Oshi-Katsu Chronicle 2025: Kokuho and LABUBU, HANA's Debut, and the Arrival of Nintendo Switch 2

In 2025, the film Kokuho (“National Treasure”), about the life of a kabuki actor, opened in Japan. Seeing the actors’ performances in a movie theater led some viewers to take an interest in the kabuki stage itself. In summer, a new Demon Slayer movie also opened.

In music, HANA debuted and timelesz became an eight-member group. Goods of the character LABUBU and the new game console Nintendo Switch 2 drew attention too. It was also a year in which official ticket resale services changed, alongside new chances to enjoy shows and works.

Interest Spreads from the Film Kokuho to Its Actors and to Kabuki

Kokuho, released on June 6, stars Ryo Yoshizawa, with Ryusei Yokohama among the cast. It depicts the art and lives of actors on the kabuki stage, and it stayed in theaters for a long time.

According to Toho, the cumulative audience had reached about 13.098 million by December 30, and box office revenue had passed ¥18.47 billion (roughly $123 million). That made it the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film ever. On New Year’s Eve, a special screening was held at the Kabukiza theater in Tokyo, with the cast and director on stage, and it was broadcast live to movie theaters around the country. Toho’s report on the screening (archived) (in Japanese)

About 13.098 million

Cumulative audience as of December 30

¥18.47 billion

Box office revenue passed

A special New Year's Eve screening at the Kabukiza was broadcast live to theaters nationwide.

Source: Toho's report on the screening, archived (in Japanese)

The committee behind the Buzzword of the Year awards also noted that people who saw the film went on to read the original novel or wanted to see real kabuki. Selection commentary on “Kokuho (Mita)” (“Kokuho (I saw it)”) (in Japanese)

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Passes 5 Million Viewers in Four Days

On July 18, the first chapter of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle film, “Akaza Returns,” opened.

According to the official announcement, the four days from July 18 to 21 brought in about 5.16 million viewers and about ¥7.32 billion (roughly $49 million) at the box office. The record covers the first four days after release, including a Monday holiday. Official announcement of July 22 (in Japanese)

The first Infinity Castle film visual combines many characters with overlapping architectural space. It distinguishes this release and setting from Mugen Train.

In September, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc opened as well. Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan’s data on 2025 releases (in Japanese)

HANA Debuts, and timelesz Becomes an Eight-Member Group

HANA, born from an audition produced by the artist Chanmina, released its debut song “ROSE” on April 2. HANA’s official release information (in Japanese)

The announcement pairs the group and song names with separate digital and CD dates. It distinguishes the beginning of streaming from the later physical release.

On February 15, timelesz announced the addition of five new members, making it an eight-member act. The results of the audition that had been streamed since 2024 were settled, and activities by the existing members and the new ones began. Label’s announcement (in Japanese)

King & Prince began its first dome tour as a duo in May. Official introduction of the tour video release (in Japanese)

On December 31, ten acts made their first appearances on NHK’s New Year’s Eve song show, Kohaku Uta Gassen, among them HANA, M!LK, Chanmina, FRUITS ZIPPER, CANDY TUNE, aespa and &TEAM. ILLIT, which first appeared in 2024, was making its second. Announcement of 2025’s first-time performers (in Japanese)

K-Arena Yokohama’s Attendance, and the Imperial Theatre Closes

K-Arena Yokohama ranked first in ticket sales in the 2025 edition of the world arena rankings from the U.S. music industry magazine Pollstar. Annual attendance was reported at about 2.04 million. Operator’s record of the award (in Japanese) / Report on a talk by the venue operator (in Japanese)

Meanwhile, on February 28, the Imperial Theatre, whose second building opened in 1966, closed for rebuilding. The final day’s performance was broadcast live to movie theaters nationwide, so people who couldn’t get a seat in the theater saw the same performance through to the end. Toho’s notice of the closure (archived) (in Japanese) / Information on the final performance’s live viewing (in Japanese)

K-Arena Yokohama

Held many concerts. Its ticket sales over the year became large even among the world's arenas.

Imperial Theatre

Closed for rebuilding. Its last performance could be seen through live broadcast, in the theater and in movie theaters.

Pia Research Institute’s later tally put Japan’s 2025 domestic live market at ¥856.4 billion (roughly $5.7 billion), up 12.6% from the previous year. The figure is estimated ticket sales for music and stage shows, a record for the third year in a row. Pia Research Institute’s 2025 survey (in Japanese)

¥856.4 billion

Domestic live market

+12.6%

Growth from the previous year

+7.7%

Attendance

+6.0%

Number of performances

Ticket prices also rose, so the growth was not only about more people.

Source: Pia Research Institute's 2025 survey (in Japanese)

The same survey shows attendance up 7.7%, the number of performances up 6.0%, and ticket prices rising as well. Behind the market’s growth were large-scale shows and changes in pricing.

The Popularity of Collecting LABUBU, and Sanrio’s Vote Results

LABUBU is a character known for big ears and jagged teeth. Created in 2015, it turned 10 in 2025. Images of plush toys clipped to bags spread on social media, and the character grew popular in many countries. Report on its 2025 popularity and products

In the 2025 results of POP MART, which sells LABUBU, sales of the “THE MONSTERS” series, which includes LABUBU, came to 14.16 billion yuan, about 38% of the company’s total revenue. That is a figure for the series, which includes other characters, not for LABUBU alone. Report on the 2025 results

In the Sanrio Character Ranking announced on June 29, Pompompurin took first place for the first time in nine years and the fourth time overall. Second was Cinnamoroll, which had won five years in a row through the previous year, and third was Pochacco. Sanrio’s announcement of results (in Japanese)

The 2025 results image pairs characters with their positions, centred on Pompompurin. It records that year’s official vote outcome rather than an assumed ranking based on general popularity.

