You've been there. It’s 11:50 AM on the 28th. You are frantically running past the playground in Pelican Town, sweating because your character’s coffee buff just wore off. You reach the bush. You click. Nothing. Then you realize—it's 12:10 PM. You missed it.
The junimo plush stardew valley fans obsess over isn't just a piece of furniture. It’s a rite of passage. If you haven't stood in the northwest corner of town shaking a random bush like a madman, have you even really played Stardew?
Honestly, this one item causes more confusion than the Ginger Island mermaid puzzle. Most players think you need a specific Secret Note to trigger it. You don't. You just need to be in the right place at the exactly right time. And "exactly" means exactly.
The Secret of the 28th
Most people assume the Junimo Plush is a random drop or something you buy from Robin. Nope. This is a one-time-only secret (per save file, usually) hidden in a bush behind the playground.
To get your hands on it, you have to wait until the 28th day of any season. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter—it doesn't matter. What matters is the clock. You have to interact with that specific bush at precisely 12:00 PM.
Not 12:10. Not 11:50.
If you're even a few minutes late in-game, the bush just sits there. It’s stubborn. But if you nail the timing, a massive, oversized Junimo plush pops out and plopping it into your inventory is one of the most satisfying feelings in the game.
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Why is Secret Note 13 a Distraction?
A lot of the confusion stems from Secret Note #13. This note literally tells you where and when to find the plush. Because of that, a huge portion of the community thinks the note is a "flag" in the game code.
They think: "I haven't found the note yet, so the bush won't work."
That’s a total myth. You can go grab that plush on the 28th of Spring in Year 1 if you really want to. You don't need to have seen the note. You don't even need to have unlocked the magnifying glass. The bush is always "active" on the 28th at noon.
Real World Junimo Plushies: Official vs. Knockoffs
Once you get the digital one, you'll probably want a real one. This is where it gets tricky. If you search for a junimo plush stardew valley online, you're going to get hit with a mountain of cheap, weird-looking bootlegs from giant warehouse sites.
If you want the real deal—the stuff that actually supports ConcernedApe (Eric Barone)—you've basically got two main paths: Fangamer and Sanshee.
- Fangamer's Four Seasons Set: These are iconic. They’re small, about 3.5 inches wide, and they have posable arms and legs. They come in a set representing Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. They feel "official" because the design was a collaboration with Kari Fry, who did the art for the official Stardew Valley Guidebook.
- Sanshee Pillow Plushies: If you want something you can actually use as a pillow, Sanshee is the spot. They make 10-inch squishy versions in Green, Blue, Pink, and Yellow. They are massive compared to the Fangamer ones and much better for actual cuddling.
I've seen some "handmade" ones on Etsy that are genuinely beautiful, often using crochet (amigurumi). If you go that route, you’re supporting an artist, which is very in the spirit of Stardew. Just be careful with random Amazon listings; half the time the Junimo ends up looking like a lime with a mid-life crisis.
Can You Get More Than One?
This is a big debate in the forums. In the vanilla, unmodded game, the "Big" Junimo Plush from the bush is a one-time deal. Once you shake it out of the bush, it’s gone.
However, if you're playing 1.6 or later, there have been some changes to how "lost" items work. If you somehow lose your original plush, you might be able to find a replacement at the Lost Items Shop in the Secret Woods, but it'll cost you 10,000g.
For the smaller Junimos? You can get those through the Crane Game inside the Movie Theater.
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The Movie Theater Junimos come in different colors depending on the season. If you're a completionist, you aren't just looking for one plush. You're looking for the whole rainbow. It takes a lot of 500g plays at the crane machine, and honestly, the crane physics are infuriatingly realistic.
The Furniture Catalogue Strategy
If you just want to decorate your house and don't care about the "trophy" aspect of the secret bush, you should know that the Junimo Catalogue (added in the 1.6 update) is a game-changer.
You buy it from Krobus for 70,000g.
It's expensive. It's very expensive. But once you have it, you have unlimited access to Junimo-themed furniture, including various "stuffed" items that look like our forest friends. It’s the easiest way to turn your farmhouse into a Junimo hut without having to wait until the 28th of the month.
Your Next Steps to Cuddle-Town
If you're currently staring at your in-game calendar, here is exactly what you should do to make sure you don't mess this up:
- Set a reminder: If it's the 25th or 26th, don't go into the Mines on the 28th. You'll get distracted by a prehistoric floor and miss your window.
- Clear your inventory: Make sure you have at least one open slot. You don't want to be standing over your prize while the clock ticks to 12:10 PM trying to decide which piece of Sap to throw away.
- Check the map: The bush is at the very top of Pelican Town, above the playground/slide area. It's the large, plush-looking bush on the right side of the path that leads toward the Community Center.
- Double-check the year: If you're on a Joja Run (shame on you, but okay), some players have reported weirdness with the bush triggers, but generally, it should still work.
Go get that round, green friend. Whether it's the giant secret one from the playground or a small posable one from a real-life shop, no farm is complete without a Junimo watching over the hearth.