The Apothecary Diaries Pilgrimage: Maomao in Tokyo, Ibaraki Stamp Rally, Kintetsu Nara Mystery Tour & USJ

The Apothecary Diaries follows Maomao, a pharmacist raised in the pleasure district, who uses her knowledge of medicine and poison to solve incidents in the imperial court. Jinshi, a beautiful eunuch who manages the rear palace, recognizes her talent and appoints her as a food taster. At Tokyo City View, an observation deck in Roppongi, visitors can see Japan’s first public display of a Maomao statue and footage of the famous “Maomao Dance” scene through October 26.

In Ibaraki Prefecture, the “Zoku Kusuriya no Junyuroku” stamp rally began October 17, linking botanical gardens and flower parks. In Nara, Kintetsu has paired a quiz rally with the theatrical film scheduled for release on December 11, visiting places such as Omiwa Shrine, whose approach is lined with medicinal plants. The 10 official collaboration sites also include Kabukiza in Ginza, Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown, and Universal Studios Japan, which will hold a second collaboration beginning in February 2027.

10 official collaboration sites from Tokyo and Ibaraki to Nara, Nagasaki, Yokohama, and Osaka

The story takes place in Li, a fictional country that does not appear on real-world maps. Instead, official collaborations have created venues and quiz-rally checkpoints around Japan, including observation decks, department-store exhibits, botanical gardens, flower parks, shrine tours, and festival lanterns. As of October 10, 2026, events are running at sites ①, ②, ⑥, and ⑦; those at ④ and ⑤ begin October 17. Sites ③, ⑧, and ⑨ are included as past events, while site ⑩ awaits its February 2027 opening.

Dates, hours, and ticket information are current as of writing. Check each official website before your visit.

① Tokyo City View | Maomao statue and “Maomao’s Dance” video on view through October 26

Tokyo City View, an observation deck on the 52nd floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in Roppongi, Minato, is holding its first collaboration with the TV anime from August 1 through October 26, 2026. Titled “A Fantastical World Woven by Dance — The Melody of Dance Echoing in the Sky,” it centers on the characters’ dances.

At the 250-meter-high venue, a large monitor is the first thing visitors see. It shows the famous “Maomao Dance” scene overlaid with the cityscape outside the windows. A special video revisits events from earlier in the story. The “Maomao Statue,” shown publicly in Japan for the first time here, is a photo spot.

Visitors can listen to an audio guide voiced by Aoi Yuki (Maomao) and Takeo Otsuka (Jinshi), as well as a mini audio drama featuring the two. The venue uses the free Spotify music-streaming app, so install it on your phone beforehand and bring earphones. Visitors who purchase a ticket receive one randomly selected venue-exclusive Spotify character card at the merchandise area.

Timed-entry tickets are required. General admission is ¥2,200 online or ¥2,400 at the door. A limited bonus ticket costs ¥2,300 online for general admission and includes one “Dancing in the Night Sky” clear bookmark. The bookmark comes in three random designs showing dance scenes with Maomao, Jinshi, and Lady Loulan, one of the emperor’s senior consorts.

New merchandise at the special store was released in three installments on August 7, September 12, and October 10. Items include book covers featuring Maomao and Jinshi (¥2,200 each) and an acrylic muddler set (¥1,870). On October 24, a special admission ticket limited to 150 people was offered for the fireworks during the Tokyo Bay Grand Fireworks Festival; applications reached capacity and closed.

TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills, also in Roppongi Hills, had been scheduled to host an advance screening with a cast talk for Season 3 on September 27. Episodes 1 and 2 were to be screened before broadcast, with Aoi Yuki, Takeo Otsuka, Tatsumaru Tachibana, and Natsumi Fujiwara announced as guests.

The observation deck entrance is at Museum Cone, next to Mori Tower. From Exit 1C of Roppongi Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, it is about a three-minute walk through a connected concourse.

Location

Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 52F, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo

Connection to the work

A collaboration venue with Japan’s first public display of a Maomao statue, video of the Maomao Dance, and an audio guide

Dates and hours

August 1–October 26, 2026; 10 a.m.–10 p.m. (last admission 9:30 p.m.)

Nearest station

About a three-minute walk through the concourse from Exit 1C of Roppongi Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line

Sources: Tokyo City View — Collaboration site (in Japanese) / Event site — Highlights (in Japanese) / Event site — Merchandise (in Japanese) / Anime official — Tokyo City View collaboration (in Japanese) / Tokyo City View — Special admission ticket for October 24 (in Japanese) / Anime official — Season 3 advance screening (in Japanese)

② Kabukiza Theatre, Kobikicho Square | Maomao, Jinshi, Xiaolan, and Shisui in kimono through October 31

From September 15 through October 31, 2026, the Kobikicho Plaza on Kabukiza’s second basement floor at 4-12-15 Ginza, Chuo, is hosting a collaboration with the TV anime, kimono rental shop VASARA, and Kabukiza. New illustrations show Maomao, Jinshi, Xiaolan, and Shisui in kimono. Xiaolan is one of Maomao’s few friends, a maid in the rear palace; Shisui is a cheerful, talkative new maid.

Kobikicho Plaza features character panels, wall stickers, and posters, as well as original merchandise. The Kabukiza Honpo Kobikicho Plaza shop on the same basement level does not sell the collaboration goods, so take care to visit the right sales area. The merchandise is also available at Shochiku Kabukiya Honpo Tokyo Main Store. Shochiku Store’s Anime Fluvie is accepting made-to-order purchases, with shipping scheduled from mid-December 2026 onward.

