Heinz Japan revealed new upside-down Kirby-branded ketchup bottles that will appear in Japan in June 2025. People residing in the country will be able to find the bottles in supermarkets and drug stores across the country at 383 yen (~$2.65) apiece. It is unknown if we might see them in Asian grocery stores worldwide as well.

This is not the first time Heinz has made Kirby crossover bottles. The Japanese branch had previously released smaller pouches with the same crossover brand in late November 2024. It also noted that the Maxim Tomatoes that appeared in the Kirby games served as an impetus for the collaboration.

The newer bottles are being designed to be storable in an upside-down position. There will be three different designs available, with one of them showing Kirby carrying a hamburger and another one featuring a Waddle Dee cameo. These bottles will also have a capacity of 460g, larger than the previous pouches that could only go up to 400g.

In the same press release, Heinz also announced that it will hold a quiz campaign on its Japanese social media on June 16-22, 2025. 1,000 people will be able to win keychains with embroidered emblems featuring the Kirby-Heinz crossover art.

The new upside-down Kirby Heinz ketchup bottles will be available for sale in limited amounts in Japan in June 2025.

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Takarajima has revealed the Kirby-themed eco bag and round plush pouch designs that allow you to store one inside of the other. The set will come in two variants, and the company will release the products in late March 2025. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

When the owner is using the eco bag and carrying it, they can attach the Kirby face plush onto its handle with the provided carabiner clip. Once they have finished carrying and unloading items, they can then fold the bag and store it inside the unattached plush. The carabiner on the plush then allows you to clip that onto another bag or backpack.

Pre-orders for the red and blue variants of the set are available separately online via the Takarajima Channel website. The company has also added a WorldShopping widget on its web store, so people residing outside Japan can also order this merchandise. Each set will be available with the same price tag of 2,750 yen (~$18.65).

There has been a lot of unique Kirby-themed merchandise appearing in Japan. In January 2025, Plex released a Kirby Star Rod toy that can also play select BGMs and sound effects from the video game series. Bandai also released chopstick holders shaped after Kirby and Waddle Dee in late 2024.

The Kirby eco bag and plush pouch sets will be available on March 28, 2025.

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A new plush toy modeled after Kirby will appear courtesy of the German stuffed animal manufacturer Steiff. VPC opened pre-orders for the new stuffed toy on its Japan-exclusive ValueMall website.

Steiff will produce the Kirby stuffed toys in the company's home country in . It will use mohair from Angora goats as the primary material. Its staff will also manually hand-craft each of the stuffed toys, which will also come with a unique serial number tag.

But even though the stuffed toys would be made in , VPC's ValueMall website can only ship the products domestically in Japan. But while the initial pre-order slots would only appear in limited numbers, the web store has noted possibilities of holding a second pre-order window or selling the stuffed toys at other physical stores and events.

The stuffed toy will have three available shipment batches in December 2025, January 2026, and February 2026. But no matter which window people choose, the product always has the same price tag of 44,000 yen (~$284.45).

Steiff's new stuffed toys will add another entry to the list of plush toys and stuffed animals based on the eponymous protagonist of Nintendo and HAL Laboratory's Kirby series. FuRyu released hangable plushes of Kirby and Waddle Dee in Japanese crane games in September 2024. McDonald's Japan also released Kirby plushies via its Happy Meal toys in February 2024, which were sold out very quickly.

The pre-order window for Steiff's Kirby stuffed toys will be available in Japan on February 3-28, 2025. VPC will ship the finished products in three monthly batches from December 2025 until February 2026.

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HAL Laboratory, the studio behind games like the Kirby series, is hiring for multiple positions. An online selection process will take place over Zoom on February 7 and 8, 2025. [Thanks, PR Times!]

In order to apply for the online selection process, you can do so from this lnk here. Applicants have until February 5, 2025 to hand in their information. The online selection will run from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and anyone can try for the positions so long as they meet the basic requirements.

While the site does not mention Japanese as an essential skill, you will likely need to know how to communicate with the language to work there. As well, it did not mention that overseas applicants can’t apply. However, the actual application form is understandably tailored for a Japanese resident. So those in countries outside of it may have trouble getting it to accept some discrepancies in how phone numbers and such work.

Jobs that HAl Laboratory are hiring for right now include: 

• Corporate staff
• Designers and artists
• Programmers (tool engineers, graphic designers, audio engineers, corporate network engineers, and more)
• Project managers

HAL Laboratory was founded in 1980, and became a second-party developer with Nintendo in 1984. Almost all of its games are exclusive for Nintendo consoles (or older machines like the Commodore 64). Aside from its work on the Kirby franchise, HAL Laboratory also worked on Super Smash Bros., Pokemon Snap (1999), and EarthBound.

