Dole × JO1: Some Stores Report 30× Daily Sales; ANYCOLOR Profit Grows [Oshikatsu News: Sep 26, 2025]

Here is our roundup of notable corporate oshikatsu (fan support activities) marketing and fan business news from the week of September 19 to September 25, 2025.

This Week’s Highlights

This was a week in which fan service evolved from one-off sales promotions into full-fledged business models.

Dole significantly boosted produce aisle sales through its “Bana-katsu” and “Puru-katsu” campaigns featuring Keigo Sato of the boy group JO1 and the boy group INI. Lawson continued expanding its oshi (favorite idol or character) collaborations, revealing a strategy built around the unique convenience store advantage of letting fans support their favorites right in their everyday neighborhood. In the VTuber industry, hololive launched a new fan club in October with an annual membership fee of 6,600 yen. UUUM and KONAMI also rolled out new services one after another.

There was major movement in corporate earnings as well. ANYCOLOR, which operates the VTuber group NIJISANJI, expanded its first-quarter operating profit to 7.003 billion yen, roughly 2.6 times the prior-year period. One contributing factor was event revenue from tours such as the NIJISANJI WORLD TOUR 2025, which grew roughly 100-fold year-on-year to 2.117 billion yen. The application range of IP licensing is also widening. The Japan Mint accepted lottery reservations through September 25 for commemorative coin sets celebrating the 40th anniversary of Dragon Ball. Meanwhile, Square Enix is entering the pet supplies market with its “SQEX PETs” brand.

DIAGRAMKey Fan Business Figures Reported This Week

7.003B yen: ANYCOLOR Q1 operating profit (up 157.6% YoY, roughly 2.6x)
2.117B yen: ANYCOLOR Q1 event revenue (roughly 100x YoY from ~21M yen)
Approx. 99B yen: Pop Mart H1 2025 revenue for THE MONSTERS series (4.8B RMB)
6,600 yen: Annual fee (tax included) for the new hololive FANCLUB

Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article

Convenience Stores and Produce Aisles Captured Support-Driven Spending

Dole x JO1’s Keigo Sato and INI — Turning the Produce Aisle into an “Event Venue” for Fans

Dole appointed JO1 member Keigo Sato as its “Dole Bana-katsu Supporter” in April, followed by INI as “Dole Puru-katsu Supporters” in August. Storefronts were outfitted with point-of-purchase (POP) displays featuring original visuals. Digital signage in stores played Sato’s song “BANANA” and INI’s “Pineapple Juice.” Outdoor advertisements were also put up in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. For the campaign featuring Sato, stores distributed original trading cards, and Dole’s wrapped banana vending machine in Shibuya was updated with a limited-time design. Headlines reported “sales up 30-fold” at some stores (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

Takuya Hotta of Dole’s Marketing Department explained that the campaign was prompted by a decline in fruit consumption among younger demographics. He said the theme was “turning the produce aisle into an ‘event venue’ for fans.”

The Oshi Lab Note: What is clever here is how the terms “Bana-katsu” and “Puru-katsu” themselves are used as if they were fan-coined slang rather than corporate slogans. By naming an action rather than a product, fans gain the feeling that they are actively participating. The overall oshikatsu market size continues to expand. Brick-and-mortar retailers across the board have room to apply this idea of turning an everyday space like a supermarket aisle into an event venue.

Lawson — Why Oshi Collaborations Sell: A Design That Lets Fans Support Favorites Nearby

Lawson has been running an ongoing series of collaborative campaigns across diverse fields, including the musical artist Mrs. GREEN APPLE and the anime Umamusume: Cinderella Gray. In the Umamusume collaboration, the chain sold “Hachimi Drink” sets bundled with original acrylic stands. Akira Honma of Lawson’s Marketing Strategy Division stated that the market for “support consumption” (oen shohi—purchasing products to support a favorite creator or character) driven by oshikatsu is “constantly expanding.” He also explained that the targets of support consumption have broadened from primarily anime characters before the COVID-19 pandemic to musical artists, video streamers, and video game characters (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Lawson’s strength lies less in the specific contents of its collaborations and more in the sheer proximity of the convenience store as a destination. Even without traveling to a concert venue or a pop-up shop, fans can connect with their oshi at a convenience store along their daily commute to work or school. As the range of targets for support consumption expands, store network density itself becomes a competitive advantage. The more nationwide locations a company has, the greater its room to capitalize on this closeness.

