comes to end it is the perfect time for reflection. For us at YumeTwins this means reflections on all things kawaii that came out this year, including kawaii Nintendo characters!
Animal Crossing is one of the most loved and adored video game series. Fans take to the Nintendo game as a way to connect with friends and relax after a working day. Find out YumeTwins favorite events!
Fighting games can be just as adorable as they are fun! So if you prefer your brawls to be lighter and softer, YumeTwins’ has got your back!