Get ready for even more cuteness because two of Japan’s beloved character brands are continuing to make their way around the world, bringing some familiar faces and plenty of adorable merchandise to fans across Europe!
Over the years, Japanese character brands have found a growing audience well beyond their home country, with characters that began as illustrations and online creations becoming recognizable faces across toys, animation and collectibles. And for fans of Chiikawa and Mofusand, there are now even more opportunities to bring a little piece of these worlds home.
Spiralcute International and Jazwares are expanding the presence of both brands across Europe with new pop-up retail experiences, including their first official arrival in Germany and additional locations in the United Kingdom.
Leading the expansion is a new pop-up at Berlin’s KaDeWe department store, marking the first time the two Japanese character brands have been introduced to German shoppers through this retail partnership.
Located on the store’s fourth floor, the experience brings together Jazwares’ first toy collections for Chiikawa and Mofusand, featuring plush toys in different sizes and styles alongside merchandise imported directly from Japan. Among the offerings is the Kiramekko collection, giving fans a chance to explore products that have helped make the characters so popular in their home market.
And the excitement isn’t stopping in Germany!
Following the success of Chiikawa at Selfridges’ Oxford Street location in London, Mofusand officially welcomed fans into its own dedicated retail space on October 27. The new pop-up features a combination of Jazwares toys and Japanese merchandise, allowing shoppers to discover more from the world of the costume-wearing cats.
Both brands are also heading to Selfridges’ Trafford Centre location in Manchester, with another pop-up planned for this autumn.
For those who might not be familiar with the two properties, Chiikawa, created by Japanese illustrator Nagano, follows a group of small characters through stories centered around friendship and everyday life. What began as a social media creation has since grown into a franchise spanning manga, anime, merchandise and live experiences.
Meanwhile, Mofusand, created by illustrator Juno, brings together an assortment of adorable cats dressed in everything from playful costumes to unexpected outfits, combining humor with designs that have made the characters especially recognizable among collectors.
With Jazwares serving as the brands’ global master toy partner and distributor outside Asia, these new retail experiences are part of a larger effort to introduce both properties to audiences around the world while giving existing fans more ways to enjoy their favorite characters.
And whether you’re a longtime collector or someone discovering these adorable little faces for the first time, the new pop-ups are bringing a little more of Japan’s character culture to European toy aisles!