Tsum Tsum Disney Japan has taken the country by storm. Originally just a game for the LINE social network where players stack cute versions of Disney characters, the brand soon grew. Disney Store Japan began selling Tsum Tsum plushies and short animations of the characters began airing on Japanese TV. The phone game is also available to play in Japanese game arcades on full size machines! Tsum Tsum has become a sensation in Japan, with Japanese Tsum Tsum merchandise eclipsing the American versions.
Japanese Tsum Tsum Plushies vs. The American Variety: What’s the Difference?
In America, Disney Tsum Tsum plush items can be bought from the Disney Store – both online and at retail. However, the official online store only lists 50 items available, including Tsum Tsum plushies and other items such as phone cases. Compared to that, the website for Disney Store Japan lists 139 varieties of Japanese Tsum Tsum plushies! The sheer variety of Disney Tsum Tsum plushies is also much larger in Japan itself. The range of the Disney Japan Store is being constantly updated, with the latest update bringing Tsum Tsum plushies from the new Pixar film Inside Out (known as ‘Inside Head’ in Japan) and a Bee campaign, where classic Disney characters are adorned in bee outfits.
Both America and Japan offer Tsum Tsum plushies in three sizes: Small, Medium and Large. But the range has some changes, with some characters not available in either country in the same size.
Tsum Tsum Japanese Merchandise
If you’re in Japan and looking for Tsum Tsum-related items, then obviously the Disney Japan store should be the first place you look—it’s the official retailer, which explains why it has the latest and biggest range of Tsum Tsum plushies and more. But if for some reason you can’t get to a Disney Store, fear not—there are other well-known stores in Japan that also have Tsum Tsum merchandise for purchase.
Not surprisingly, popular fashion brand UNIQLO is getting in on the act. Currently they have many exclusive Disney t-shirts in their UT range. However, with each purchase over 1500 yen, you also get a free and exclusive Tsum Tsum. If you thought you enjoyed Uniqlo just because they cater to foreign sizes and have expertly designed clothing, now you have yet another reason to go. Hurry over to Uniqlo and catch the Tsum Tsum boom! Or if you’re outside of Japan, use our service to buy Uniqlo’s Disney Tsum Tsum Collaboration T-shirts.
The well-known anime and manga store Animate also has a range of Tsum Tsum merchandise that goes beyond plushies, catering to Tsum Tsum fans both young and old. Some of the items available are iPhone cases, mugs, hair bands, nail stickers, hair scrunchies and even mirrors. If you’re a serious Tsum Tsum fan, then you will be glad to know that you can find all sorts of Japan only merchandise at Animate. Again, you can buy Animate and Disney Tsum Tsum Collaboration items outside of Japan using our shopping service.
There is also the Disney Motors set, made by popular toy manufacturer Takara Tomy, which is very unique and exclusive to Japan. The toys are small cars shaped like a Tsum Tsum, but with wheels, letting you go “vroom vroom” with your Tsum Tsum! Characters such as Mickey, Chip and Pooh are available in the set, as well as the cast of Frozen. You can stack the cars to display them, just like the Tsum Tsum in the game and the Tsum Tsum plushies. This is a very cool set, especially for male fans of the game who might not want plushes in their room.
So far we have talked mostly about Japan-only items, but you should know that the craze goes even farther than that. In Japan, Tsum Tsum plushies are often limited to one specific store or specific season! Last winter, a small set of Sheep based Tsum Tsum were made and sold for a limited time in the Disney Store Japan.
Harajuku is known for being Japan’s capital of cute, where many brands such as Sanrio have their own exclusive stores. Earlier this year, Disney opened their Harajuku Alta store and, to celebrate, launched a limited Tsum Tsum plushie range. Unlike other Tsum Tsum, these came in a box of four with HARAJUKU adorned on the top. To make the Tsum Tsum plushies that much cuter, their cheeks were colored pink and the characters themselves given dresses – with the color schemes and lace exclusive to the Harajuku Alta store! If you get a thrill out of searching for that hard-to-find merchandise (or just really like rare Tsum Tsum plushies), then Japan is your little goldmine.
Tsum Tsum Plushies are Everywhere!
The amount of Tsum Tsum merchandise you can buy in Japan, both in Disney Store Japan and elsewhere, is humongous. If you’re a Tsum Tsum fan in Japan then you’ll find that the Disney store Japan will cater perfectly well to most of your Japanese Tsum Tsum needs, although it’s worth branching out to search for rarer limited edition items. Many items will never be sold in America regardless, so being in Japan is really the only way you can buy them. If you’re not in Japan but desperately need your Tsum Tsum merchandise fix, then try out our shopping service to buy official Tsum Tsum Disney Plush from Japan and more! Those cutie-pies are just a click away.