Relax With Rilakkuma!

It’s time to slow down and enjoy life’s simple pleasures with Rilakkuma! This laid-back bear character from San-X is one of Japan's most popular kawaii icons. Spending its time napping, watching TV, and eating yummy food, Rilakkuma has become the Japanese symbol of self-care and rest! Everyone just loves chilling together with this cutie!

• Japanese name: リラックマ (pronounced Rirakkuma) 
• Nickname: Kuma 
• Skills: Giving life advice 
• Weakness: the scorching summer season
• Favorite Food: Dango (rice dumplings) and pancakes 
• Hobby: Relaxing, sleeping, lying around, watching television
• Fun fact: Rilakkuma does nothing but grunt and lay around in his first Netflix series

WHAT DOES RILAKKUMA MEAN? 

"Rilakkuma" is a mix of the Japanese words rilakksu (relax) and kuma (bear). It literally means “Relaxed Bear” and that's exactly what this kawaii creature is all about! Rilakkuma is a brown bear character who enjoys taking it easy. Its laid-back philosophy is a breath of fresh air in today's fast-paced world!

Rilakkuma’s laid-back lifestyle always reminds us that we need to hit the pause button and just chill out sometimes.

Would you like to have a good time together?

We can all learn a thing or two from Rilakkuma about slowing down and savoring life's simple pleasures.

RILAKKUMA'S GENDER

Kawaii fans have so many questions about Rilakkuma. Like, is Rilakkuma a guy or a girl? Though this kawaii bear is sometimes referred to as a boy, Rilakkuma is a chill character that never reveals its actual gender. This cutie is all about relaxing, not about labels!

WHAT'S INSIDE RILAKKUMA'S SUIT

Another curious thing about Rilakkuma is the zipper on its back. It turns out that Rilakkuma is a mysterious creature that always wears a plushie costume with blue polka dot material! Its true form is unknown.

IS RILAKKUMA PART OF HELLO KITTY?

Contrary to popular belief, Rilakkuma is not part of the Hello Kitty family in Sanrio. No, it comes from San-X, a powerhouse maker of adorable characters like the Sumikko Gurashi, the Sentimental Circus, and Jinbesan who’ve stolen hearts all around the world. If you'd like to learn more about this kawaii company, you can check out our San-X blog. We also have a complete list of San-X characters if you're curious about all the cuties that San-X has to offer! 

WHERE IS HE FROM?

When Rilkumma was first introduced by San-X artist Aki Kondo, this cutie came out of nowhere. It simply barged into Kaoru’s life on a quiet, normal day, deciding to stay in her home forever. Ever since then, Rilakkuma has been hanging out at Kaoru’s house doing nothing in particular. 

RILAKKUMA'S FRIENDS

Kaoru

Kaoru is the sweet office lady who finds herself living with Rilakkuma out of the blue. She is soft-spoken and mild-mannered. Sometimes Kaoru is bothered by Rilakkuma’s laid-back nature, but he makes up for it by giving some good life advice!

Korilakkuma

Korilakkuma wasn’t acquaintances with Rilakkuma when it decided to live together with Kaoru. Like Rilakkuma, there’s a lot of mystery surrounding Korilakkuma. It has a red button on its chest which has led many to believe that it may not be a real bear either!

That doesn’t stop Korilakkuma from having fun though. This white bear cub is super mischievous - it just loves playing pranks! Did you know that the energetic Korilakkuma was made to complement Rilakkuma’s relaxed way of living?

Kiiroitori

Kiiroitori is a hard-working yellow chick that was Kaoru’s pet before Rilakkuma appeared in her house. He likes broccoli so much that he doesn’t mind when Rilakkuma throws it in his face!

Kiiroitori also likes to clean! From time to time he comes out of his cage to scold the lazy Rilakkuma and the hyperactive Korilakkuma. 

Chairoikoguma

Unlike Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma, Chairoikoguma doesn’t live in Kaoru’s house. No, this bear (and he is an actual bear) lives in Honey Forest. His best friend is Kumanbachi, a tiny honeybee.

Chairoikoguma has fangs when he opens his mouth. He also has bear prints on the soles of his feet. It’s hard not to sniff at Chairoikoguma - this cutie smells like honey! He loves honey so much that he even has honey on his butt sometimes.

