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Starbucks Stories Japan · 2026年09月24日

Starbucks Japan and Pokémon discuss the coffee experience behind their first collaboration

On September 24, the Japan website published a background interview about the first Pokémon collaboration. The Pokémon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara discussed the customization culture emerging from conversations between baristas and customers, and recalled judging the internal recipe competition: the judges unanimously chose Pikachu Honey Cream Latte as the winner. The article also explains how Hikaru Ichijo’s illustrations, which omit the eyes, leave room for viewers’ imagination. This is a brand interview about the Japanese collaboration, not an October new-product announcement.

Shared themes of the first collaboration

Starbucks Japan and Pokémon collaborated for the first time around the theme of exploring coffee together. The official website connects Pokémon’s themes of coexistence, diversity, growth and adventure with exchanges among baristas, customers and communities.

Tsunekazu Ishihara on conversations in stores

Tsunekazu Ishihara said Starbucks has a culture shaped by conversations with customers and preparing drinks on the spot. He served as a judge in the internal recipe competition and praised partners’ ability to express their personal experiences with Pokémon. Pikachu Honey Cream Latte was the judges’ unanimous choice.

Illustrations that leave room for imagination

The interview also introduces Hikaru Ichijo’s Pokémon illustrations. Omitting the eyes lets viewers freely sense their own distance from the characters, and the artwork appears on collaboration merchandise and other materials. The article is a background interview about the brand collaboration, not news of an additional October launch.

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