Super Mario is getting his own Nagasaki pork belly buns

Nagasaki food company Iwasaki Honpo has released a "Super Mario Kakuni Manju 3-piece box" in collaboration with JR Kyushu. The themed braised pork belly buns launched on March 12, 2026, and are available through the company's online store for 2,300 yen (roughly $14.55).

Nintendo does a lot of regional crossovers in Japan. We have seen Mario on Baskin-Robbins ice cream and limited-edition train passes. This specific tie-in targets a famous Kyushu delicacy. Iwasaki Honpo started making Kakuni Manju in 1985, a claim that could not be independently verified. Coincidentally, that is the exact same year the original Super Mario Bros. Launched on the Famicom. I always appreciate when a corporate synergy lines up perfectly on the calendar. While the platformer has been around for 41 years, the duration of the pork bun's production could not be confirmed.

Secret sauce and steamed buns

The package includes three of Iwasaki Honpo's signature buns. Kakuni Manju is a thick slice of braised pork belly folded inside a fluffy white steamed bun. The company uses carefully selected pork and a specific secret sauce to flavor the meat. They currently hold the top market share for this regional dish in Nagasaki. They operate multiple physical storefronts in the city. The new Mario-themed set puts the familiar mustachioed plumber right on the red packaging.

This release is part of the larger "Super Mario x JR Kyushu" campaign. JR Kyushu was formed in 1987 during the privatization of the Japanese national railway system. Today, non-railway operations like retail, real estate, and hotels make up about 60 percent of their total sales. Partnering with Nintendo is a straightforward way to drive tourism and merchandise revenue across their stations.

From Jumpman to Kyushu tourism

Japanese railway companies frequently use popular media characters to promote regional tourism. A family taking the Kyushu Shinkansen might buy a special train pass, stop at a station kiosk, and pick up a box of Mario-branded pork buns as a souvenir. It is a highly effective retail environment.

The Super Mario franchise has been a reliable marketing tool for this kind of thing for decades. The character first appeared as Jumpman in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong before getting his own series. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, the franchise helped revive the North American video game industry after the 1983 crash. It has successfully navigated the jump from 2D side-scrolling to 3D open-world games like Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Odyssey. Now, the brand helps sell braised pork in Fukuoka.

You can read the original announcement over at Game Watch Impress. The 2,300 yen price tag is a premium for three pork buns, but buyers are paying for the custom box and the Nintendo licensing fee.