"Mount Rainier" x "Shincho Bunko": "Honto no Hitoyasumi" Project Launched!

Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Yoichi Onuki) and Shinchosha Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Takanobu Sato) are launching the collaborative project "Honto no Hitoyasumi" (A Real Break) between "Mount Rainier," the No. 1 brand in chilled coffee sales (*), and "Shincho Bunko," which plans the "Shincho Bunko 100 Books" summer bookstore fair celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The project will commence sequentially from Wednesday, July 1st.

*Based on cumulative sales value in the coffee market (container: cup) from April 2025 to March 2026, according to INTAGE SRI+.

This project brings together "Mount Rainier," which has aimed to be a source of support for people living in the current era, and "Shincho Bunko," the planner of "Shincho Bunko 100 Books," to propose a new reading experience unique to this summer, with the concept of "Honto no Hitoyasumi." We believe that "taking a break with a cafe latte" and "immersing oneself in a story by reading a book" are "restful moments" that hold value precisely in today's information-saturated and busy lives. We have planned content and events that can be easily enjoyed not only by avid readers but also by reading beginners, with a "Mount Rainier" in hand.

During the project period, we will release "Mount Rainier ~Shincho Bunko 100 Books Collaboration Novel Package~" allowing you to enjoy novels perfect for a break. The package will feature an impressive excerpt from the works of Saint-Exupéry, Shuntaro Tanikawa, and Sonoko Machida as "Famous Passages for a Break." A special website will allow you to read parts of each work. Additionally, by accessing the QR code on the package, you can read "Mukaburi Shosetsu" (Forced-Prompt Novels) specially written for "Mount Rainier" by popular authors Norio Go, Hikaru Sugii, and Daken. Furthermore, we will hold a new reading experience event called "Hon-pa" (Book Party) set in bookstores at a total of six bookstores nationwide. We will also liven up "Hon-pa" through novelty giveaways and other initiatives at other bookstores across the country.

In addition, a limited collaboration obi featuring Shincho Bunko's new character "Yomumu" holding a "Mount Rainier" will appear on various books, and we will sequentially roll out diverse plans, including a gift campaign to receive "Mount Rainier" original book covers and bookmarks.

<Project Overview>

"Mount Rainier" x "Shincho Bunko" Collaboration Project "Honto no Hitoyasumi"

"Mount Rainier," which accompanies your "break," and Shincho Bunko, which presents "Shincho Bunko 100 Books," are teaming up to propose a new reading experience with the concept of "Honto no Hitoyasumi." Through the comfortable focus and relaxation time brought by cafe latte and books, we deliver a restful moment to immerse yourself in stories in your favorite place and spend time as yourself amidst a busy life overflowing with information. Why not open a page, insert a straw, and embark on your own world of books?

Comment from the "Mount Rainier" Representative at Morinaga Milk Industry

"Mount Rainier" has always been nurtured with the value of "calming the mind" and "being able to be your true self," with the desire to be "a gentle presence that is reassuring to everyone, like a mountain." In this initiative, we are expanding that value to fit modern life and proposing new drinking scenes in daily life. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of seeking time not just for rest, but for self-regulation and preparation for what comes next. Therefore, we focused on reading as an initiative to support "creative rest," leading to this collaboration with "Shincho Bunko." Through special collaboration packages and events unique to this summer, we aim to deliver moments where your heart can gently unfurl within the casual actions of "inserting a straw and turning a page."

Comment from the "Shincho Bunko" Representative at Shinchosha

"Shincho Bunko 100 Books" is a summer paperback fair held at bookstores nationwide in July and August, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. With the desire for people to experience "encounters with books" that can only be found at bookstore counters, we offer a lineup of masterpieces and bestsellers from ancient and modern times that we confidently recommend. This year, through various collaborative initiatives with "Mount Rainier," we propose a rich time spent with books and cafe latte. We aim to deliver the experience of visiting a bookstore, picking up a book, and encountering an unexpected title to even more people.