The HAL Laboratory online hiring selection will take place on February 7 and 8, 2025. You have until February 5, 2025 to hand in your applications.

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Plex revealed a real-life Kirby Star Rod that will feature playable audio tracks. The new toy product, named the Kirby Sound Star Rod, will be available via the Japanese Bandai store in late January 2025 at 4,180 yen (~$26.75). [Thanks, Hobby Watch!]

The package will come with a star block stand where the owner can store the rod. The back side of the rod will host all of the toy's mechanisms from the power switch to the audio speaker.

When the owner turns on the toy, it will start playing the Star Rod's sound effects. They can also swing the rod to make the star emit light. When they press the small star button, they can also make the rod play "Green Greens" or "Kirby Dance."

Here are some of the sample images for the new product:

There have been many kinds of Kirby-themed merchandise appearing in Japan in recent months. Chopstick holders modeled after mini-scaled Kirby and Waddle Dee appeared in late 2024. Heinz also released Kirby-branded tomato ketchup pouches around the same period.

The Kirby Sound Star Rod will be available on January 25, 2025.

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FuRyu has revealed a new lineup of Kirby merchandise, titled Kirby Diary Obento. These items will appear as crane game prizes in Japanese amusement centers in late December 2024.

The collection will primarily consist of three item types. The first one will be a large plush of Kirby with a chef hat and a partially eaten onigiri. The second will be a sub-collection of mascot plushes featuring the likes of Kirby and Waddle Dee inside meal boxes. While there have also been more food-themed collaborations like Monaka cakes and Heinz ketchup pouches revealed in late 2024, neither the mascots nor the meal boxes in this lineup will be actually usable or edible, as all of them are being made with fluffy materials.

The third and last item type in the lineup will be stainless drink bottles that people can actually use to store water. There will be two variations of the bottles, with each of them featuring Kirby and Waddle Dee separately. The bottles will have an approximate size of around 17 cm (~6.69 inches).

The Kirby Diary Obento lineup will have its own separate category from FuRyu's prior Kirby-themed crane game prizes. The company has been gradually releasing merchandise based on Nintendo and HAL Laboratory's game franchise since August 2024.

The Kirby Diary Obento items will be available as prizes from crane games in amusement centers across Japan starting from the fourth week of December 2024.

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Kirby-branded Heinz ketchup pouches will appear in Japan. Heinz's Japanese branch has revealed that it will release the collaboration products in late November 2024. The company also added that the Maxim Tomatoes, which can fully recover Kirby's health in the game franchise, serve as an inspiration for this collaboration.

Heinz will produce a total of nine pouch designs, with the 400g and 250g tomato ketchup pouches having three designs with Kirby taking different poses. The Thai cuisine-inspired Sriracha ketchup pouch will also feature a Waddle Dee cameo in the background.

Here is the complete lineup of products in this collaboration lineup, along with their respective prices in Japanese yen:

• Tomato ketchup - 400g pouch type - ¥305
• Tomato ketchup - 250g pouch type - ¥230
• Tomato ketchup - 120g pouch type - ¥138
• Balsamic ketchup - 120g pouch type - ¥158
• Sriracha ketchup - 120g pouch type - ¥158

In addition, Heinz will hold two quiz sessions that reward 1,500 storage pouches embroidered with the Kirby collaboration on its official Japanese X . The quiz will run in two separate waves on December 2-8, 2024, and December 16-22, 2024, respectively.

Heinz is not the only food-related collaboration for Kirby in 2024. Tsuruya Yoshinobu is also bringing back its Monaka cakes with Kirby-faced buns. It also brought a new matcha-flavored paste that replaces the Koshi-an smooth anko paste from the original 2019 releases.

The Kirby-branded Heinz ketchup pouches will be available for sale in Japan in limited numbers starting from late November 2024.

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Benelic has opened the third permanent Kirby Cafe outlet in Osaka, Japan. People can now visit the Kirby-themed cafe, which will remain open year-round, on the ninth floor of the Daimaru Shinsaibashi department store.

After taking the escalator to the ninth floor, people can find the cafe on the western pathway that would connect with the Parco building. A smaller merchandise store has also appeared on the other side of the path.

Benelic also employed a queuing system for the merchandise store on the opening day to anticipate an influx of visitors. People who want to visit the store on launch day must have a LINE , as the queuing ticket has a QR code that connects with the messaging app. The shop's staff would then each visitor via the app when their turn to enter had come.