Apparel and Character IP Markets Built Touchpoints with Younger Generations

Banana Republic x Yuta Kishi — Pop-Up Store Celebrating 20th Anniversary in Japan

Banana Republic, where Number_i member Yuta Kishi serves as brand ambassador, held pop-up stores to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the brand’s arrival in Japan. Starting at Toranomon Hills in Tokyo, the venues continued on to Tenjin VIORO in Fukuoka and ZERO GATE in Nagoya. Founded in California in 1978, the brand opened its first Japanese store in September 2005. The company announced that the pop-ups would showcase archive items rooted in a spirit of exploration, such as graphic T-shirts inspired by illustrations from archival catalogs. Kishi was appointed as the brand’s first ambassador in Japan in January 2025. Visiting the Toranomon Hills location, Kishi called out to fans, saying he wanted them to experience the brand’s story, design, and passion (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Presenting the brand’s 20-year history in Japan alongside the ambassador’s personal affinity works well here. Because the pop-up exhibits archival pieces dating back to its 1978 founding alongside new releases, fans can consume the brand’s narrative right along with the merchandise. For companies planning anniversary campaigns, having the ambassador personally narrate that history is an easy-to-replicate template.

Diana x Sanrio — Launching Collaborative Shoes for Metaverse Avatars

Diana Co., Ltd. is a company that imports and sells international fashion brands. On September 19, the company released collaborative shoes with “Sanrio Characters” designed for VRChat avatars. Under the “DIANA” brand, it rolled out ribbon-heeled tulle pumps featuring a Hello Kitty motif. Under the “+diana” brand, it released thick-soled platform sneakers inspired by Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, and Pompompurin. All of the designs were converted into 3D models that users could equip on their avatars. Diana also exhibited a booth at the “Sanrio Virtual Festival” held from September 19 to 28, and the collaborative shoes appeared in a runway event on September 23 (Mogura VR (in Japanese), PANORA (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: It is fascinating to see a real-world footwear brand deliberately release products in the metaverse, where nobody physically wears shoes. Diana is extending its corporate philosophy of “creating a culture of beautiful feet” even to bodiless avatars. Beyond physical stores and in-house e-commerce, the company is treating the virtual space where fans gather as a new sales floor in its own right. This mindset can be adapted by industries outside of apparel as well.

South Korea-Born “Esther Bunny” and China’s Pop Mart “CRYBABY” — The Battle for the Next Labubu

In June, the Character Brand Licensing Association announced the winners of the “Japan Character Awards 2025.” Selected for the New Face Award was “Esther Bunny,” a rabbit character created by a Korean-American designer. Esther Bunny made its full-scale debut in Japan in 2023. Following pop-ups at Marui and PARCO department stores, a wave of pop-ups followed in 2025 at SHIBUYA109, PLAZA, and Village Vanguard. Meanwhile, Chinese toy giant Pop Mart, the company behind Labubu, has been cultivating “CRYBABY” as its next flagship IP. In Pop Mart’s first-half financial results for 2025, “THE MONSTERS” series, which includes Labubu, generated approximately 99 billion yen (4.8 billion yuan) in sales (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: What the 99 billion yen figure demonstrates is the financial capacity to invest in the “next move” without relying on a single IP. Right in the middle of an ongoing hit, the company is already preparing its successor. The blind-box sales format itself is also being exported as part of the package. This shows that the strongest companies are those that do not stop at one-off collaborations, but instead build a repeatable formula.

A Wave of New Services and Groups Emerged in the VTuber and Idol Sectors

hololive’s “hololive FANCLUB,” UUUM’s “Irix Academy,” and KONAMI’s “Kyun♡Tube VR Live” — A Rush of New Ventures in the VTuber and Idol Space

hololive launched a new official fan club, “hololive FANCLUB,” starting October 15, 2025. The annual membership fee is 6,600 yen (tax included). Membership perks include a physical membership card with a serial number and an original pass case, and members can apply for advance ticket lotteries for selected concerts and events; overseas users were excluded from these lotteries under the announcement. The company announced that its previous fan club would stop accepting new sign-ups at the end of March 2026 (Musicman (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, UUUM jointly announced a new VTuber project, “Irix Academy” (Irikusu Gakuen), in partnership with AKA Virtual. On September 25, the four members of its first generation held their debut streams in a relay format (Mogura VR (in Japanese), eeo (in Japanese)). Additionally, KONAMI conducted a test stream for its VR service “Kyun♡Tube VR Live” from September 25 to October 5. Using its proprietary “VR270” format, the service offers experiences such as “VR Meet-and-Greets” (VR Ohanashi-kai) where fans can have one-on-one conversations with idols (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Almost simultaneously, three companies rolled out new initiatives in the VTuber and idol domain, each taking a distinct angle. hololive is competing on retaining and enclosing existing fans, UUUM on incubating new IP, and KONAMI on the immersiveness of the experience. This week made it clear that even within the same oshikatsu market, there are three distinct approaches: membership building, new IP development, and technological experience creation. That offers useful material for evaluating which approach best aligns with your own company’s strengths.

