It has a regional focus, celebrity endorsement, and is available for a limited time only. The new Lawson’s special menu produced by Rakuten Eagles baseball star Masahiro Tanaka has all the makings of a convenience store hit.
The Eagles, sponsored by the popular online shopping site Rakuten, are based in Japan’s Northern Tohoku region where the new limited menu will be available. “Ma-kun,” the Eagles starting pitcher, lends his name to classics like Omelet Rice and questionable inventions like Omelet Rice Style Melon Bread.
Convenience stores change the selection of prepared food items on a monthly or weekly basis, running several special campaigns at once. In addition to Ma-kun’s menu for Tohoku, Lawson is also currently featuring a Hokkaido Ham Fighters (another baseball team) tie-in for products exclusive to the Hokkaido region that use only local ingredients.
Meanwhile those of us in Tokyo get the Sukashikashipan (sand dollar) melon bread produced by popular singer Shoko Nakagawa.
And the Naruto-themed selection, as part of the nationwide campaign.
