It’s October!!
… And we have no Halloween merchandise this month, although there is one Christmas plush set. Not sure why Banpresto dropped the ball but that’s how it goes, I guess.
Maybe the other plush scheduled for release will make up for it!
What is Banpresto?
Banpresto is a company that manufactures plush, figures, towels, glasses, and other items to be used as prizes for claw machines in game centers as well as kuji (raffle) prizes. None of these items are designed to be sold directly through stores and cannot be found in Pokemon Centers with the exception being Pokemon kujis which can be found through Pokemon Centers as well as convenience stores and book stores. Prize items are found primarily in game centers or sold second hand through auction sites, amazon, or other similar resell outlets.
Most Pokemon releases from Banpresto drop on Tuesday or Thursday. Ichiban Kuji generally goes on sale on Saturdays.
Some of the bigger and popular game centers in Japan include: Adores, Sega, Round 1, Namco, and Taito Station. Not all game center locations stock all prizes.
Have a specific question about Japanese game centers? Drop me a note!
Type Focus returns with two Legendary Pokemon themed releases, both of which will start appearing in game centers around Japan October 10th (Thursday).
One set includes 27 cm plush versions of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.
The other set includes 32 cm plush versions of Latios and Latias.
A new series, called “Hope-Pita” or “Cheek Squish” will have two sets of plush designed to be paired together with their cheeks squished together in a cute hug pose.
Both sets of plush will start appearing in game centers around Japan October 17th (Thursday).
A set of smaller plush, each measuring about 12 cm, will include Pichu, Teddiursa, Plusle, and Minun.
A larger set of plush, each measuring about 24 cm, will include Pikachu and Raichu.
October sees the release of three different series featuring sleepy themed plush, so I guess October is sleepy month for Banpresto. (To be fair, every month is sleepy month for Miki, so I can’t really complain)
From the Kutsurogi Time series comes an extra large Ditto plush measuring about 40 cm. This plush will start appearing in game centers around Japan from October 22nd (Tuesday).
From the Fuwa-Muni (Sleep Talk) series comes two larger sized plush face cushions of Snorlax and Slowpoke, each measuring about 39 cm. These cushions will also start appearing in game centers around Japan from October 22nd (Tuesday).
From the Korotto Manmaru series comes three large plush, each measuring about 26 cm. Slowpoke, Snorlax, and Seel will start appearing in game centers around Japan from October 24th (Thursday).
Finally, from the general Pocket Monster series comes two releases.
An extra large Dedenne plush, measuring about 30 cm, will start appearing in game centers around Japan October 10th (Thursday).
A set of two larger sized Christmas themed Christmas plush, each measuring about 24 cm, will start appearing in game centers around Japan October 24th (Thursday).
That wraps up the releases planned for October from Banpresto!
Will November bring more Sleepy plush, Christmas themed plush, or a mix of both? Stay tuned to find out!
See a plush you like and need help getting it shipped from Japan to you? I offer a pick-up service! Please get in touch~
