Candles debut as Starbucks Japan rolls out Christmas 2025 goods and drinkware

Holiday cheer lands in Japan with candles and collectibles

Starbucks Japan is ringing in the season with a Christmas 2025 merchandise lineup that blends cozy rituals with gift friendly design. The collection goes on sale online at 8 p.m. on 31 October (JST) and arrives in stores nationwide on 1 November. Fans will find a tighter drinkware range than in past years, a broad mix of stationery and gift cards, cute ornaments, plush Bearista companions, and a new category for the market, a trio of candles inspired by signature tea and coffee aromas. The release aligns with the start of Japan’s holiday drinks, a moment that typically sparks long lines, fast online sellouts, and a wave of social media posts highlighting the first red cup of the year.

This year brings a first for Starbucks Japan, the Starbucks Moment candle collection. The scents are designed to mirror the comfort of enjoying a warm cup, with profiles drawn from Joyful Medley tea, Yuzu Citrus & Tea, and Coffee & Spice. Alongside the candles, the core goods keep the palette festive with reds and warm metallic accents, while Bearista characters and gingerbread motifs add a playful touch for gifts and stocking stuffers.

Availability is split across the Starbucks official online store and physical locations. Online traffic can surge at the evening drop time, so shoppers often sign in early, add payment details in advance, and refresh at launch. In store, popular items can sell out in the first days, especially anything with novelty features or seasonal colorways that collectors watch closely each year.

What stands out in the 2025 lineup

The drinkware selection is concise and focused, making it easier for shoppers to choose a daily cup or a gift that feels festive without being overwhelming. Headliners include the Stainless Steel Gingerbread Mug, the Double Walled Heat Resistant Star Glass that shows off hot or iced layers, and the Red Reusable Cup. A special Red Reusable Cup set includes a Bearista cap that plugs the drinking hole to help prevent spills. The cap comes only as part of the set, which is likely to increase demand from buyers who want the spill stopper as a functional accessory.

Gift cards and stationery take center stage

Cards and paper goods outnumber drinkware this season, a sign that Starbucks expects more gifting and office desk usage during the holidays. Options include a Gold Notebook, Red Campus Ring Note, and multiple card formats such as the Red Cup Beverage Card, Food and Beverage Card, Bearista Message Gift, and Mini Cup Gift. These items are simple to mail, easy to bundle with a drink voucher, and budget friendly. They also tend to be restocked more frequently than ceramic or glass items, which usually come in smaller runs and can sell through quickly.

Candles inspired by Starbucks beverages

The Starbucks Moment candle collection adds a new layer to the brand’s holiday ritual in Japan. Each candle is designed to evoke specific menu favorites, turning familiar flavors into scent profiles for the home. It is a natural fit for customers who already bring seasonal tea or coffee home and want to extend that feeling with a relaxing fragrance during winter evenings.

Joy inspired by Joyful Medley

Joy draws on Starbucks Joyful Medley tea, the blend that anchors the season in Japan. Joyful Medley combines oolong and jasmine with fruit notes like apricot, and this year the tea blend features mirabelle plum for extra depth. The candle translation leans into a bright, lightly floral character with soft stone fruit, a scent built to signal celebration time when lights are on and gatherings begin.

Refresh with Yuzu Citrus and Tea

Refresh aims for a clean, crisp profile. Yuzu, a citrus used widely in Japanese winter cuisine and bath rituals, brings a lively top note that pairs with gentle tea aromatics. The result feels airy and rejuvenating, a good pick for daytime burn sessions or kitchen spaces where a zesty note is welcome.

Relax with Coffee and Spice

Relax is the warmest of the trio, with coffee aroma rounded by baking spice. Think of the comforting scents that often accompany gingerbread or holiday loaves. The profile suits late night reading or a quiet afternoon at home. It complements the return of spiced coffee drinks on the menu, creating a sensory match between cup and living room.

While Starbucks has long focused on mugs and tumblers, the candle move reflects broader interest in home fragrance during winter. Coffee and tea scents can be cozy without being heavy, which fits apartments and small rooms where lighter fragrance is preferable. The jars also work as small decor pieces that pair nicely with red cup collectibles on a shelf.

Ornaments and plush friends

The brand’s Bearista characters are back in smaller and seasonal forms. The Bearista Mini Set, Bearista Gingerbread Man, and Bearista Carnival Mini cover cute desk companions and kid friendly gifts. Starbucks customers collect these over time, often matching a new Bearista with the year’s cup design.

Tree decorations lean into red cup nostalgia and miniaturized tumblers. The Red Cup Gingerbread Man Ornament, Red Cup Bearista Ornament, and Cold Cup Tumbler Ornament provide a simple way to bring cafe culture home. Sets like these also help decorate small apartments where space is tight, since they carry color and shape without taking up table space.

Roastery exclusives spotlight holiday showtime style

Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo is running its own limited range under the theme Holiday Showtime, with a sophisticated palette of gold and velvet navy. The design cues evoke stage lights and theater curtains, an elegant counterpoint to the bright red cup look. These items are produced for the Roastery and the official online store, which makes them appealing to collectors and visitors who want something they cannot find at a neighborhood cafe.