Visitors who want to wear a kimono can use the collaboration rental offered by VASARA kimono-rental shops across Japan. The ¥4,840 package includes an exclusive acrylic stand base and background featuring Kabukiza; it does not include a character acrylic stand. Participating shops have Maomao and Jinshi panels. One Asakusa location displays all four characters.

Kabukiza is accessible from Exit 3 of Higashi-Ginza Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and Toei Asakusa Line. From Exit A7 of Ginza Station on the Tokyo Metro, it is about a five-minute walk. Matsuya Ginza, site ③, is also in the Ginza area.

Location

Kabukiza Theatre, Kobikicho Plaza, B2F, 4-12-15 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo

Connection to the work

Newly illustrated kimono designs of Maomao, Jinshi, Xiaolan, and Shisui, plus original collaboration merchandise

Dates

September 15–October 31, 2026

Nearest station

Steps from Exit 3 of Higashi-Ginza Station; about a five-minute walk from Exit A7 of Ginza Station

Sources: Anime official — VASARA × Kabukiza collaboration (in Japanese) / VASARA Kimono Rental — Collaboration page (in Japanese) / Anime official — Season 2 characters (in Japanese) / Kabuki-bito — Kabukiza location and access (in Japanese)

③ Matsuya Ginza | First stop on the 10-venue nationwide exhibition tour

The TV anime The Apothecary Diaries Exhibition first opened at Matsuya Ginza Event Square on the eighth floor, 3-6-1 Ginza, Chuo, from March 26 through April 14, 2025. Alongside three-dimensional recreations of famous scenes and video exhibits, it featured production materials including original drawings, storyboards, and art settings shown for the first time.

At the entrance was a newly illustrated key visual for the exhibition and a gate designed to draw visitors into the world of the story. The character-introduction area that followed displayed original drawings, storyboards, and setting materials. The “Poison-Tasting Photo Spot” let visitors pose as Maomao tasting poison at an imperial garden party.

For ¥800, an audio guide featured an original story recorded for the exhibition by Aoi Yuki (Maomao) and Takeo Otsuka (Jinshi). Visitors scanned a QR code using their own smartphone. Photography was limited to smartphones and tablets and permitted only in the photo area. The official shop was near the exit, and the venue followed a one-way route partway through.

The exhibition then traveled to Hakata Hankyu in Fukuoka (April 25–May 19, 2025) and the Niigata City Manga and Animation Information Center (May 23–June 15). Its summer venues were Shimizu Cultural Hall Marinart in Shizuoka (June 21–July 13) and Daimaru Museum Umeda in Osaka (July 19–August 11), followed by Korinbo Daiwa in Kanazawa (August 14–September 2).

From autumn onward, it visited Matsuzakaya Nagoya (October 29–November 17), Dejima Messe Nagasaki (December 20, 2025–January 12, 2026), Tohoku University of Art and Design in Yamagata (March 11–April 1), and Yamakataya in Kagoshima (July 31–August 16), where the nationwide tour concluded. Matsuya Ginza is directly connected to Exit A12 of Ginza Station on the Tokyo Metro.

Location

Matsuya Ginza, Event Square, 8F, 3-6-1 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo

Connection to the work

The first venue of the TV anime exhibition, which toured 10 locations nationwide

Dates

March 26–April 14, 2025 (ended)

Nearest station

Directly connected to Exit A12 of Ginza Station on the Tokyo Metro

Sources: The Apothecary Diaries TV Anime Exhibition — Official overview and venues (in Japanese) / Exhibition official — What’s on display (in Japanese) / Matsuya Ginza — Access (in Japanese)

④ Ibaraki Flower Park | Jinshi’s Flowers and Lakeside route, completion cards, and rose florentines

Ibaraki Prefecture continues its collaboration with the TV anime under its tourism brand “IBARAKI is Blossoming.” On October 17, 2026, the second stamp rally, “IBARAKI is Blossoming: Zoku Kusuriya no Junyuroku,” began, with 10 locations across the prefecture. It follows the 2025 “Kusuriya no Junyuroku,” but all the checkpoints have changed. The event runs through January 18, 2027.

There are two routes, each with five stops: “Maomao’s Plants and Scenic Views” and “Jinshi’s Flowers and Lakeside.” Ibaraki Flower Park at 200 Shimoaoyagi, Ishioka, is a completion-card redemption point for Jinshi’s route. Collect stamps at three or more locations on either route to receive an original card. The artwork is set at the flower park, with Maomao and Jinshi beside Huit Campagne, a rose variety original to the park.

The flower park opened in 1985 to commemorate the Tsukuba Expo and has been known as one of eastern Japan’s largest rose theme parks. On April 29, 2021, its name changed from Ibaraki Flower Park to its current form, and older roses are being replaced with new varieties. “Huit Campagne” combines the French words for “eight” and “countryside,” while also referencing the “eight” in Ishioka’s Yasato district and “yui,” meaning mutual support. Autumn roses are usually at their peak from around mid-October.

At the Rose Farm Cafe, each collaboration menu item comes with one randomly selected coaster from a set of four themed around Ibaraki’s seasons. The “Maomao’s Deep Green Matcha Latte and Blooming Rose Florentine Bouquet Set” and “Jinshi’s Elegant Herbal Tea and Blooming Rose Florentine Bouquet Set” cost ¥1,300 each. Jinshi’s herbal tea blends ingredients including purple hibiscus grown in Ibaraki. From November 28, a set with a “Golden Sweet Potato Latte” made with Ibaraki sweet potatoes will also be available.

