Meiji Milk Chocolate, loved across generations since its release in 1926, reached its 100th anniversary on September 13, 2026 (Sunday). To mark the occasion, Meiji Co., Ltd. will hold the "Meiji Milk Chocolate 100th Anniversary Exhibition" for a limited time at Tokyo International Forum from December 23, 2026 (Wednesday). Tickets go on sale on October 29 (Thursday).
The exhibition looks back on the 100-year history and appeal of Meiji Milk Chocolate. On display are a timeline of the 100 years, packaging designed for each era, and advertisements featuring iconic talents. Original celebratory illustrations and messages by 40 manga artists and 21 artists, who have helped lead Japanese pop culture from the Showa era to the Reiwa era, are also exhibited.
Through the exhibition, Meiji expresses its gratitude to everyone who has picked up Meiji Milk Chocolate, and offers a warm experience in which each visitor can recall memories from childhood to the present and the Meiji Milk Chocolate that was beside them. Over the next 100 years, Meiji Milk Chocolate aims to keep delivering unchanging gentleness and evolving deliciousness that stays close to everyone's "story."
Exhibition Details
- Dates and hours: December 23 (Wednesday) to December 30 (Wednesday), 2026, 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
- Last admission: 7:30 PM
- Venue: Tokyo International Forum, Hall E2 (3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005)
- Admission: Advance ticket ¥500 (tax included); same-day ticket ¥700 (tax included); free for preschool children
- Visitor gift: One bar of Meiji Milk Chocolate per ticket
- Ticket sales start: October 29, 2026 (Thursday), 10:00 AM
- Ticket sites: Lawson Ticket and e+ (same-day tickets are sold at the venue's entrance gate)
- Lawson Ticket: https://l-tike.com/meijimilkc/
- e+: https://eplus.jp/meiji-milkchocolate100th/
Notes
- Date changes, cancellations, and refunds are not available after purchase.
- Guests and content for talk events and similar programs will be announced in order. Even after the content is announced, date changes and refunds are not available.
- Speakers and event content may change without notice.
- Issuing an advance ticket requires an issuing fee in addition to the ticket price.
Background
Meiji Milk Chocolate marked 100 years since its release on September 13, 1926. The century is the history of a single product sold over a long time, and also the time in which chocolate, a new food culture, took root in daily life in Japan. To keep offering unchanging gentleness, Meiji Milk Chocolate has kept asking what should change.
The materials on display trace 100 years of manufacturing and culture. They offer clues to what was valued at the time and which answers were chosen, giving a glimpse of the cultural background of each era as well as the path of Meiji Milk Chocolate.
Through these materials, visitors can look back on their own memories of Meiji Milk Chocolate, such as "I often ate it as a child," "I shared it with someone special," and "I ate it during breaks from studying for entrance exams," and connect them with their own life stories.
Exhibition Highlights (Excerpt)
Meiji Milk Chocolate History Exhibition
The entrance of the venue begins with a giant wall printed with actual chocolate blocks (巨大ミルチブロック壁面). The exhibition shows packaging designs through the years, advertising visuals and transit advertisements that represent each era from the Showa era to the Reiwa era, as well as introductions to people connected with Meiji Milk Chocolate and related books. Among them is Taku Izumi (いずみたく), who wrote the lyrics and composed the "Meiji Chocolate Theme" (明治チョコレート・テーマ), known for the phrase "チョコレートは明治♪".
100th Anniversary Collaboration Works
More than 60 creators in total, including manga artists, artists, and novelists who represent Japanese pop culture, are contributing collaboration works to the exhibition.
Over its 100 years, Meiji Milk Chocolate has been familiar to many people across generations. Alongside it are each person's life, memories, and encounters with works that stayed in their hearts. For this exhibition, creators active at the forefront of different fields expressed Meiji Milk Chocolate from their own perspectives. Visitors can touch the history of Meiji Milk Chocolate through memories evoked by these varied works.
