Starbucks Japan releases new Discovery Series collection celebrating local regions and traditions

Get a taste of local culture with a new souvenir range that captures the unique charms of Japan’s regions. Starbucks has always been a great supporter of the neighbourhoods in Japan where it sets up shop, blending into the traditional landscape with uniquely designed branches, teaming up with local craftsmen to create new goods, and even supporting local artists with gallery space for exhibitions. Now, the chain is supporting a wide swathe of the country’s regions by releasing a brand new range of exclusive souvenirs, in what Starbucks is calling the “Discovery Series”.

According to Starbucks, this new collection replaces the Been There Series, the chain’s previous regional line, serving up a whole new look that shines a light on everyday life in various regions with more colourful, playful illustrations. Like its predecessor, the Discovery Series has been created in collaboration with Starbucks employees from each region, who provided insight into local landmarks, activities and customs that best represent their areas. The product development team visited each region and held roundtable discussions with 10 to 15 employees to fully unearth the unique characteristics of each area.

▼ One of the actual roundtable discussions, albeit at rectangular tables. The new collection aims to introduce more locally inspired details than ever before, with designs that contain some surprising motifs you wouldn’t expect to see on a regional souvenir. ▼ The Tokyo design, for instance, showcases the city’s famously crowded commuter trains.

Osaka includes references to manzai (a popular two-person comedy style where one plays the fool, known as “boke” and the other a straight-man, “tsukkomi”). It also pays homage to the local “ame-chan” culture, a tradition of carrying sweets and offering them to others as a friendly gesture. The Fukuoka design celebrates the region’s lively cheering culture, with references to the passionate group chants often heard at local festivals and sporting eve