<Initiative Information>

"Mount Rainier ~Shincho Bunko 100 Books Collaboration Novel Package~"

"Mount Rainier" x "Shincho Bunko"

Overview

We will release "Mount Rainier ~Shincho Bunko 100 Books Collaboration Novel Package~." The package of this product will feature an impressive excerpt from Saint-Exupéry's timeless masterpiece, Shuntaro Tanikawa's humorous essays, and Sonoko Machida's poignant short stories as "Famous Passages for a Break." Additionally, you can read parts of each work on the special website. Furthermore, by accessing through the QR code on the package, you can enjoy "Mukaburi Shosetsu" written by Norio Go, Hikaru Sugii, and Daken, who challenged "forced" themes.

Famous Passages for a Break From "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, translated by Mariko Kono From "Hitorigurashi" by Shuntaro Tanikawa From "Yozora ni Oyogu Chocolate Grammi" by Sonoko Machida

Mukaburi Shosetsu (Forced-Prompt Novels)

Norio Go: "An experience of being stumped by meticulously calculated absurdity."

Hikaru Sugii: "An experience where the entire scenery suddenly flips inside out while immersed in a comfortably transparent world."

Daken: "An experience that makes you want to throw your smartphone after being hit hard by an unexpectedly heavy development."

Release Details

Scheduled for sequential release nationwide in limited quantities starting the week of Monday, July 6th.

Main Sales Outlets

Convenience stores, mass retailers, general retailers

Eligible Products

- Mount Rainier Cafe Latte ~Shincho Bunko 100 Books Collaboration Novel Package~

- Mount Rainier Cafe Latte Espresso ~Shincho Bunko 100 Books Collaboration Novel Package~

- Mount Rainier Cafe Latte Non-Sugar ~Shincho Bunko 100 Books Collaboration Novel Package~

"Hon-pa" Event

Image: "Mount Rainier Book Club: Talkable After Midnight!" Image: "Grass in a Bookstore!? Book Park" Image: "Modern Reincarnation!? Literary Master DJ Night"

"Hon-pa" Special Website

Overview

We will implement unique experiential content at a total of six bookstores in Tokyo, Sapporo, Yamagata, Kyoto, and Nagasaki.

Period

Saturday, August 8th - Saturday, August 22nd

*Dates and times vary by store.

*Minors should participate after checking local ordinances, etc.

Participating Stores

[Tokyo] Kinokuniya Bookstore Shinjuku Main Store / Junkudo Bookstore Ikebukuro Main Store

[Sapporo] Kochu Four Shin-Kawa Dori Store

[Yamagata] Hachimonya Honten

[Kyoto] Ogaki Shoten Kyoto Main Store

[Nagasaki] Metro Shoten Nagasaki Main Store

How to Participate

Details will be released on the "Hon-pa" website (URL: https://www.hon-pa.jp/) starting Wednesday, July 1st.

Advance applications from the special website or ticket purchases may be required depending on the event bookstore/store and experiential content. Please check the website for details.

Details of Each "Hon-pa" Session

*Experiential content is subject to change without notice. Please check the "Hon-pa" special website for details.

Date and Time

Event Bookstore/Store

Experiential Content

Saturday, August 8th

21:00 - 6:00 the next day

Scheduled

Kinokuniya Bookstore Shinjuku Main Store

◆ Opening Event

- Satoshi Ogawa x Mina Miyajima Talk Show

A special talk by the authors of "The Golden Thing You Were Supposed to Receive" and "Naruse Walks the Path He Believed In," new releases from "Shincho Bunko 100 Books."

- In-store Live Performance by Artists

- Grass in a Bookstore!? Book Park

A grass space will appear inside Kinokuniya Bookstore. A special time to read while sitting or lying down within the bookstore.

- Modern Reincarnation!? Literary Master DJ Night

DJs who look just like famous literary figures will play selections perfect for reading.

- Talkable After Midnight! Mount Rainier Book Club

A book event where Yukari Nakase, a famous editor at Shinchosha, and guests answer your worries with books.

