2020 is turning out to be a heck of a year. The global situation has unlaid a lot of best laid plans for countless people. But there’s also one Japanese character who is being hit harder by the Coronavirus pandemic than their cartoon colleagues...

Pompompurin, Sanrio’s adorable anthropomorphic dessert pup, turns 24 years old this April. To celebrate, various edible character collaborations and sweets have already been released, including delicious Pompompurin puddings, or these scrumptious dough sculpted effigies. These desserts can be taken away and enjoyed at home, but the latest birthday treats are only available at the characters very own restaurant chains, to entice Purin fans to eat out.

For those of you following the advice of the Japanese government and staying indoors, it isn’t easy to venture to the restaurant itself. So we’ve compiled a photo gallery so you can at least feast your eyes on the Pompompurin Restaurant’s birthday feast!

The Birthday Menu

The Pompompurin restaurant is running a special menu during the whole month of April. It features two special birthday dishes as well as a special drink that has been made in collaboration with famous Japanese storybook writer and artist Yuakako Ode. Diners will also receive special merchandise depending on their order featuring gorgeous designs by Ode. Drink in the stunning images of the menu below:

[MAIN] Happy Birthday ♪ Flower Bouquet Bisque

Price: ¥1,590 + tax

Witness Pompompurin striding across a sea of bisque to receive his very own birthday bouquet! The base of this dish is a rich tomato bisque containing red pepper hearts. The top contains Pompompurin and his sidekick “Muffin”, sculpted from yellow and white rice respectively. The cherry on top is, in fact, a rose garnish, sculpted from colored mash potato on some broccoli that represents leaves. The beautiful scene is equally a beautifully tasting medley of rich and mild flavors so diners can taste the happiness of Pompom’s special day.

[DESSERT] Happy Birthday ♪ Strawberry Mousse

Price: ¥ 790 + tax

A simple, but moorsihly sweet and fluffy strawberry mousse served in a Pompompurin shaped bowl. It’s topped with fresh fruits and has a tart raspberry sauce on the side to pour over Ponpon like a bottle of birthday champagne.

Ode Yukako x Pompompurin Lemonade

Price: ¥ 550 + tax

Possibly the most adorable lemonade in Japan at the moment, the straw features an illustration of Pompompurin by Yukako Ode. The gentle, pleasurable tang of the lemon flavor is sure to have you fizzing with the same excitement of Pompompurrin on his birthday.

Novelty Presents with 24th Anniversary Designs

Diners at any of the Pompompurin restaurants during his birthday month can receive limited-edition merchandise, some of which has been designed by Yukako Ode. Check out what you can get and how below:

Luncheon Mat

Every customer who dines at a Pompompurin Cafe during his birthday month will receive one of these adorable luncheon mats with a birthday design

Collaborative Coaster

Customers who order the "Ode Yukako" x Pompompurin lemonade will receive a cute coaster designed by Yukako Ode! Depending on the store you visit, the design is different. Of all the times for travel to be restricted by a pandemic!

Collaborative Coaster

Only at the Osaka based Pompompurin Cafe in Umeda, customers who show a receipt of ¥1000 or over (inc. tax) can also receive another coaster with a novelty design.

The special menu items and novelty gifts are only available during April and while stocks last. But with the ongoing pandemic, we hope that this article is enough for you to enjoy Pompompurin’s 24th Birthday Celebrations, without needing to eat the little guy.

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About Pompompurin

According to Sanrio’s website, Pompompurin was born April 16th on a fine weathered day. The charming golden retriever character has been winning the hearts of the Japanese public since 1996 with his easy on the eye cuteness. His favorite food is of course pudding, a befitting dish for a beret’d beast who lives a relaxed lifestyle. Simply staring at the character is supposedly enough to make overworked business people and students in Japan vicariously experience the same relaxed feeling.

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About Yukako Ode

Yukako Ode is an illustrator and picture book writer. Her favorite theme is animals and has authored picture books on the subject such as the popular "Polar Bear Kutsuya" series (Kaiseisha Publishing).

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About the Ponponpurin Cafe

The first Ponponpurin cafe opened in Harajuku in 2014. In 2015, two more cafes were opened, one in Umeda in Osaka and one in Yokohama. The cafe’s are relaxing places where fans of the character can enjoy a rotating menu of scrumptious dishes as well as plenty of visual fan service. Check out the details of each store below:

Website

Pompompurin Cafe - Harajuku Store

Address: 3rd floor, CUTE CUBE HARAJUKU 1-7-1, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-5786-0770
Business hours: 11:00 - 21:00
Access: 3 minutes on foot from Takeshita Street Exit of JR Harajuku Station

Pompompurin Cafe - Yokohama Store

Address: 2-1-5 Minamiko, Nishi-ku, Yokohama-shi Yokohama Sotetsu Square
Tel: 045-311-6750
Business hours: 10:00 - 21:00
Access: 5 minutes walk from West Exit of JR Yokohama Station

Pompompurin Cafe - Umeda Store

Address: 1-3-3 Shibata, Kita-ku, Osaka Hankyu Third Avenue South Building B2F
Tel: 06-6292-7140
Business hours: Weekdays 11:00 - 22:00
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays: 10:00 - 22:00
Access: 3 minutes on foot from JR Osaka Station