Reselling Tickets You Can’t Use, Through an Official Service

On June 23, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT announced that the official resale service “RELIEF Ticket” had been introduced for eligible shows featuring its contracted talent. It is run by Pia and approved by the organizers. Official announcement of the introduction (in Japanese)

Resale means selling a ticket you have bought to someone else. In this service, people who can no longer attend list tickets at face value, and the payment also goes through the service. A separate fee applies, and the eligible shows are limited.

1. 01Can't attendThe plan changes after you buy
2. 02List at face valueOn the official resale service
3. 03Pay through the serviceA separate fee applies

Only eligible shows are covered.

Switch 2 Goes on Sale, and Comic Market Runs at a Venue Under Renovation

On June 5, Nintendo’s new console, Nintendo Switch 2, went on sale. According to Nintendo’s announcement, worldwide sales passed 3.5 million units in the four days after launch. Nintendo’s announcement (in Japanese)

The launch image places the black console and detachable controllers on red. It identifies a separate hardware generation from the original Switch introduced in 2017.

Comic Market 106, on August 16 and 17, was laid out with the East 1-3 halls unusable because of renovations at Tokyo Big Sight and the South 1-2 halls used for circles. Attendance was about 250,000 over the two days, roughly 10,000 fewer than the previous summer. Preparation committee’s event record (in Japanese)

Key Events of the Year

1. Feb. 15timelesz announces 5 new members, growing to an 8-member groupIdols
2. Feb. 28The Imperial Theatre closes for reconstructionStage
3. Apr. 2HANA releases its debut song "ROSE" for streamingMusic
4. Apr. 13The Osaka-Kansai Expo opens (through Oct. 13)Society
5. May onwardKing & Prince holds its first dome tour as a duoIdols
6. June 5Nintendo Switch 2 goes on saleGames
7. June 6The film "Kokuho," about the life of a kabuki actor, opensFilm
8. June 23The official resale service "RELIEF Ticket" becomes availableBusiness
9. June 29At the Sanrio Character Ranking, Pom Pom Purin takes first place for the first time in 9 yearsBusiness
10. July 18"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle" Part 1 opensAnime
11. Aug. 16–17Comic Market 106 (about 250,000 total visits over 2 days)Fan works
12. Sept. 19"Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc" opensAnime
13. Dec. 1"Myaku-myaku" and "Kokuho (watched it)" make the buzzword Top 10Words
14. Dec.K-Arena Yokohama ranks first in ticket sales in the Pollstar arena categoryMusic
15. Dec. 31A special screening of "Kokuho" is held at the KabukizaStage
16. Dec. 3110 acts including HANA and M!LK make their first appearance at KohakuMusic

1. Feb 28Imperial Theatre closesFinal show broadcast live
2. Apr 2HANA debutsWith "ROSE"
3. Jun 5Nintendo Switch 2On sale
4. Jun 6Kokuho opensA long theatrical run
5. Jun 23RELIEF TicketOfficial resale service
6. Jul 18Demon Slayer: Infinity CastleAbout 5.16 million viewers in four days
7. Aug 16-17Comic Market 106About 250,000 over two days

The Year’s Buzzword Awards

Grand PrizeHataraite hataraite hataraite hataraite hataraite mairimasu ("I will work and work and work and work and work") / Female prime minister

Sanae Takaichi (Prime Minister)

Top 10Ehho ehho (an onomatopoeia for an owlet chick's running, from a viral photo and its memes)

Uji Tamai and Uo-za (Pisces)

Top 10Old media

Shigeharu Aoyama

Top 10Kinkyu juryo / Kuma higai ("emergency gun hunting" and bear damage)

Michihiro Tazawa

Top 10Kokuho (Mita) ("National Treasure (I watched it)," from the film "Kokuho")

"Kokuho" film production committee

Top 10Koko-kokomai ("old, old, old rice," stockpiled rice three harvests old)

Japan Federation of Rice Dealers (general incorporated foundation)

Top 1080 years since the war / 100 years of Showa

Masayasu Hosaka

Top 10Trump tariffs

Ryosei Akazawa

Top 10Niki ("two seasons," the sense that Japan now has only hot and cold seasons)

Yoshihiro Tachibana and Mao Takigawa

Top 10Myaku-myaku (official mascot of the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025)

Myaku-myaku and Jun Takashina

Source: Jiyu Kokuminsha, 42nd Buzzword of the Year awards (in Japanese)

The top ten included “Kokuho (Mita)” (“Kokuho (I saw it)”) and Myaku-Myaku, the official character of the Osaka-Kansai Expo. One is a phrase for talking about having seen a film; the other is the name of a character made familiar through the venue and its merchandise.

“Nui-katsu” and “Labubu” were among the 30 nominated words as well. Nui-katsu is the pastime of taking a plush toy out with you or photographing it. It didn’t begin this year, but the year gave the name a chance to become widely known. Announcement and commentary on the nominated words (in Japanese)

From the Heian Period to 2025: How the Ways of Cheering Have Changed

This series has covered everyone from Heian-period readers who longed to read the next tale, to Edo-period theatergoers buying actor prints, to fans who came to know their oshi through records and television.

In 2025, people watched works and shows by streaming, shared information and impressions on social media, and passed tickets along through official services. Over the eras, products and services answering the wish to see your oshi and keep their goods at hand have multiplied.

Examples from each era can be read in the list of oshi-katsu and history articles.