- You Be the Teacher!? Literary Master Photo Studio

A photo booth where you can take portraits like literary masters of the Meiji and Showa eras.

- Read Through 'til Morning! Reading Baki-Baki Concentration Zone

A dedicated space to finish the book you want to read. What happens if your concentration is deemed to have broken?

Mid-August Scheduled

Metro Shoten Nagasaki Main Store

◆ Metro Shoten Mystery Game

A mystery-solving event about a "murder case" that occurred in the bookstore.

Mid-August Scheduled

Hachimonya Honten

◆ Ball Pool Event

A giant ball pit will appear in the bookstore!

Mid-August Scheduled

Kochu Four Shin-Kawa Dori Store

Under consideration

Mid-August Scheduled

Ogaki Shoten Kyoto Main Store

◆ "Tsumidoku" (Unread Books) Repellent Summer Festival

A summer festival tour of the bookstore and ghost story streaming with a bookstore employee VTuber & author!

Saturday, August 22nd

27:30 - 6:00 the next day

Scheduled

Junkudo Bookstore Ikebukuro Main Store

◆ Closing Party "MOONLIGHT BOOK CAFE"

Within "Midnight Junk Club," a one-night-only book cafe theme with DJ live performances, installations, etc.

<Gift Campaign Information>

Gift Campaign to Receive "Mount Rainier" Original Book Cover and Bookmark

Overview

By presenting a receipt for the purchase of eligible "Mount Rainier" products and purchasing a "Shincho Bunko" book at a participating bookstore, you will receive an original book cover. The book covers feature limited designs inspired by "Mount Rainier Cafe Latte," "Mount Rainier Cafe Latte Espresso," and "Mount Rainier Cafe Latte Non-Sugar." Additionally, an original bookmark inspired by a straw will be presented as a set.

Period

From Monday, July 20th, 2026 (Ends when supplies run out)

Location

Kinokuniya Bookstore Group, Kumazawa Shoten, Maruzen Junkudo Shoten, Miraiya Shoten (excluding some stores for each)

Participation Requirements

Present a receipt for a "Mount Rainier" (*) purchased on or after Wednesday, July 1st, 2026, when purchasing a "Shincho Bunko" book.

*All "Mount Rainier" products are eligible, except for "Mount Rainier Cafe Latte Sugar-Free Latte" (paper carton type with cap).

Prize

Book Cover (1 out of 3 types), Bookmark (1 type)

<Other>

Limited Collaboration Obi "Yomumu" x "Mount Rainier"

Overview

To commemorate the "Mount Rainier" x "Shincho Bunko" collaboration project, a limited collaboration obi featuring the new character "Yomumu" holding a "Mount Rainier" will appear on eligible works of "Shincho Bunko 100 Books."

Period

From Wednesday, July 1st (Ends when supplies run out)

Location

At bookstores nationwide

<Reference Information>

About "Mount Rainier"

"Mount Rainier" began development as a new style of product that is "easy to carry in one hand" and "easy to drink," inspired by the "caffe latte" blended with steamed milk and espresso coffee that was popular in the early 1990s, centered around Seattle on the West Coast of North America, and was released on February 10th, 1993. It features an exquisite harmony of the moderate bitterness of carefully selected espresso and the gentleness of milk. With a wide variety of flavors to suit individual preferences and moods, it delivers the beginning of a rich and happy time to each person with a cup that is perfect for that moment and that place.

About "Shincho Bunko"

Shincho Bunko, founded in 1914, is the oldest existing "bunko" (paperback series). Under the philosophy of "delivering high-quality literature at a low price," we have published a large number of works, from classic masterpieces to the latest bestsellers. It is also characterized by its specifications that value the "presence of a book" even if small, such as the "spin" (a string that can be used as a bookmark), original paperback paper, and binding called "ten-uncut." The book with the highest number of copies printed to date is Natsume Soseki's "Kokoro," with a cumulative total of 7.88 million copies.