Other stops on Jinshi’s route are Tsukuba Expo Center; RinRin Square Tsuchiura, a cycling hub directly connected to JR Tsuchiura Station; Lakeside Station Cohan on Lake Kasumigaura; and Kasumigaura Animal and Everyone’s House. Completion cards can be redeemed at Ibaraki Flower Park and RinRin Square Tsuchiura. Some locations have newly drawn mini-character panels of Maomao, Jinshi, and Lahan. Lahan is the adopted nephew of Maomao’s biological father, Lakan, and a civil official skilled with numbers.

Stamp booklets are distributed free at each location, and there are 12 stamp designs featuring newly drawn mini-characters. The event pauses from December 29, 2026, through January 5, 2027. A second set of original merchandise available only in Ibaraki is also on sale at Ibaraki Flower Park. A diorama acrylic stand featuring newly illustrated nemophila at Hitachi Seaside Park costs ¥3,850.

From October 10 through November 23, the park is open 9 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; from November 28 through January 24, 2027, hours are noon–8:30 p.m. It is closed Tuesdays (or the following day when Tuesday is a holiday) and will also close temporarily November 25–27. From JR Ishioka Station, visitors can take the Ishioka–Yasato sightseeing bus, which runs only on weekends and holidays.

Location

200 Shimoaoyagi, Ishioka, Ibaraki

Connection to the work

Jinshi-route completion-card location in the Zoku Kusuriya no Junyuroku stamp rally; collaboration menu and limited merchandise are available

Dates and hours

October 17, 2026–January 18, 2027; closed Tuesdays, or the following day when Tuesday is a holiday

Access

Ishioka–Yasato sightseeing loop bus from JR Ishioka Station; operates on weekends and holidays

Sources: Ibaraki Prefecture — Zoku Kusuriya no Junyuroku press release (in Japanese) / IBARAKI is Blossoming — Stamp rally (in Japanese) / Collaboration menu (in Japanese) / Original merchandise (in Japanese) / BE-PAL — Ibaraki Flower Park renovation (in Japanese) / Anime official — Season 3 characters (in Japanese)

⑤ THE BOTANICAL RESORT Rinne no Mori | Maomao’s Plants and Scenic Views route and apothecary parfait

THE BOTANICAL RESORT Rinne no Mori, at 4369-1 To, Naka, reopened in fall 2025 as a “botanical garden where you can stay.” It began as Ibaraki Prefectural Botanical Garden in 1981 and welcomed visitors as a paid attraction for 43 years. Today, visitors can walk through the gardens for free. Across the grounds, home to about 50,000 plants of 600 species, are 45 glamping and cottage accommodations.

Rinne no Mori is a completion-card location on Maomao’s route in “Zoku Kusuriya no Junyuroku.” The stamp station is in the Tropical Greenhouse, home to about 23,000 plants of 240 species, and is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Other stops on Maomao’s route are the Besshukan Plum Wine and Sake Museum in Mito, Kasama Historical Exchange Center Izutsuya, Roadside Station Okukuji Daigo EAST in Daigo, and Plat Hitachi beside JR Hitachi Station.

Inside the Tropical Greenhouse, Vanilla Dome Cafe is surrounded by more than 50 vanilla trees. Its collaboration menu includes “Maomao’s Apothecary Mont Blanc Parfait” (¥1,000), with kiwi sauce, pumpkin Mont Blanc, and cookies scented with mint and mugwort. “Maomao’s Honey and Citrus Herbal Tea” (¥700) comes with rosemary inspired by medicinal herbs.

Jinshi’s menu includes “Jinshi’s Butterfly Pea Soda” (¥800), colored purple with butterfly-pea syrup and jelly, and “Jinshi’s Crumbly Sweet Potato Cookies” (three for ¥600), made with purple sweet-potato dough and white chocolate. The cafe is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last order at 3:30 p.m.). Each menu item comes with a seasonal coaster here, too.

Maomao-route completion cards can be redeemed at Rinne no Mori and Roadside Station Okukuji Daigo EAST. Visitors who collect stamps at three or more spots on both routes can receive both cards at either location. Cards are limited and distributed first come, first served; each person may redeem each route’s card once. Kasama Historical Exchange Center Izutsuya will be closed from December 25.

Through November 29, Plat Hitachi and Roadside Station Okukuji Daigo EAST are also hosting “Autumn Stroll with Maomao and Jinshi,” an Ibaraki AR photo spot. Scan the QR code on the announcement panel to open an AR photo frame with chibi characters. Basen, Jinshi’s aide and bodyguard, has joined the lineup as a chibi character this time. AR spots are also available at Tsukuba Expo Center and Kasumigaura Animal and Everyone’s Home.

Rinne no Mori’s Ofuro Cafe Rinne no Yu natural hot spring uses sodium sulfate spring water brought from Gozenyama Onsen Shikisaikan. At night, visitors staying at the resort can see RINNE LIGHTS in the Tropical Greenhouse, a show combining sound, light, and smoke. The resort is about a 10-minute taxi ride from Kamisugaya Station on the JR Suigun Line and about a 10-minute drive from the Naka IC on the Joban Expressway.

