Plucky little hamster, Hamtaro, is the star of a classic anime and manga series that first appeared in the 90s.

It’s coming up to the retro character’s birthday which takes place on 6th August (thanks to some clever word play - 8/6 can be read as ‘Ha Mu’, the Japanese pronunciation of ham). To celebrate this momentous occasion, the character will be starring in his very own themed cafe which will be appearing in three major Japanese cities.

The menu features main protagonist Hamtaro, as well as his whole ‘Ham-Hams’ gang (Hamuchans in Japanese), in a variety of adorable dishes, including main meals, desserts and drinks.

The theme is sunflowers and sea, and this is exemplified in the seafood yakisoba dish which has egg sunflower petals and a cheeky Hamtaro bread in the centre.

The Torahamu twins, Sandy and Stan feature in a surfing-inspired sandwich.

The cafe has also got inventive with colouring the food, making a curry into the blue sea, where a distressed Oxnard has dropped his precious sunflower seed.

Hamtaro’s fluffy love interest, Bijou, makes an appearance as a super cute parfait.

Cappy, known for his love of hide and seek, has found a great spot under an ice cream cone in his choco banana and mint parfait.

There’s various creative drinks on offer too, with hot and cold beverages featuring the whole squeaky crew.

There’s also a very special menu item which is only available until 16th August, a Happy Hamu Hamu Birthday Cake to celebrate the hamster’s big day.

Visitors can also remember the celebrations with souvenir goods. The cafes are peddling a selection of wares with cute retro illustrations and adorable dessert characters.

Kids and nostalgic adults alike can scurry over to the pop-up cafes in either Tokyo (until 6th September), Saitama (until 27th September) or Osaka (until 16th August). Full details about cafe locations and how to reserve a table is available on the official website for Hamtaro Cafe 2020.