We have sad news for fans of the adorable Finnish Moomin trolls. The company behind Tokyo’s official Moomin cafés, souvenir shops and drinks stands, Benelic recently announced the closure of all its Moomin-related outlets by the end of February 2023. This is due to the company’s licensing agreement with the Moomin brand, which will expire after 20 years on February 28 2023.
The city’s two Moomin cafés in Tokyo Dome City and Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi will operate until December 25, so there’s still some time to dine with your favourite Moomin characters. Exact closing dates for the souvenir shops and drinks stands are yet to be announced, so check the website for updates. See here for more info on the shops and here for the drinks stands.
As of November 22, you can still shop for Moomin merchandise at Tokyo Station, Futakotamagawa’s Dogwood Plaza, Kawasaki’s Lazona Plaza and Osaka’s LUCUA mall. The Moomin drinks stands are still operating in Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City and Osaka’s Tennoji MIO malls.
However, this closure doesn't mean that the Moomin franchise will disappear from Japan. Rights and Brands, the official Moomin licensing agency in Japan, is opening a brand new Moomin Shop on December 16 in Ginza, while a new Moomin Café is scheduled to open in Shibuya in spring 2023. Moomin-themed sweets shops and souvenir vending machines are also in the pipeline.
In the meantime, you can get the full Moomin experience at Saitama’s Moominvalley Park, where you’ll find character greeting events, souvenir shops and Scandinavian food.
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