Kirby Cafe's official X has also published a new tweet on the new Osaka branch's launch day:

Benelic has gone a long way to establish the new Kirby Cafe outlet. It made its first announcement in July 2024. Later in mid-October 2024, the company confirmed that it would open the outlet on November 21, 2024.

The third permanent Kirby Cafe outlet has now opened on the ninth floor of Daimaru Shinsaibashi in Osaka, Japan.

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Tsuruya Yoshinobu has announced that it will bring back the Kirby-themed Monaka cakes in mid-November 2024. After originally releasing the cakes in 2019, the Japanese confectionery company will produce a new batch of the traditional cakes with a new matcha-flavored paste option.

The company has been packing the paste and buns of the cakes in separate cans. Those who have purchased the packages must first open the cans and then apply the paste with the provided spatula on a bun. They can then cover it with a Kirby face bun to complete the cake.

The original 2019 featured Ogura-an (Adzuki bean paste) and Koshi-an (smooth anko) paste choices. The new batch in 2024 will replace the latter with a new Matcha-an (green tea) paste. However, the new Matcha-an paste will be only available in a 2-in-1 set that costs 3,456 yen (~$22.65). The single set priced at 1,836 yen (~$12) will only contain the Ogura-an paste can.

The return of these Monaka cakes will give people another opportunity to get Kirby-themed food. There are three permanent Kirby Cafe branches available in Tokyo, Hakata, and Osaka as of November 2024. There are also Kirby Cafe Petit stores in Tokyo and Osaka that sell takeaway food like the pink Kirby pudding.

The handmade round Kirby Monaka cakes will be available for sale again on November 15, 2024.

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HAL Laboratory announced that Part Time UFO, its game about a small UFO performing odd-jobs by using a claw that extends from the ship, has been delisted on mobile devices. It is now no longer available through storefronts like the App Store or Google Play.

Here is the official announcement. No reason for the delisting was mentioned.

In Part Time UFO, people play as a small UFO who comes to earth. During its first encounter with human beings, it helps collect stray oranges by extending a claw from the ship to grab and place them back in crates. This leads to it taking on an array of other types of jobs, such as restoring museum exhibits, helping set up photographs, creating desserts, and assembling robots, for money. It debuted on Android and Apple iOS devices back in February 2018 for $3.99.

Here is the original trailer for the mobile version of the game.

While the mobile releases of Part Time UFO are delisted, the Nintendo Switch version of the HAL Laboratory game is still available. In 2020, the updated entry that included more challenges, costumes, and an additional mode that can be played in multiplayer appeared. 

Part Time UFO is available on the Nintendo Switch, and the mobile version of the game for Android and iOS devices is delisted.

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Benelic has confirmed the opening date for Kirby Cafe Osaka. People will be able to visit the new third permanent Kirby Cafe outlet starting on Thursday, November 21, 2024.

Previously in July 2024, the company revealed that it will open the Kirby Cafe Osaka outlet at the Daimaru Shinsaibashi department store. In addition, it will also open a merchandise store near the cafe.

In the new press release, Benelic also revealed some of the menu entries that will be available at Kirby Cafe Osaka. The following entries will be available exclusively at the new Osaka branch:

• Waddle Dee Okonomiyaki Burger with Meat Pasta - ¥2,288
• Kushikatsu (skewered meat and vegetables) inside Inhaling Kirby Bowl - ¥1,628
• Kirby Inhaling Takoyaki-like Petit Cakes - ¥1,188
• Tornado Mix Juice - ¥1,078

Meanwhile, the merchandise store will sell various Kirby-related goods, including utensils used in the cafe's menu. The plate inspired by Karby from Kirby and the Forgotten Land will be purchasable at ¥4,950 (~$33.20). Benelic will also sell a large Kirby burger cushion at ¥7,150 (~$47.90).

The opening of Kirby Cafe Osaka will mark the third permanent outlet across Japan after Tokyo and Hakata, Fukuoka. Benelic had previously run a temporary outlet in Nagoya in 2022, although it has still yet to open a permanent branch in the Aichi prefecture city.

Kirby Cafe Osaka will open on the ninth floor of Daimaru Shinsaibashi on November 21, 2024.

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Benelic has revealed a new Fall 2024 menu for Kirby Cafe, which will be available temporarily from late September 2024 until mid-November 2024. One of the two dishes in the seasonal menu will feature an inhaling Kirby bowl.