RILAKKUMA IS A STAR

Our lazy bear has definitely left its paw prints all over pop culture. Rilakkuma is so popular that it has its own shows! The first is “Rilakkuma and Kaoru,” a stop-animation Netflix series released in 2019. If you haven’t seen the show, then it's high time for you to check it out - this relaxing slice-of-life series will definitely fill your heart with warmth!

“Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure” is another stop-motion series that came out in 2022. The show is all about Rilakkuma and his friends having a day filled with fun, adventure, and friendship at an amusement park that’s about to close its doors forever.

That’s not all! Rilakkuma also has his own games like Rilakkuma Farm, Rilakkuma at Home, Rilakkuma no Mainichi, and more. Whether it's in fashion, television, gaming, or merchandise, Rilakkuma’s influence is undeniable!

RILAKKUMA GOODIES

From Rilakkuma plush toys, Rilakkuma pouches, and even Rilakkuma home goods, this cute Japanese bear is everywhere! Starting a Rilakkuma collection could be the perfect hobby for those who can't get enough of this relaxing bear. Plus, there are loads of cool digital goodies, like apps and digital stickers, for those tech-savvy fans!

RILAKKUMA SHOPS & CAFES

Seeing how loved this lazy bear is, it comes as no surprise that Rilakkuma has his very own shops and cafes! There are so many of them around it’s hard to keep count.

One is the pop-up Rilakkuma cafe in Harajuku, Tokyo. Held from March 9 to April 16, this cafe was made in celebration of Rilakkuma’s 20th anniversary!

This tea time will be fun. Would you like some tea? 

It offered Rilakkuma-themed cakes, parfaits, sodas, and floats. It also had limited-edition plushies, tote bags, and other goodies that fans bought as souvenirs.

Another is the Rilakkuma shop and cafe in Arashiyama, Kyoto.The onsen-themed store sells exclusive plushies as well as other Rilakkuma merch. Meanwhile, the Rilakkuma Sabo tea house next to it lets you fill up on Rilakkuma-themed curries, meals, and desserts. Rilakkuma crepes from the tea house are perfect for take-out!

Besides that, Rilakkuma also has permanent shops inside Kiddy Land in Harajuku and Ikebukuro. There’s also another permanent Rilakkuma store in Character Street in Tokyo station too! These shops are pretty popular. Sometimes artists like Spira Spica do music videos together with Rilakkuma in the store. 

WEDDINGS WITH RILAKKUMA

The Japanese love Rilakkuma so much, they want him to be part of their once-in-a-life-time memories! Japanese wedding company Escrit offered fans a Rilakkuma Bridal fair in 2020, allowing brides and grooms to have the kawaii wedding of their dreams. The Rilakkuma Wedding plan included Rilakkuma decor, dessert, cake, and a Greeting Plan where life-sized Rilakkuma characters attend the actual wedding.

POLICE OFFICER RILAKKUMA

Did you know that Japan has also turned Rilakkuma into a police officer? In 2021, the prefecture of Saitama in Japan decided to appoint the cute, relaxed bear as its Police Traffic Safety Public Relations Ambassador. You might wonder why knowing that Rilakkuma just likes to laze around, but it seems like it does a good job of promoting traffic safety on popular social media platforms.

HOW TO DRAW RILAKKUMA

It's easy learning how to draw Rilakkuma! After all, this lazy bear doesn't really get into that many wild poses. There are a lot of great Rilakkuma drawing tutorial videos online for you to learn from. Some even come with free coloring pages that you can download! 

RILAKKUMA AND MENTAL HEALTH

These days, Rilakkuma has been especially popular because of his impact on the movement for mental health awareness. Rilakkuma's chilled-out ethos reminds everyone to take time to relax and take care of themselves. This cutie symbolizes the need for balance in our lives, a message that resonates with many around the globe.

KEEP CHILLING WITH RILAKKUMA

So, there you have it! Rilakkuma, the charmingly lazy bear from San-X, is a whole mood, a symbol of self-care, and a pop culture icon.

Thank you, for all your warm smiles

Embrace the laid-back life, slow down, and remember to make time for pancakes and naps, just like Rilakkuma!

What's your favorite Rilakkuma moment or your fave Rilakkuma plushie? Share your thoughts in the comments below. We can't wait to read about it!