Location

4369-1 To, Naka, Ibaraki

Connection to the work

Maomao-route completion-card location in Zoku Kusuriya no Junyuroku; collaboration menu at Vanilla Dome Cafe

Hours

Tropical Greenhouse stamp station: 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; cafe: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Access

About a 10-minute taxi ride from Kamisugaya Station on the JR Suigun Line; about a 10-minute drive from the Naka IC on the Joban Expressway

Sources: IBARAKI is Blossoming — Stamp rally locations (in Japanese) / Collaboration menu (in Japanese) / AR photo spots (in Japanese) / Anime official — Second Ibaraki collaboration (in Japanese) / Walkerplus — THE BOTANICAL RESORT Rinne no Mori (in Japanese) / Anime official — Season 3 characters (in Japanese)

⑥ Kintetsu Kashiharajingumae Station | Giant Manyo mystery-tour photo spot and wrapped train

To mark the theatrical film’s release, Kintetsu is holding a digital quiz rally from October 10, 2026, through January 24, 2027: “The Apothecary Diaries: The Princess’s Secret Treasure × Kintetsu — Maomao and Jinshi’s Mystery Journey to Manyo.” Jinshi invites Maomao on a puzzle-solving trip, and the two travel by Kintetsu train to Nara. The event follows mysteries hidden in ancient Asuka-Fujiwara, Takatori, known as a town of medicine, and Yoshino, where mountain ascetics once traveled.

The rally has two periods: the “Autumn Journey,” October 10 through November 30, and the “Winter Journey,” beginning December 1. Stamps cannot be carried over between periods. Prizes for the autumn period may be redeemed through December 6, and those for winter through January 31, 2027.

Checkpoints include four major stations—Osaka-Uehommachi, Osaka-Abenobashi, Kyoto, and Kintetsu Nagoya—and spots in Nara Prefecture. In Nara, locations include Kashiharajingumae Station; Yakuen Hachiman Shrine and Koriyama Castle Yanagisawa Bunko in Yamatokoriyama; the Takatori Medicine Museum; Hasedera, Muroji, Okadera, Abe Monjuin, and Asukadera; Yoshimizu Shrine and Kinpusenji Temple in Yoshino; and the Kusurimichi medicinal-herb path at Omiwa Shrine (⑦).

More locations are scheduled to join: the Kitora Tumulus Mural Experience Hall Shijin no Yakata, Ofusa Kannon, and Imai Townscape Exchange Center Hanairaka. At each location, scan the QR code on a character panel with a smartphone and answer the quiz correctly to collect a digital stamp.

The character panels vary by location. Kyoto Station features Basen; Hasedera, Lakan, Maomao’s biological father; Koriyama Castle Yanagisawa Bunko, Gaoshun, the military officer who has long served as Jinshi’s guardian; and Muroji and Yoshimizu Shrine, Lahan. At Asukadera stands Mu Qing, a boy from the film. Planned additions will feature the late Princess Wakhar, the former head lady-in-waiting Ginzan, and the pirate leader Shuisha.

At Kashiharajingumae Station, a large Maomao and Jinshi photo spot stands outside the ticket gates near the west exit. Stamps can be exchanged for prizes at FamilyMart Kintetsu Kashiharajingumae Station and seven Cafe Ciao Presso locations when you collect three (including at least one Nara spot), five, or ten. A purchase of at least ¥400 at the shop is required for redemption.

While riding the train, listen to original audio in which Maomao and Jinshi introduce sights along the line. It plays automatically in a browser when you enter an area marked on the special site’s map. The four sections are Yamato-Saidaiji–Yamato-Yagi, Takada-shi–Asuka, Yamato-Takada–Muroguchi-Ōno, and Tsubosakayama–Yoshino.

A four-car 6620 series train wrapped with collaboration artwork runs from Osaka-Abenobashi via Kashiharajingumae to Yoshino through late January 2027. An unveiling was scheduled for October 10 on Platform 4 at Osaka-Abenobashi, with a Maomao greeting also announced. Through March 31, 2027, Cafe Ciao Presso is selling collaboration cappuccinos (¥900), with a choice of Maomao or Jinshi designs, among other items.

Collaboration merchandise is available at the Aoniyoshi sightseeing limited express sales counter and Kintetsu station offices. Acrylic key chains and thermal stainless-steel mugs are scheduled to be added on October 30. Asuka-Fujiwara, one of the story’s settings, was inscribed on the World Heritage List as “Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological Sites of Japan’s Ancient Capitals and Related Properties” at the 48th World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan, South Korea, on July 26, 2026. The site comprises 19 properties in Kashihara, Sakurai, and Asuka, and is Japan’s 22nd World Cultural Heritage property.

Location

Near the west ticket gate at Kintetsu Kashiharajingumae Station, Kashihara, Nara

Connection to the work

Station with a large photo spot for the film collaboration’s Manyo mystery journey and a prize-redemption hub

Dates

October 10, 2026–January 24, 2027; divided into the Autumn Journey and Winter Journey

Related feature

Collaboration-wrapped train runs from Osaka-Abenobashi to Yoshino Station

Sources: Kintetsu — Maomao and Jinshi’s Mystery Journey to Manyo (in Japanese) / Anime official — Special Kintetsu collaboration (in Japanese) / Travel Watch — Asuka-Fujiwara’s World Heritage inscription (in Japanese)

⑦ Omiwa Shrine, Sai Shrine, and Kusurimichi | Mystery-tour checkpoint along a path of medicinal plants

Omiwa Shrine, at 1422 Miwa, Sakurai, is one of the Nara checkpoints on the Manyo mystery journey. The rally lists it as “Omiwa Shrine and Kusurimichi,” with Sakurai Station named as the nearest station. Omiwa Shrine is regarded as Japan’s oldest shrine, preserving an ancient form of worship. Visitors may freely enter the grounds, where a chibi character panel of Mu Qing, the boy from the film, is on display. Note that regular bus service between Sakurai Station and the shrine ended in March 2026; only temporary buses remain.

