Suzuki Herb Laboratory offers three hand creams with postcards at 432 Ibaraki post offices

Mandarin, plum and lotus flower: hand creams with a choice of scents inspired by Ibaraki are arriving at post offices in the prefecture. Suzuki Herb Laboratory will sell its local hand creams with postcards for a limited period from Thursday, November 5, 2026, through Wednesday, March 31, 2027. There are three varieties, each priced at ¥1,980 (tax included).

Plum and lotus varieties expand to post offices across the prefecture

The sets will be sold at 432 post offices in Ibaraki, with some post offices excluded. Kairakuen Plum Hand Cream and Lotus Flower Hand Cream, which were sold only in selected areas in 2025, are expanding across the prefecture this year, as Fukure Mikan Hand Cream already has. Availability is increasing from 92 post offices for plum and 102 for lotus.

All three hand creams are existing products; the new developments are the sales area and the postcards included in the sets. Checking whether your usual post office stocks them before visiting may make it easier to choose.

Citrus, sweet-tart plum and refreshing lotus flower

• Fukure Mikan Hand Cream: A fresh scent. Contains peel extract from Fukure mandarins grown in Sakuragawa, Ibaraki.
• Kairakuen Plum Hand Cream: Re-creates the scent of the Shirakaga plum variety at Kairakuen. It is described as an elegant, subtly sweet-tart fragrance.
• Lotus Flower Hand Cream: Contains lotus flower extract from Ibaraki. It has an elegant, refreshing scent.

Both the peel extract and lotus flower extract are skin-conditioning ingredients. The manufacturer describes the creams as blending readily into the skin with a light, non-greasy feel. Their different scents offer a starting point for choosing a cream to suit when you plan to use it.

13 postcard designs; check the combinations in store

Each set includes one postcard made from handmade recycled paper using milk cartons. The members of Workru Hope produce both the paper and illustrations. Five designs have been added this year, bringing the total to 13.

The mandarin, plum and lotus designs are paired only with the hand cream featuring the corresponding motif. The other 10 designs are included in sets at random, and some post offices may not stock all designs. Your preferred cream and postcard combination may not be available, so choose after checking the actual sets.

Available through March 31, 2027

Image: courtesy of Suzuki Herb Laboratory Co., Ltd.