In Japanese convenience stores (often called Konbini), unique new products are released almost every week. Today, we are introducing a special bread developed jointly with local high school students, released exclusively in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions of Western Japan.
Here is a look at this carefully crafted item created through a collaboration between Shimane Prefectural Taisha High School and Lawson.
Product Details: Fluffy Mochi Tsubuan & Whipped Cream Bread
This product features whipped cream made with milk produced in Shimane Prefecture.
- Product Name: Fluffy Mochi Tsubuan & Whipped Cream Bread (Uses whipped cream made with Shimane Prefecture milk)
- Release Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026
- Price: 178 yen (approx. $1.20 USD)
- Sales Region: Lawson stores in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions of Japan (excluding some areas)
Ideas from Japanese High School Students Made into a Product
This bread was born from a joint development project with local high school students.
The partner, Shimane Prefectural Taisha High School, is known for advancing to the “Best 8” in the summer 2024 “Koshien.” Koshien is the National High School Baseball Championship, a wildly popular event in Japan.
For this project, it wasn’t the baseball team, but a group of volunteer students—primarily from the Home Economics Club—who participated in the development. They took marketing lectures from Lawson and brainstormed over 50 ideas. This bread is the one that survived the fierce competition to be selected.
Recreating the Japanese Sweet “Cream Zenzai”
The concept of this bread is the traditional Japanese sweet, “Cream Zenzai.”
1. Unique “Fluffy Mochi” Texture
The bread dough is designed to be fluffy yet have a distinct chewy (mochi-mochi) texture.
2. Harmony of Tsubuan and Whipped Cream
Inside the bread, two fillings are sandwiched together:
- Tsubuan (Sweet Red Bean Paste): A traditional Japanese paste made by boiling red beans with sugar while keeping the shape of the beans.
- Whipped Cream: A rich cream using local milk from Shimane Prefecture.
3. Surprising Texture with Gyuhi
Furthermore, granular “Gyuhi” is mixed into the Tsubuan. Gyuhi is a type of soft rice cake (mochi). Eating this gives you the sensation of enjoying a dessert that contains mochi.
Package Design Filled with Students’ Passion
The attention to detail isn’t just in the taste, but also in the appearance.
The students also devised the product’s packaging design. It features a cross-section of the bread and an illustration of Cream Zenzai, which inspired the flavor. This was done so that customers picking up the product in the store could immediately imagine what it tastes like.
In Japanese convenience stores, product development in collaboration with local communities and schools like this takes place frequently. If you have the chance to visit the Chugoku or Shikoku regions, please look for this bread packed with the ideas of local youth.
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