Kusurimichi is a path from Omiwa Shrine toward Sai Shrine, lined with medicinal trees and herbs donated by people in the pharmaceutical industry. Sai Shrine is revered as a place to pray for recovery from illness and good health. Beside its worship hall is the Kusuri Well, where water believed to benefit many ailments springs forth; many visitors receive some sacred water. To protect the water source, visitors may no longer take large quantities home in containers or draw water at night, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Every April 18, Omiwa Shrine and Sai Shrine hold the Chin-ka-sai, a festival to ward off epidemics that was designated a state ritual under the Taihō Code of 701. It remains known as the “medicine festival,” and many people in the pharmaceutical industry attend. Takatori, the “town of medicine” in the rally’s setting (⑥), also has a checkpoint at its Medicine Museum, with a chibi Maomao panel.

Location

1422 Miwa, Sakurai, Nara

Connection to the work

Nara checkpoint on the Manyo mystery journey; panel featuring Mu Qing, the boy from the film

Highlights

Kusurimichi path lined with medicinal plants / Kusuri Well at Sai Shrine / Chin-ka-sai festival on April 18

Nearest station

Kintetsu and JR Sakurai Station

Sources: Omiwa Shrine — Grounds map (Sai Shrine, Kusuri Well, and Kusurimichi) (in Japanese) / Omiwa Shrine — Location and sacred-water notice (in Japanese) / Kintetsu — Manyo mystery journey checkpoints (in Japanese)

⑧ Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown (Shinchi Bridge Plaza) | Maomao and Jinshi lanterns in 2025 and 2026

The Nagasaki Lantern Festival grew out of a Lunar New Year celebration held by the community of Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown and has been staged on a larger scale since 1994. During the winter event, about 15,000 lanterns—Chinese lanterns—decorate central Nagasaki, including the Chinatown, Hamamachi, and Kanko-dori arcades. Character lanterns of Maomao and Jinshi appeared twice in Shinchi Bridge Plaza, in 2025 and 2026.

The 2025 collaboration ran with the festival from January 29 through February 12. Newly drawn art showed Maomao and Jinshi enjoying the event with lanterns in hand. Merchandise was sold at the venue, and a collaboration stamp rally took visitors around the festival grounds.

The 2026 festival ran from February 6 through 23, and new designs of the Maomao and Jinshi lanterns were displayed at Shinchi Bridge Plaza. A collaboration stamp rally and merchandise sales returned that year. At Dejima Messe Nagasaki, also in Nagasaki City, the exhibition introduced in spot ③ had been held just before, from December 20, 2025, through January 12, 2026.

Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown is one of Japan’s three major Chinatowns, alongside Yokohama and Kobe. About 40 Chinese restaurants and confectionery shops line a roughly 250-meter cross-shaped street, with vermilion Chinese gates at its four entrances. The area began as land reclaimed in the mid-Edo period to build warehouses for goods brought by Chinese ships.

The 2027 Nagasaki Lantern Festival will run for 17 days, from February 5 through 21. The Emperor’s Procession, with about 150 people in Chinese dress walking around palanquins for the emperor and empress, is scheduled for February 13 and 20. Chinatown is about a seven-minute streetcar ride from Nagasaki Station and a one-minute walk from Shinchi Chinatown stop.

Location

Shinchi Bridge Plaza, Shinchi, Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture

Connection to the work

Maomao and Jinshi character lanterns displayed at the 2025 and 2026 Nagasaki Lantern Festivals

Access

About seven minutes by streetcar from Nagasaki Station; about a one-minute walk from Shinchi Chinatown stop

Next festival dates

The 2027 Nagasaki Lantern Festival runs February 5–21

Sources: Anime official — 2025 Nagasaki Lantern Festival collaboration (in Japanese) / Anime official — 2026 Nagasaki Lantern Festival collaboration (in Japanese) / Nagasaki City Official Tourism Site — Nagasaki Lantern Festival (in Japanese) / Nagasaki City Official Tourism Site — Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown (in Japanese)

⑨ Pacifico Yokohama National Convention Hall | First special event, Summer Garden Party, on August 15, 2026

On August 15, 2026, the National Convention Hall at Pacifico Yokohama, at 1-1-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi, Yokohama, hosted the TV anime’s first special event: “The Apothecary Diaries TV Anime Special Event: Summer Garden Party 2026.” The event had been announced in August 2025. In Season 1, the “garden party” is the court banquet where Maomao serves as a poison taster.

There were two performances, with starts at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The cast included Aoi Yuki (Maomao), Takeo Otsuka (Jinshi), Katsuyuki Konishi (Gaoshun), and Atsumi Tanezaki (Lady Gyokuyo), along with Masami Seto, who voices both Shisui and Lady Loulan; Misaki Kuno (Xiaolan); Tatsumaru Tachibana (Basen); and Toshiyuki Toyonaga (Lahan). Insert-song singers Yuiko Ohara and Rimu Miyake also appeared.

The program featured live voice acting revisiting Seasons 1 and 2, cast talk, and a reading of a newly written episode. Tickets were ¥11,000 for S seats and ¥9,000 for A seats; every ticket included a Summer Garden Party 2026 plate light. The evening performance was streamed for a fee, with its replay available through August 30.

