Halloween at Starbucks looks different depending on where you are standing. In the United States, a chocolate cake flavored Black Cat Frappuccino arrives later this month. In Japan, the season started on October 9 with a purple drink, a hidden cat, and a choice that sounds small until you are at the register: black ears or white ears?
Starbucks Coffee Japan built this year around a character it calls the Phantom Purple Cat, said to be lurking in a mysterious forest. The theme name is a mouthful, Halloween Purple Cat in Mystery Forest, and the headline drink is the Blackberry Yogurt Frappuccino, sold in two versions for a limited time at stores across Japan, with some locations excluded.
Two Berries, Two Kinds of Chocolate
The base is the same in both cups. Blueberry yogurt brings a bright, tangy flavor and a soft fruit texture, and blackberry chocolate sauce runs through it for a deeper, darker sweetness. Real fruit pieces are in the mix too, according to Starbucks Japan, so it should drink more like a berry yogurt treat than a straight chocolate dessert.
The difference sits right on top. The Black Ears version is finished with bitter dark chocolate shaped like cat ears, which gives it a cooler look and a more grown up finish. The White Ears version uses white chocolate ears, sweeter and milkier. Starbucks Japan frames it as picking your cat to match your mood, and notes that shortages could limit the choice on a given day.
Both drinks come in Tall only. The price is 717 yen for takeout or 730 yen if you are staying in the store. Starbucks Japan has not set a fixed end date in its announcement, only that the drink may sell out temporarily or end early.
A Scone That Looks Back at You
Joining the drinks is the Matcha Anko Butter Chocolate Scone Sandwich. Matcha bean paste and butter are tucked inside a black chocolate scone, and Starbucks Japan says the shape resembles a ghost sticking out its tongue. Under the jokes, the flavor idea is serious: matcha bitterness and salty butter against sweet bean paste, held together by a roasted chocolate scone. It costs 412 yen for takeout or 420 yen for dine in.
There is a small extra for Starbucks Rewards members in Japan, including provisional app members. From October 9 to October 15, members could add chocolate chips to either version of the Frappuccino at no extra charge, either through mobile order or by showing a designated code at the register. That window has now closed, but it is a good example of how Japan uses short member perks to give regulars a reason to try a seasonal drink early.
Go Looking for the Cat
My favorite part of this launch is not in the cup at all. The purple cat is hidden around participating stores, and customers can follow its paw prints to find it. Each store hides it somewhere different, so a visit to a second location starts the hunt over again. Starbucks Japan ran a matching game on its official X account through October 18, where reposting or commenting with the campaign hashtag brought back an illustrated result showing whether you had caught the cat.
For partners, a hunt like this changes the feel of a shift in a nice way. Instead of only answering questions about a new build, they get to watch kids and regulars wander the cafe looking for paw prints. It turns a seasonal launch into a small store experience, the kind people remember after the drink is gone.
If you are in Japan this month, the decision is pleasantly low stakes. Pick the ears that match your mood, try the scone if the case still has one, and take a minute to look for the cat before you leave. Halloween drinks come and go every year. One that sends you exploring the store on your way out is doing a little extra work, and I am glad Starbucks Japan leaned into that.
Sources:
- Starbucks Japan: Phantom Purple Cat Halloween Release, Blackberry Yogurt Frappuccino Black Ears and White Ears Versions on Sale October 9
- QSR Media Asia: Starbucks Japan Unveils Halloween Menu
- SoraNews24: Starbucks Japan Releases New Halloween Frappuccino for 2026, Inspired by a Cat in a Mystery Forest
- Totally The Bomb: Starbucks Japan Purple Cat Frappuccino: October 9 Launch
