Love Rilakkuma? Happy Land now open at SM North Edsa

At my age (obviously) I’m not done buying cute stuff.
It started with Dick Bruna and Sanrio in the early ’70s, and while there have been so many others, none have made me feel as guilty than Rilakkuma or “relax bear.”

Designed by Aki Kondo and produced by San-X Japan in 2003, Rilakkuma depicts a lazy bear in relaxed mood—sort of like me.
My friend Mich is a diehard fan of Rilakkuma and can’t go to sleep with the one she calls “Porkchop.”

Recently I got invited to visit Happy Land at SM North Edsa, a store dedicated to Rilakkuma.
At first I was hesitant to go all the way to QC until the owner, Marivic Chua, assured me their company “is the only one recognized and authorized by SanX Japan to open stores in the Philippines for all licensed Rilakkuma products.”

Marivic’s company also holds the license for Hello Kitty apparel in the Philippines. She says it’s very easy to spot a real Rilakkuma from the fake ones.
“If you look at the eyes of authentic Rilakkuma, you will see that they are symmetrical and balanced. The big plush toys have beads in the hands so that owners can press on them when stressed.”

Marivic says there’s a huge difference in the materials used for the authentic plush toys and the fake ones. Authentic Rilakkuma plush toys are very soft to the touch.
“Some people ask why our items are expensive. I tell them to compare our items to the fake ones, which are cheaper. They may look the same from afar but the feel is different.”

Marivic sent me the giant cream bear on the right

Opened last August 2014, the store is not easy to find—at the 2nd floor of the main building of SM North Edsa.
The easiest way is to get dropped off at the Jollibee entrance on the first level and take an escalator to the second floor. Happy Land is not far from Booksale. Hopefully you won’t miss it with its clean interior design, following the look of San-X stores in Japan.
Here’s what we found: the canvas bags