The venue hosted an advance sale of general-admission movie tickets (¥1,500) featuring the film’s teaser art. The sale was limited to event ticket holders, and the bonus was a smartphone sticker featuring the Summer Garden Party 2026 key visual. Merchandise sold at the venue included character acrylic stands for all eight cast members and twilly scarves.

Location

1-1-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi, Yokohama, Kanagawa

Connection to the work

Venue for the TV anime’s first special event, Summer Garden Party 2026

Date

August 15, 2026; two performances, at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Sources: Anime official — Special Event: Summer Garden Party 2026 (in Japanese) / Anime! Anime! — Event announcement (in Japanese) / Exhibition official — Garden Party poison-tasting photo spot (in Japanese)

⑩ Universal Studios Japan | 2025 Mystery Walk and water-city experience from February 10, 2027

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in Konohana, Osaka, held its first collaboration from July 1, 2025, through January 4, 2026. Part of Universal Cool Japan 2025, the “The Apothecary Diaries Mystery Walk: Investigate the Mysterious Drug!” puzzle rally invited visitors to play pharmacists and investigate a mysterious poisoning with Maomao, tracing its connection to the popular panacea Ryujusan.

The starting point was in front of the Annual Pass Center in the Hollywood area. Participation was free, and the distributed investigation booklet included medicinal-herb stickers to place as you solved puzzles and folded paper for wrapping medicine. After submitting the investigation results at the reporting station, visitors who answered correctly received a letter. It gave a time and place to meet Maomao and Jinshi. Jinshi handed out a bookmark; beginning November 15, 2025, it was randomly selected from four designs, including a secret rose version.

The Dragons Pearl restaurant served items such as “Maomao’s Colorful Sudachi Chilled Noodle Combo,” made with green noodles in Maomao’s color, “Maomao’s Strawberry Almond Jelly with Yellow Peach,” and Jinshi’s purple “Citrus Drink with Lychee.” The Universal Studios Store in the Hollywood area sold 13 merchandise designs.

Items included a set of earrings and necklace worn by Maomao in the garden-party scene (¥3,200), a charm set (¥2,800) depicting the four senior consorts—Lady Gyokuyo, Lady Lihua, Lady Lishu, and Lady Loulan—and sweets such as mooncakes packed in a box styled like an apothecary cabinet.

The second collaboration, as part of Universal Cool Japan 2027, will run from February 10 through June 30, 2027. Tied to the theatrical film, scheduled to open December 11, it will be set in a water city. Maomao and the others are expected to appear as if they have stepped out of the story; further details will be announced later.

Location

2-1-33 Sakurajima, Konohana, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture

Connection to the work

Universal Cool Japan collaboration venue, with a puzzle rally and limited-edition food and merchandise

First collaboration dates

Mystery Walk held July 1, 2025–January 4, 2026

Second collaboration dates

Film collaboration scheduled for February 10–June 30, 2027

Sources: USJ official — Universal Cool Japan 2027: The Apothecary Diaries (in Japanese) / Anime official — Second USJ collaboration (in Japanese) / Castel — Mystery Walk (in Japanese) / Crank-in! Trend — USJ collaboration report (in Japanese) / Castel — USJ collaboration merchandise (in Japanese)

Learn more about the series | Maomao, apothecary of the pleasure district, and Jinshi, the emperor’s younger brother

The following sections trace the characters and scenes featured in collaborations around Japan, from Seasons 1 through 3 of the anime and then the theatrical film.

From rear-palace poison taster to Season 3’s warning of a disaster threatening the nation

The story is set in the rear palace of a great nation at the center of the continent. Maomao, an apothecary who had worked in the pleasure district, was kidnapped and put to work as a servant in the rear palace. When she heard that the emperor’s children were growing ill, curiosity led her to investigate the cause. She saved Suzuri, the daughter of the senior consort Lady Gyokuyo, from poison. Jinshi recognized Maomao’s talent and appointed her as Lady Gyokuyo’s poison taster.

In Season 1, Lady Lihua loses her child and falls ill herself. Maomao identifies lead poisoning from face powder as the cause and nurses her back to health. In Season 2, Lady Gyokuyo’s pregnancy is discovered, and Maomao returns to the Jade Pavilion as her poison taster. New events include the arrival of the new Virtuous Consort, Lady Loulan, and an attempt on Jinshi’s life.

In Season 3, which began October 2, 2026, the aftermath of the rebellion by the Shi clan, Lady Loulan’s family, has settled down. Maomao has been released from her duties as a poison taster in the rear palace and has returned to life as an apothecary in the pleasure district.

On the morning of Episode 49, “Locusts,” at the high-class Verdigris House brothel, the old madam serves locust stew for breakfast. Joining Maomao is Chou-u, a boy who survived the Shi clan rebellion but lost his memory and now lives in the pleasure district under her care. After one bite, he says something that sets the story in motion. Meanwhile, Jinshi, now publicly recognized as the emperor’s younger brother, is troubled by “signs of a disaster that will strike the nation,” the final warning entrusted to him by Loulan.

Season 3 expands beyond the rear palace into the city and a neighboring country. Rumors also spread about Bai Niangniang, a mysterious immortal who bewitches people, as a new shadow falls over Li.