The Sweet Potato Sticks costing 1,298 yen (~$9.20) will be the dish that utilizes the Inhaling Kirby Bowl. However, this won't be the first time Benelic features this dish at the cafe, as it also appeared in Fall 2023.

The dish that will make its debut in the season will feature Chef Kawasaki. The new menu which costs 2,178 yen (~$15.20) will consist of a salmon milk soup and a Warp Star-shaped eggs benedict.

Those of us who attend can also bring home the special porcelain bowls used in the seasonal menu via separate purchases. The Inhaling Kirby Bowl will have a price tag of 5,280 yen (~$37.35), while the Chef Kawasaki Bowl will cost less at 3,850 yen (~$27.25).

The Fall 2024 exclusive menu will be available at the two existing Kirby Cafe outlets at Tokyo Sky Tree Solamachi and Hakata, Fukuoka, Japan, from September 25, 2024, until November 12, 2024. The special bowls will remain available for purchase for the foreseeable future. Benelic is also working to open a third permanent branch in Osaka during the same season.

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Benelic announced that it will open the third permanent branch for the Kirby Cafe in Osaka in Fall 2024. The new cafe will be available at the Daimaru Shinsaibashi department store. The company will also set up a Kirby-related item store near the cafe.

The company has so far established two permanent Kirby Cafe outlets in Japan. The first one appeared at Tokyo Sky Tree Solamachi in late 2019. Benelic then opened the second outlet at Canal City Hakata in Fukuoka City on Kyushu island. The company also opened a temporary branch in Nagoya in 2022, although it has still yet to establish a permanent outlet in the city as of July 2024.

Osaka also already has a Kirby Cafe Petit outlet that sells items like puddings. However, this outlet is situated at the Tennoji MIO shopping center. The new permanent cafe in Osaka will add an entry to the list of facilities Kirby fans can visit in the country. In addition, Benelic also teased that it will occasionally release exclusive meals in the new Osaka branch that people would not see in the existing Tokyo and Hakata branches.

The third Kirby Cafe permanent branch will appear on the ninth floor of Daimaru Shinsaibashi in Fall 2024.

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Benelic has revealed that it will sell Kirby puddings in various alternate colors for a limited time throughout the Summer of 2024 in Japan. These colors will temporarily accompany the existing pink Kirby pudding.

The original pink-colored Kirby pudding has been available for purchase with a strawberry flavor. The extra colors that will be available temporarily are yellow from orange, blue from lychee, and green from the green apple (which is better known in Japan as "Ao-Ringo / Blue Apple"). All variants will have the exact same price tag of 950 yen (~$5.90).

These pudding jars will be available for purchase at the two Kirby Cafe Petit outlets in Tokyo and Osaka. The Tokyo outlet is located in the Tokyo Character Street inside the First Avenue of Tokyo Station. Meanwhile, the Osaka outlet is on the sixth floor of Tennoji MIO.

These Petit outlets are different from the main cafe outlets that often hold season-exclusive Kirby-themed meals, such as the pineapple-themed menu in Summer 2024. The main cafe outlet in Tokyo is located at the Tokyo Sky Tree Solamachi, while the other outlet is situated in Hakata, Fukuoka.

Most of the Kirby Colorful Puddings will be available for purchase at Kirby Cafe Petit outlets in Tokyo and Osaka from July 10, 2024, until September 1, 2024. Only the strawberry-flavored pink Kirby pudding will remain available for the foreseeable future.

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Takarajima revealed new tumblers modeled after Kirby and Waddle Dee from the Kirby video game series. The company will release these glasses in July 2024 with a price tag of 2,992 yen (~$19).

These tumblers will be around 11.3 cm (4.45 in) tall with a top side diameter of 8 cm (3.15 in). The company will make them with vacuum insulation, so they can retain the drink's temperature—both hot and cold—for a longer time than ordinary mugs.

Takarajima claimed that under a room temperature of 20°C (68°F), the tumbler can retain 3°C (37.4°F) water with ice blocks for six hours. In another test case with 200mL of 96°C (204.8°F) hot water, it can stay above 40°C (104°F) for about an hour.

The tumblers will start appearing at most FamilyMart outlets across Japan on July 11, 2024. However, Takarajima also opened pre-orders for both items on its own web store. The site has a WorldShopping widget that also s these items, so people residing outside Japan can also place orders for these items at around $18.56 apiece.

Kirby and Waddle Dee are two of the most popular characters from the Kirby game series, and they have also been featured together in other merchandise lineups. In late June 2024, iFace released iPhone cases and accessories based on both characters exclusively in Japan.

The new Kirby and Waddle Dee tumblers will be available on July 11, 2024.

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