McDonald's Japan is teaming up with Morinaga, a candy brand generations of Japanese kids grew up with, for three limited-time desserts that land nationwide on July 15, 2026. There's a McFlurry mixed with the crunchy peanuts from Choco Ball, a McShake built around the fizzy-candy taste of Morinaga Ramune, and a hot pie filled with Morinaga's Milk Caramel. All three are exclusive to McDonald's in Japan, so you won't find them back home.
For travelers, that makes them an easy, cheap way to taste some of Japan's most nostalgic candy flavors in a place you already know. Prices start at 190 yen, so it's a low-stakes afternoon treat when the summer heat gets to you. A ramune-flavored shake is an odd combo even by Japanese standards, the kind of thing you order mostly to see if it works.
The three Morinaga candies behind this collab (Ramune, Choco Ball, and Milk Caramel) are also easy to find at any Japanese convenience store or supermarket. For where to find them, see our Japanese Convenience Stores (Konbini): The First-Timer's Guide to Food, ATMs & Services.
When and Where (This Summer Only)
Release date | Wednesday, July 15, 2026 |
|---|---|
Sales period | July 15 to mid-August (planned) |
Where | McDonald's nationwide (a few stores excluded) |
Price | From 190 yen (tax included) |
No exact end date has been announced, so if any of these catch your eye, stop in early in your trip.
The Three Sweets
Three items, and if you're only picking one, the shake or the McFlurry is the lighter bet.
McFlurry(R) Choco Ball (from 370 yen)
Image used with permission
Smooth soft serve mixed with the same crunchy peanuts you'd find in Choco Ball, one of Morinaga's classic candies. It's finished with two sauces developed with Morinaga, a peanut-flavored chocolate and a milk chocolate, so you get cold, creamy ice cream against a toasty peanut crunch. Sold from 10:30 a.m. (until 1:00 a.m. at 24-hour stores).
McShake(R) Morinaga Ramune (S from 190 yen / M from 270 yen)
Image used with permission
This one wraps the crisp, fizzy taste of Morinaga Ramune candy in a creamy McShake. You get that clean, soda-like tingle alongside the gentle sweetness of milk, and a genuinely cold cup on a hot, sweaty day. It's the cheapest of the three, starting at 190 yen for a small. Like the McFlurry, it's sold from 10:30 a.m. (until 1:00 a.m. at 24-hour stores).
Morinaga Milk Caramel Pie (from 200 yen)
Image used with permission
A flaky, burnt-caramel pie crust filled with two kinds of caramel cream, one rich and one mild. The warm pie and its deep, caramel sweetness pair nicely with a cold shake or McFlurry. Of the three, this is the only one available all day, from open to close.
What Are These Morinaga Candies, Anyway?
Each of the three candies behind the collab has a long history in Japan, and a little background makes the sweets more fun to order.
Morinaga Ramune (ラムネ) is a candy launched in 1973. It's made with up to 90% glucose, so it melts on your tongue almost instantly, and it comes in a container shaped like an old-fashioned ramune soda bottle, a shape so distinctive that it's a registered trademark.
Morinaga Milk Caramel goes all the way back to 1913. More than a century later, the flavor and the little yellow box have barely changed, which makes it one of Japan's most iconic caramels.
Choco Ball is a candy of peanuts or caramel coated one piece at a time in chocolate. Its mascot is a big-beaked bird named Kyoro-chan (キョロちゃん), and if you collect one "Gold Angel" or five "Silver Angels" printed inside the box, you can send away for an "Omocha no Kanzume" (おもちゃのカンヅメ), literally a "can of toys." That campaign has been running for more than half a century.
Image used with permission
Making the Most of McDonald's in Japan
If you're stopping by a McDonald's in Japan anyway, a few local quirks are handy to know.
Besides ordering at the counter, you can use Mobile Order from your phone. The official McDonald's Japan app lets you order and pay ahead, then pick up at the counter or have your food brought to your table. The app also drops coupons, so it's worth installing if you plan to visit more than once.
You've got plenty of ways to pay. Along with cash and credit cards, there are QR-code payments like PayPay, d-payment, Rakuten Pay, and au PAY, transit IC cards (Suica, PASMO), and e-money like WAON, nanaco, and Rakuten Edy (a few stores excluded). Nearly any method you're carrying will work, so there's no need to feel awkward about ordering just one small dessert.
Japan's McDonald's also carries items you won't see anywhere else. The Teriyaki McBurger (てりやきマックバーガー), with its soy-based teriyaki sauce, is the classic example. Pair a sweet with something Japan-only while you're there.
For the World Cup burgers that have been on sale since June, see our McDonald's Japan's World Cup Menu: A Traveler's Guide to the 8 "VIVA! World Mac" Items and Collectible Cups (June 2026).
Before You Go
All prices are tax-included and written as "from X yen" (for example, "from 190 yen"), which means the exact price can vary by location. Treat the listed figure as the lowest-store baseline.
The sweets are planned to run through mid-August, but the end date could shift. Keep in mind that the McFlurry Choco Ball and the McShake Morinaga Ramune both start at 10:30 a.m., so first thing in the morning, the only one of the three you can order is the Morinaga Milk Caramel Pie. Check the official site for the latest details.
Official site: 
ニュースリリース | マクドナルド公式
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.