Sources: Anime official — Season 1 story (in Japanese) / Season 2 story (in Japanese) / Season 2 characters (in Japanese) / Season 3 story (in Japanese) / Season 3, Episode 49 (in Japanese) / Season 3 characters (in Japanese)

Maomao, Jinshi, and the people of the court and pleasure district

Sources: Anime official — Season 2 characters (in Japanese) / Season 3 characters (in Japanese) / USJ official — Character profiles (in Japanese) / Ibaraki Prefecture — Character introductions in the press release (in Japanese) / Anime official — Bai Niangniang casting announcement (in Japanese)

Medicinal-herb stickers, medicine wrappers, apothecary parfait, and Kusurimichi | Medicines and flowers in the collaborations

Maomao’s identity as an apothecary is reflected in the way the collaborations are designed. USJ’s investigation booklet came with medicinal-herb stickers and paper for wrapping medicine, inviting visitors to investigate the mystery of a panacea as apothecaries. At Rinne no Mori’s cafe, “Maomao’s Apothecary Mont Blanc Parfait” is served with cookies scented with mint and mugwort. The Nara mystery journey includes Kusurimichi, a path lined with medicinal trees, and the Takatori Medicine Museum.

Jinshi’s color, purple, recurs at several venues. Examples include USJ’s “Citrus Drink with Lychee,” the purple hibiscus herbal tea at Ibaraki Flower Park, and Rinne no Mori’s butterfly-pea soda and purple sweet-potato cookies. Roses also appear repeatedly—as the secret bookmark design at USJ and in the background of Ibaraki’s completion card.

Sources: Crank-in! Trend — USJ investigation booklet and menu (in Japanese) / Castel — Mystery Walk bookmark (in Japanese) / IBARAKI is Blossoming — Collaboration menu (in Japanese) / Kintetsu — Manyo mystery journey (in Japanese)

Production and background | From web novel to 57 million copies, Season 3, and the theatrical film

The original work’s history, the anime’s creative team, and a new story for the theatrical film.

Natsu Hyuga’s original novel and two manga adaptations

The original novel was posted on the user-submission site Shosetsuka ni Naro starting in October 2011 by Natsu Hyuga. Hero Bunko, an imprint of Imagica Infos, published the first volume in late August 2014, illustrated by Touko Shino. The novel series has reached 16 volumes.

In August 2026, the series surpassed 57,000,000 copies in total circulation, including overseas editions in 16 languages. Before Season 1 aired, it had reached 24,000,000 copies by the end of September 2023. After Season 1 it passed 33,000,000, and after Season 2, 45,000,000.

The manga is serialized in two magazines. Square Enix’s Monthly Big Gangan edition, illustrated by Nekokurage and composed by Itsuki Nanao, has reached 17 volumes. In Shogakukan’s Monthly Sunday GX, Minoji Kurata draws The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao’s Palace Puzzle Book, now at 20 volumes.

Sources: Shosetsuka ni Naro — The Apothecary Diaries (in Japanese) / Imagica Infos — Announcement of 57 million copies in circulation (in Japanese) / Anime official — Books (in Japanese)

Norihiro Naganuma’s Season 1 and Akira Kusaka’s Seasons 2 and 3

Season 1 of the TV anime began in October 2023. Norihiro Naganuma directed and oversaw series composition; animation was produced by TOHO animation STUDIO and OLM. Music was composed by Satoru Kōsaki, Kevin Penkin, and Alisa Okehazama. The first cour’s opening theme was “Hana ni Natte” by Ryokuoushoku Shakai; the second cour’s was “Ambivalent” by Uru.

Season 2 began in January 2025, with its second cour airing from April 4. Naganuma served as chief director and series composer, with Akira Kusaka directing. It aired in Nippon TV’s Friday Anime Night (Fura-Ani) slot. On October 22, 2025, the anime’s second anniversary, Season 3 and the series’ first theatrical film were announced.

Season 3 began October 2, 2026, airing nationally on 30 networks every Friday at 11 p.m. in the same time slot. Akira Kusaka returned as director after serving as assistant director on Season 1 and director on Season 2. Naganuma oversees series composition, and OLM handles animation production. The season is split into two cours, with the second scheduled to air from April 2027.

The opening theme is “Kumo o Nukekaze Shita e Watashi dake” by Yorushika. The band said the line brought to mind a wide grassland, and they chose the erhu to evoke wind blowing across it. In a meeting, they learned that Season 3’s theme was “travel” and that its story would feel like a road movie, which connected with the grassland they had imagined. The ending theme is Eve’s “AIYOU,” which reflects Jinshi’s feelings as he takes on new responsibilities as the emperor’s younger brother.

Sources: Anime official — Season 1 staff (in Japanese) / Season 2 broadcast information (in Japanese) / Season 2 staff (in Japanese) / Season 3 staff (in Japanese) / Season 3 broadcast information (in Japanese) / Season 3 trailer and Yorushika comments (in Japanese) / Eve’s “AIYOU” (in Japanese) / Ibaraki Prefecture — Story introduction in the press release (in Japanese)

The Apothecary Diaries the Movie: The Princess’s Secret Treasure, scheduled for December 11, 2026

The series’ first theatrical film is a completely new story by original author Natsu Hyuga. The emperor orders Jinshi to grant the final wish of a consort who died in the rear palace five years earlier: to return to her homeland. Her body lay so beautifully preserved that she seemed alive. To solve the mystery, Maomao travels with Jinshi to the southern region of Minan Province, ruled by the Mi clan.

They arrive in a lively water city. Maomao is excited by unfamiliar medicines and plants, but pirates are running rampant over treasure hidden by the previous leader. Then, on the day of the consort’s funeral, a major incident occurs.

