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With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, stores across Japan are sure to be painted chocolate-brown in the coming weeks. Yes, chocolate makers here can count on doing brisk business in the days leading up to February 14, as Valentine’s Day is traditionally a day in Japan when women give gifts of chocolate to men, and shops will typically have whole areas devoted to chocolates of every shape, flavor and price range imaginable. Isetan Department Store is no exception, and one of the chocolates they’ll have on offer this year is … a beautiful creation from popular Italian chocolate manufacturer BABBI that features Sailor Moon and her guardian soldiers!

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Isetan actually collaborated with Sailor Moon last year with great success, and they’ve now teamed up with BABBI to create the “BABBI x Isetan Special Gift,” available in five versions, and the “BABBI x Isetan Special Gift Crystal Star.” The products feature BABBI’s popular Viennesi chocolate wafers and a bonus sticker sheet that come in a lovely original pouch, so the chocolate is not only tasty, but it comes in a visually attractive package as well. 

Below is the line-up of the five “BABBI x Isetan Special Gift” items, featuring Sailor Moon and each of the four Sailor Guardians, available for 1,500 yen (US$12.72) each. The chocolate wafers and sticker come in a beautiful heart-shaped pouch in the color symbolizing each of the characters. The pouch is also embossed with the name and symbol of each character, which is sure to appeal strongly to Sailor Moon fans.

▼The Sailor Moon version in Purple:SM 2_R

▼The Sailor Mercury version in blue:SM 3_R

▼The Sailor Mars version in red:SM 4_R

▼The Sailor Jupiter version in green:SM 5_R

▼The Sailor venus version in orange:SM 6_R

And here’s the “BABBI x Isetan Special Gift Crystal Star” that comes in a pouch with the design of the Crystal Star Brooch recreated with embroidery and rhinestones, priced at 1,700 yen (US$14.42). The package contains the same Viennesi wafers, and the bonus sticker features all five characters together.

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Now, we can certainly understand if fans feel seriously tempted to collect all six of the items; even if you’re not a fan, the beautiful brightly colored pouches look awfully attractive. The special collaborative chocolates are available from Isetan’s online shop as well as the following stores: Shinjuku Isetan Salon du Chocolat Special Exhibit, Iwataya Main Store, Shinjuku Isetan, Nagoya Mitsukoshi Sake Store, Isetan JRA Kyoto Store, Sendai Mitsukoshi, Marui Imai Sapporo Main Store, Isetan Tachikawa Store and the Mitskoshi Takamatsu Store.

As far as we can tell, the Sailor Moon chocolates look to be an enchanting addition to this year’s line-up of Valentine sweets. World class chocolates in a gorgeous pouch — what more could you ask for, right? Sailor Moon’s magical moon prism power may be beyond our reach, but we’re certainly glad we have the magic of chocolate to keep us happy!

Source: PR Times press release (Japanese) via Entabe (Japanese)
Photos: PR Times press release