Rilakkuma Themed Japanese Traditional Tea House Now Open in Hiroshima

A traditional tea house is must-visit when travelling in Japan. Tea culture such as the tea ceremony and traditional sweets are an important part of Japanese culture and have been perfected over centuries.

If you’re planning a visit to Hiroshima, a popular tourist destination, you can find a special tea house which is more adorable than most, located in Miyajima.

This cute tea house combines the aesthetics and wooden interior of a traditional Japanese tea house with one of Sanrio’s most popular characters, Rilakkuma. It’s the second Rilakkuma Sabo, the first can be found in Kyoto’s Arashiyama.

Rilakkuma is a portmanteau of ‘relax’ and ‘kuma’, meaning bear, and he’s famous for lounging around and taking it easy. He’s the perfect mascot for a tea house where you can go and chill out and relax in some calm, kawaii surroundings.

The menu items, inspired by Japanese cuisine are obviously all adorned with Rilakkuma and his friends.

The eel and oyster tempura set is presented beautifully, and Rilakkuma takes the form of a brown rice bear, taking an afternoon nap on a fluffy omelet roll pillow. Very on brand.

Kiiroitori oyster fry curry also paints an adorable scene.

The autumn leaf inspired chocolate banana parfait that comes complete with cute torii gate is the perfect tribute to Hiroshima’s beauty.

Korilakkuma’s lemon chiffon is made with Setouchi lemons, a specialty of the area, and arranged on the plate like a pretty flower.

Aside from the sit-in cafe, there’s also a gift shop and take out window with some exclusive treats. The perfect souvenir is surely the Rilakkuma Momiji manju, Hiroshima’s beloved specialty with an added adorable Rilakkuma motif.

If you’re not aware of Rilakkuma’s work yet, he stars in a cute stop motion animation on Netflix which gives a pretty good indication of what he’s about.

Full menu and prices can be found on the Rilakkuma Sabo’s official website which gives details about both locations.