Norihiro Naganuma directs, Yuko Kakihara writes the screenplay, and Yukiko Nakatani designs the characters and serves as chief animation director. TOHO animation STUDIO handles animation production. Miyuki Sawashiro voices Wakhar, the late consort; Ai Mikami voices Ginzan, her former head lady-in-waiting; Kensho Ono voices Shuisha, leader of the pirate group Keda; and Mariya Ise voices Mu Qing, the boy at the heart of the story.

On October 22, the third anniversary of the TV anime broadcast, a special program is scheduled to stream on the TOHO animation channel at 8 p.m. Aoi Yuki and Takeo Otsuka will appear, and the film’s main trailer, key visual, and theme-song artist will be announced. Kintetsu’s mystery journey in spot ⑥ and USJ’s second collaboration in spot ⑩ are both tied to the film.

Sources: Film official — Introduction and story (in Japanese) / Film official — Staff and cast (in Japanese) / Anime official — Film release date and trailer (in Japanese) / Anime official — Film casting announcements (in Japanese) / Anime official — Special program for the anime’s third anniversary (in Japanese)

From the novel’s first post to the film and USJ’s second collaboration

This timeline follows the novel’s online debut in 2011 and print publication, the TV anime’s first two seasons, collaborations around Japan, and the 2026 Season 3 broadcast and film release.

Sources: Shosetsuka ni Naro — The Apothecary Diaries (in Japanese) / Imagica Infos — Circulation announcement (in Japanese) / Anime official — Yokohama Mystery Walking (in Japanese) / Nagasaki Lantern Festival and Sapporo Snow Festival (in Japanese) / Exhibition official — Overview (in Japanese) / Ibaraki Prefecture — Press release (in Japanese) / Anime official — Kintetsu collaboration (in Japanese) / Anime official — Second USJ collaboration (in Japanese)

Research Institute note | A business perspective: using story medicines and flowers to connect local attractions through character routes

Ibaraki Prefecture’s Zoku Kusuriya no Junyuroku divides its routes into Maomao’s plants and scenic views and Jinshi’s flowers and lakeside spots, with botanical gardens and flower parks as completion locations. The completion-card art even features Huit Campagne, a rose from Ibaraki Flower Park. Kintetsu’s mystery journey includes Takatori, known as a town of medicine, and the Kusurimichi path at Omiwa Shrine, lined with medicinal trees.

These collaborations stand out for choosing places where medicinal herbs and flowers from the story overlap with local attractions, then organizing routes around individual characters. As Ibaraki Prefecture did by replacing every location from the previous year, adding different venues for a second edition can give returning participants new places to visit.

Related Research Institute article: Municipal collaboration examples (in Japanese)

Sources

• The Apothecary Diaries official anime portal — News (in Japanese)
• The Apothecary Diaries TV Anime × Tokyo City View — Special site (in Japanese)
• Tokyo City View special site — Merchandise (in Japanese)
• Tokyo City View — Special admission ticket for October 24 (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Tokyo City View collaboration (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Season 3 advance screening (in Japanese)
• Kimono rental VASARA — Collaboration special page (in Japanese)
• Kabuki-bito — Kabukiza Theatre (in Japanese)
• The Apothecary Diaries TV Anime Exhibition — Official overview (in Japanese)
• Exhibition official — Exhibits (in Japanese)
• Matsuya Ginza — Access (in Japanese)
• Ibaraki Prefecture — Zoku Kusuriya no Junyuroku press release (in Japanese)
• IBARAKI is Blossoming — Stamp rally (in Japanese)
• IBARAKI is Blossoming — Collaboration menu (in Japanese)
• IBARAKI is Blossoming — AR photo spots (in Japanese)
• IBARAKI is Blossoming — Original merchandise (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Second Ibaraki collaboration (in Japanese)
• BE-PAL — Ibaraki Flower Park (in Japanese)
• Walkerplus — THE BOTANICAL RESORT Rinne no Mori (in Japanese)
• Kintetsu — Maomao and Jinshi’s Mystery Journey to Manyo (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Special Kintetsu collaboration (in Japanese)
• Travel Watch — Asuka-Fujiwara’s World Heritage inscription (in Japanese)
• Omiwa Shrine — Grounds map (in Japanese)
• Omiwa Shrine (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Nagasaki Lantern Festival and Sapporo Snow Festival collaborations (in Japanese)
• Nagasaki City Official Tourism Site — Nagasaki Lantern Festival (in Japanese)
• Nagasaki City Official Tourism Site — Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Summer Garden Party 2026 (in Japanese)
• Anime! Anime! — Special event announcement (in Japanese)
• USJ official — Universal Cool Japan 2027 (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Second USJ collaboration (in Japanese)
• Castel — USJ Mystery Walk (in Japanese)
• Castel — USJ collaboration merchandise (in Japanese)
• Crank-in! Trend — USJ collaboration (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Season 1 (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Season 2 characters (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Season 2 staff and cast (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Season 3 story (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Season 3 characters (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Season 3 staff and cast (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Season 3 premiere and opening theme (in Japanese)
• Film official — Introduction (in Japanese)
• Film official — Staff and cast (in Japanese)
• Anime official — Special program for the anime’s third anniversary (in Japanese)
• Shosetsuka ni Naro — The Apothecary Diaries (in Japanese)
• Imagica Infos — Series surpasses 57 million copies in circulation (in Japanese)