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Couldn’t get enough of the Chiikawa events and collabs happening all over town last year? Well, you’re in luck: the Chiikawa craze in Hong Kong is far from over, and if you’re a fan of all things cute and adorable, this one will surely warm the cockles of your heart: Chiikawa and friends are returning to town, but as baby versions!
From January 23 to March 2, Niko-Niko Lifestyle Store in Mong Kok’s MOKO shopping mall is hosting the Chiikawa Baby Hong Kong pop-up on the Hong Kong stop of its global tour, giving local fans and collectors a chance to enter the world of Chiikawa Baby to enjoy photo opportunities and character walls, pick up licensed merchandise and new releases, and immerse themselves in the official character experience.
At the 2,000-sq-ft pop-up, the new Chiikawa Baby Series 2 merchandise will be launched concurrently with Japan, so you can get your hands on fresh products and designs featuring baby Chiikawa, baby Usagi, baby Hachiware, and more! From the new collection, shoppers are limited to two pieces per person per item, and there’s a lot to choose from, including the Chiikawa Baby Crawling Baby Plushies, Chiikawa Baby Potty-Style Mascots, Chiikawa Baby Mini Bibs to dress up the dolls, Chiikawa Baby Star Mascot, and Chiikawa Baby Acrylic Magnets. On top of that, there are also Swaddle Plushies, tissue pouches, quilted tote bags, and without a doubt our personal favourite: the Cabbage-Wrapped Usagi Mascot, which you can hang from your bag like a charm (seriously, move over, Labubu).
Other than browsing for loveable chibi Chiikawa characters to take home, there are also two photo spots, one featuring a giant baby crib, where the bib-wearing Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi are displayed sitting on potties, and the other featuring the three characters in illustrations lifted from the pages of the Chiikawa Baby manga.
Hold your horses if you’re hoping to check out the pop-up store in the first week of opening to snag your favourite products from the Chiikawa Baby Series 2 – there’s a reservation system in place, which opens on January 15 at 11am for appointment slots between January 23 and 29. Otherwise, be prepared to wait until January 30 to visit, when the crowd (but maybe not the demand) has died down a bit.
(Don’t know who or what Chiikawa is, or why Hongkongers are so obsessed with it? Here’s our fact sheet on the adorable Japanese illustrated character.)
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