In the manga corner, special celebratory illustrations and messages drawn for the 100th anniversary of Meiji Milk Chocolate by 40 manga artists who represent Japanese culture in the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras are gathered. They are collaborations between Meiji Milk Chocolate and well-known manga that can be seen only at this exhibition.
In the artist corner, 21 artists from various genres display special works and messages created for the 100th anniversary of Meiji Milk Chocolate. The works range from paintings to three-dimensional pieces and art using unusual materials, with a wide variety of techniques and styles. The artists express their memories and the appeal of Meiji Milk Chocolate from their own viewpoints, such as the shape and taste of the chocolate bar, the joy of the moment of eating it, and time spent with others. Visitors can enjoy the works while connecting them with their own memories.
The collaboration works and messages will also be published on the Meiji Milk Chocolate brand site from October 28, 2026 (Wednesday).
Meiji Milk Chocolate official brand site: https://www.meiji.co.jp/products/brand/mchoco/anniversary/mchoco-to-watashi/
Participating Manga Artists and Works (40 in total)
Listed in order of serialization start (for some titles, the release date of the first collected volume is reflected). Honorifics omitted.
- 細川智栄子あんど芙～みん『王家の紋章』
- 成田美名子『エイリアン通り』
- 高橋陽一『キャプテン翼』
- あだち充『タッチ』
- 北条司『シティーハンター』
- おのえりこ『こっちむいて！みい子』
- 板垣恵介『刃牙らへん』
- 神尾葉子『花より男子』
- 吉住渉『ママレード・ボーイ』
- 由貴香織里『天使禁猟区』
- 満田拓也『MAJOR』
- 久住昌之『孤独のグルメ』
- 山田南平『紅茶王子』
- 清水玲子『秘密 ―トップ・シークレット―』
- 矢沢あい『NANA』
- 二ノ宮知子『のだめカンタービレ』
- 篠塚ひろむ『ミルモでポン!』
- 仲村佳樹『スキップ・ビート！』
- 小畑友紀『僕等がいた』
- ひぐちアサ『おおきく振りかぶって』
- 中原杏『きらりん☆レボリューション』
- いくえみ綾『潔く柔く』
- 寺嶋裕二『ダイヤのA』
- 椎名軽穂『君に届け』
- 枢やな『黒執事』
- 末次由紀『ちはやふる』
- 渡辺航『弱虫ペダル』
- みづほ梨乃『ショコラの魔法』
- 青木琴美『カノジョは嘘を愛しすぎてる』
- 草凪みずほ『暁のヨナ』
- まいた菜穂『12歳。』
- 石塚真一『BLUE GIANT MOMENTUM』
- 小林有吾『アオアシ』
- 山口つばさ『ブルーピリオド』
- しげの秀一『MFゴースト』
- 桜井のりお『僕の心のヤバイやつ』
- 森下suu『ゆびさきと恋々』
- 山田鐘人・アベツカサ『葬送のフリーレン』
- 師走ゆき『多聞くん今どっち!?』
- ふじもとゆうき『寿々木君のていねいな生活』
Participating Artists (21 in total)
Honorifics omitted. Listed in Japanese syllabary order, followed by alphabetical order.
天野タケル, 大村雪乃, カンダ シンジ, 菅野湧己, 久木田大地, 国本泰英, 天明屋尚, 仲 衿香, 中津川 翔太, 沼田侑香, 橋本ユタカ, 樋口絢女, 前田敏幸, 三嶋哲也, AKI TSUKAMOTO, Geoffrey Bouillot, Lotta, SOMETA, YEKA HASKI, Yuki Matsueda, ふゅ
Other Attractions at the Venue
The venue has photo spots where visitors can enjoy the world of Meiji Milk Chocolate and a merchandise corner. Talk events with guests are also planned during the exhibition. Details such as dates, times, and performers will be announced on the official social media accounts as they are decided.