The lineup includes the Starbucks Reserve Stainless Bottle Blue and Silver 591 ml at 5,300 yen (about 36 USD), the Stainless Bottle Silver 281 ml at 4,800 yen (about 32.50 USD), and the Stainless Cold Cup Tumbler Red 473 ml with lids for hot and cold at 5,300 yen (about 36 USD). Ceramic options include the Stripe Mug in blue or white 355 ml at 3,600 yen each (about 24 USD) and the Drape Mug Navy 355 ml at 3,300 yen (about 22 USD). There are stem glasses in metallic blue or silver 355 ml at 3,100 yen each (about 21 USD), and several ornaments such as a Drape Mug, a silo glass, and a miniature coffee bag at 2,300 yen each (about 15.50 USD). A Roastery snow globe at 3,800 yen (about 26 USD) and drawstring pouches round out the series.

Sales for these exclusives begin with an online pre sale at 8 p.m. on 31 October (JST), followed by store release on Saturday, 1 November. Quantities can be limited, and some items will only be available at the Roastery in Nakameguro or through the official online channel. The color story makes these pieces easy to gift to coffee fans who prefer understated design to bright holiday prints.

Holiday drinks in Japan tie the theme together

Japan’s drink lineup introduces the seasonal Joyful Medley tea in multiple forms. The Strawberry and Joyful Medley Tea Frappuccino blends strawberry pulp with a milky tea base and layers the drink diagonally for a candy stripe look. It is topped with whipped cream and freeze dried strawberries and is offered iced in Tall size starting at 687 yen. The Strawberry Mousse and Joyful Medley Tea Latte features tart strawberry mousse over a rich tea latte, available iced or hot in several sizes, from 570 to 710 yen. Fans can add holiday mini cookies shaped like ribbons, snowmen, bears, and dolls for a playful topping.

Returning staples include the Joyful Medley Tea Latte and the Gingerbread Latte. Both connect to the scent profiles featured in the new candles, reinforcing the theme across cafe visits and at home. All holiday drinks roll out on 1 November across Japan, replacing the Halloween menu.

How Japan compares with global holiday drops

In North America, Starbucks holiday merchandise and menu return in early November with a different slate of goods, from a glass Bearista cold cup to a red ribbon tumbler and a gold poinsettia mug. Select Starbucks Reserve locations in the United States add limited collections tied to the espresso martini and a holiday record player set. There is also a collaboration with Hello Kitty in the United States and Canada starting on 6 November, featuring a plush in a Starbucks apron and a range of mugs and cold cups. Japan, by contrast, is leaning into candles and a streamlined drinkware range for the core cafes, while the Tokyo Roastery presents a more refined gift assortment in deep navy and gold.

Starbucks framed the season in a simple way in its North American announcement, a message that matches how the brand rolls out the holidays worldwide.

Starting Nov. 6, Starbucks is welcoming the most magical time of year with the return of its beloved holiday menu at stores nationwide.

The tone is familiar across markets. Nostalgic color palettes, collectible cups, and quick to sell seasonal goods create a short shopping window. Japan’s addition of candles gives fans a new way to carry the experience into their living rooms, while the Roastery’s Holiday Showtime theme offers something dressier for gift exchanges and year end parties.

Buying tips and availability

Online sales begin at 8 p.m. on 31 October (JST) through the official Starbucks store. In store sales start 1 November when the holiday drinks launch. If a specific item is a must have, consider the online drop, since some products arrive at local stores in smaller quantities. Create or sign in to an account in advance and set up payment and shipping details for faster checkout at launch time.

For the Red Reusable Cup with the Bearista spill cap, remember that the cap comes only as part of the set. Stationery and gift cards are generally easier to find after release day. Ornaments and plush Bearista items often sell out first, so it helps to visit early or check the online listing at the evening launch time. The Roastery exclusives are limited to the Nakameguro flagship and the official online store. If an item is sold out, avoid reseller markups when possible, since restocks can happen during the season.

At a Glance

• Online sales start at 8 p.m. on 31 October (JST), in store sales begin 1 November across Japan
• New Starbucks Moment candle collection debuts in Japan with Joy, Refresh, and Relax scents
• Drinkware lineup is smaller, including a Stainless Steel Gingerbread Mug and a Double Walled Heat Resistant Star Glass
• Red Reusable Cup set includes a Bearista cap that plugs the drinking hole, the cap is only sold with the set
• Gift cards and stationery outnumber drinkware, with items like Gold Notebook and Red Campus Ring Note
• Ornaments include Red Cup Gingerbread Man, Red Cup Bearista, and Cold Cup Tumbler designs
• Roastery Tokyo Holiday Showtime range features navy and gold pieces, with prices from 980 to 5,300 yen
• Seasonal drinks in Japan highlight Joyful Medley tea and the Gingerbread Latte returns on 1 November
• Global markets carry different goods, including a Hello Kitty collaboration in the United States and Canada from 6 November
• Plan ahead for online checkout and early store visits, resellers can push prices above retail