Last year, Mister Donut debuted a special new donut commemorating its milestone 55th anniversary: the Mocchurin.

Characterized by their ultra-chewy texture and kitschy mascot, the Japan-exclusive Mocchurin went viral on Japanese social media almost instantly. But with increased demand and a limited-time availability, some customers were unable to try it before it was gone.

Mocchurin is now finally back and people are waiting in massive lines to not miss out again, with some reporting waiting for several hours at the donut shops even amidst a typhoon — and reservations even indicating an unbelievable 140,000-minute wait time. 

Image courtesy of PR Times

What Are Mocchurin Donuts?

Mocchurin donuts boast that they are the “ultimate chewy texture.” The donuts blend glutinous rice flour and regular rice flour for a super soft and springy bite.

Though Mister Donut originated as an American company, it truly exploded in Japan especially after the chain introduced donuts made exclusively for the Japanese market. Their iconic Pon de Ring donut was born after consumer studies highlighted how Japanese customers love chewy “mochi mochi” treats. As a callback to one of their defining moments, Mister Donut released the Mocchurin collection last summer with flavors inspired by traditional sweets: kinako (soybean flour), mitarashi (sweet soy sauce glaze), warabimochi (bracken starch) and azuki (red bean paste).

For their current re-release, there are three available flavors. Kinako (¥220) and mitarashi (¥231) donuts have returned, and the strawberry Mocchurin (¥242) is a newly introduced flavor. The strawberry donut has a strawberry filling, whipped cream and strawberry sugar.

“The line is insanely long even before the store opens. What’s even worse, I could only buy two out of the three [donuts] after waking up so early,” wrote a customer on X.

Mocchurin Madness: The 140,000-Minute Wait

With impending FOMO, customers quickly scoured Mister Donut shops. The Mister Donut Net Order website continually has a “high traffic” warning and some customers reported stated wait times upwards of 140,000 minutes (approximately 97 whole days) when online reservations first opened. 

For those who weren’t so lucky with the reservation system, many tried their luck waiting at the donut shops. Long swirling lines circled the shops and users on social media reported waiting around two to three hours. 

Though some days have passed from the big debut, Mocchurin Madness is still in full swing. As the donuts sell out fast, some have resorted to camping out an hour or two before the donut shop even opens. “I went 30 minutes before opening and there were already 63 people in line. By 9:00 it was already over 100 people,” reported another customer on X.

“No way, it looks like a line for Disneyland,” said a passerby at the Mister Donut Kichijoji Sunroad store. 

Others have been reacting to the craze with discussions on consumerism and queuing culture in Japan, citing other massively popular limited-time campaigns like the McDonald’s Chiikawa drop. With collaborations, limited-editions, seasonal and exclusive products shining all around, the constant lottery entries and line waiting are bringing some to burnout.

How To Get the Mocchurin Donuts

There are three ways to order Mocchurin donuts. You can place mobile orders through the Net Order website or the Mister Donut app. You can also wait on standby at the shops, though daily stock is very limited and reservations are prioritized. Mister Donut put out a massive official document listing the batch times and donut quantities for each participating location. 

Mister Donut has not officially stated any rules and restrictions, but purchase limits and numbered tickets may be implemented depending on the store.

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