We first discovered Rilakkuma at a Singapore stationery shop in 2009. He is a funny, lazy bear whose name is a contraction of “Rilak” (relax) and “kuma,” the Japanese word for bear. Combined, it meant “bear in relaxed mood.”

It turned out that Rilakkuma was part of a bigger character house called San-X. In the same way Sanrio had different characters, San-X had figures that were equally as cute as Sanrio’s, but also had quirky and silly personalities such as Tare Panda, a blobby panda that liked hanging out in jars or glasses; Kireizukin Seikatu, a neat freak raccoon who likes cleaning house; and Sumikko Gurashi, four egg-shaped animals whose shyness make them seek out corners.

‘Rilakkuma day’

It used to be difficult to find Rilakkuma and San-X merchandise. We once took a train to the very end of the Kowloon line in Hong Kong to hunt down a Rilakkuma shop that was as big as two bathroom stalls, but was overflowing with Rilakkuma goodies that some of the merchandise had to be taped to the walls.

While traveling, we would always set aside one day as our “Rilakkuma day”; we would look for shops that carried the funny brown bear.

Little did we know that an official shop had already opened in our own backyard—well, at North Edsa, but still closer than Hong Kong or Japan.

Happy Land, located at SM North Edsa, will make any Rilakkuma fan scream with delight. The shop is the official distributor of San-X in Manila, so everything is 100 percent original, and their prices comparable, if not cheaper, than other countries.

Real deal

Shop owner Marivic Chua even gave us a crash course on how to tell if your Rilakkuma plush doll is the real deal. “The eyes are symmetrical and have the same distance from each other; you can also tell by how soft and premium the fabric is,” she says.

Chua, who also holds the Philippine license for Hello Kitty, was introduced to Rilakkuma by business partner Toshihiro Miyagawa. “San-X is actually more popular now in Japan and South Korea because their characters and merchandise also cater to adults,” says Miyagawa.

Indeed, a lot of the products at Happy Land are made for adults, like cute aprons that roll up to look like a full-bodied Rilakkuma, kitchen tools, passport wallets, totes and cosmetic pouches.

It also has an entire display that contains writing instruments—there are Pilot Coleto, Uni Kuru Toga pencils in Rilakkuma prints.

We’ve been to a lot of Rilakkuma stores, and we’re thrilled that Happy Land is as current and well-stocked as the ones abroad.

It likewise has a VIP program that allows frequent buyers to get a discount; it can also accommodate online orders for Rilakkuma fans outside Metro Manila.

Happy Land is at 2/F SM North Edsa Main Mall (near Book Sale and St. Paul’s).