Starbucks Japan Is Getting a Massive Pokémon Collection — Including a Pikachu-Themed Latte
Starbucks has revealed a new Pokémon collection that will be coming to stores across Japan later this month.
The collection, which follows Pokémon's 30th anniversary collabs with everything from Adidas to Krispy Kreme, will feature a Pikachu-themed latte as well as a new batch of merchandise. The full spread includes over 40 new products, ranging from tumblers and mugs to aprons, totes, and even gift cards.
While the Pikachu latte will only be available in person, select merch will also be offered through the Starbucks JP online store. Unfortunately, there’s no word on whether the collaboration will be available outside of Japan.
On September 30, Starbucks locations across Japan will debut the Pikachu Honey Cream Latte, a recipe selected through a nationwide competition that received over 700 submissions. The winning recipe was submitted by Junko Nitta of Starbucks Coffee Koriyama Asaka.
The latte is flavored with a mix of honey and caramel and colored after the electric Pokemon’s iconic yellow hue. Honey-flavored whip cream tops the drink, with red heart sprinkles mimicking Pikachu’s rosy cheeks.
The Pikachu Honey Cream Latte will only be available in a size Tall, retailing for around 690 yen (US $4.34). Some reports suggest the limited-time latte will only be available for as short as nine days, from September 30 to October 8.
Starbucks JP will also be releasing a line of tumblers, totes, aprons, and even new gift cards. The 41-piece collection will be a mix of online and in-store exclusives. Given ongoing stock and scalping concerns across all things Pokémon, Starbucks will reportedly be limiting transactions for the first couple days of the release.
Hikaru Ichijo provided 12 new illustrations for the collection, which show popular Pokémon enjoying pleasant moments and building friendships with their baristas. Even Pokémon need caffeine, I suppose. The featured Pokémon shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, with most designs featuring Pikachu, Eevee, or one of the Gen 1 starters (Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle).
The illustrations are based on a collection of “stories,” which are themselves written on some of the designs. Some quotes include “Our adventure starts with a cup of coffee,” and “Crafting wonders with you.”
Starbucks is no stranger to collaborations, and North American stores will soon be getting their own limited-edition collection themed after the Peanuts franchise. Alas, that does not mean all is looking bright for the coffee shop giant. Starbucks also just announced that they will be closing 250 stores across North America by the end of the week, presumably part of the company's ongoing "Back to Starbucks" turnaround strategy.