DIAGRAMThree Strategic Approaches in the VTuber and Idol Market

hololive (hololive FANCLUB)

Focuses on retaining and enclosing existing fans
6,600-yen annual membership starting October 15, 2025
Offers serialized membership cards, pass cases, and advance ticket lotteries for selected concerts and events (overseas users excluded)

UUUM & AKA Virtual (Irix Academy)

Focuses on incubating and growing brand-new IP
Jointly launched a new VTuber project
Four first-generation talents debuted via relay streams on September 25

KONAMI (Kyun♡Tube VR Live)

Focuses on deepening technological immersion
Tested from September 25 to October 5 using a proprietary VR270 format
Features one-on-one VR meet-and-greet sessions with idols

Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article

VTubers Took Center Stage in Corporate Earnings, Advertising, and Film

ANYCOLOR — Operating Profit Jumps 2.6x, Driven by NIJISANJI WORLD TOUR

In the first quarter of the fiscal year ending April 2026 (May to July 2025), ANYCOLOR—the operator of NIJISANJI—recorded revenue of 15.768 billion yen, a 112.1% increase year-on-year. Operating profit rose 157.6% year-on-year to 7.003 billion yen. Both figures exceeded the upper limit of the company’s forecast (14.6 billion yen in revenue and 5.75 billion yen in operating profit), prompting ANYCOLOR to revise its full-year earnings forecast upward. Commerce revenue (such as merchandise) expanded 2.2-fold to 10.394 billion yen. The company rolled out its major 7th-anniversary concert tour, “NIJISANJI WORLD TOUR 2025,” across multiple cities starting with Sendai in May. Event revenue surged roughly 100-fold to 2.117 billion yen, up from approximately 21 million yen in the same period last year. The operating profit margin stood at 44.4% (Inside (in Japanese), GameBusiness.jp (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: In the previous fiscal year, earnings growth had been held back by an immediate operational issue: delays in merchandise shipping. The company highlighted merchandise initiatives, shipping management, and strong demand for online tickets among the factors behind this quarter’s results. Revenue in the fan business depends not only on fan enthusiasm, but also on operational precision from the moment an order is placed until it reaches the fan’s hands. The numbers in this earnings report back that up.

NIJISANJI x Borderlands 4 and Kizuna AI x SWAN LAKE — VTubers Star in Commercials and Movies

2K released a Japan-original web commercial for its looter-shooter RPG Borderlands 4, which launched on September 12. The commercial stars NIJISANJI talents Kanae, Kuzuha, and Lauren Iroas. In the video, live-action footage and game footage blend seamlessly. The song “IN_MY_HEAD” by Natori was used for the soundtrack. The commercial is structured around an actor playing a viewer who is invited by the VTubers to join their gameplay right inside the stream. To celebrate the release, 2K also ran a follow-and-repost campaign on X (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, the immersive film SWAN LAKE, starring Kizuna AI, opened for a nationwide theatrical run on December 26. Based on Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, the project also had plans to release an interactive version the following year and beyond utilizing aerial imaging displays and haptic devices (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Both projects are attempts to bring VTubers out beyond their livestreams. The game commercial creates immersion by deliberately highlighting the boundary between the stream and reality, while the film places a VTuber as the lead actor in the completely physical venue of a movie theater. We can see that the VTuber format is beginning to function across distinct revenue streams, bridging advertising expression and theatrical box office business.

Long-Running Anime and the Japan Mint Reached Out to New Customer Segments with Anniversary Projects

Keihan Electric Railway x Sound! Euphonium — 10th Anniversary Brings First Collaborative Station Name Sign

“Keihan Electric Railway x Sound! Euphonium 2025,” a collaborative campaign between the anime Sound! Euphonium (Hibike! Euphonium) and Keihan Electric Railway, launched on October 1. The anime first aired in 2015 and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025. The series frequently depicts the Keihan Uji Line, which runs through the story’s setting of Uji. This year, in addition to the annual digital stamp rally and wrapped trains, the collaboration introduced its first-ever collaborative station name sign at Obaku Station. A collaborative cafe at Hotel Keihan Kyoto Grande, an event at the Nidec Kyoto Tower observation deck, and a second round of collaborative hotel rooms at Kyoto Tower Hotel Annex were also held simultaneously (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: What stands out is the idea of turning a station name sign—a piece of railway infrastructure nobody would normally think to covet—into a centerpiece of the collaboration. Rather than letting the railway line depicted in the show end as a passing anime pilgrimage site, Keihan has continued updating the initiative every year across multiple facilities, including hotels and an observation tower. Now in its ninth year, the collaboration serves as a great reference point for how to design an annual tradition that engages an entire railway corridor.

Japan Mint x Dragon Ball — 40th Anniversary Coin Sets Featuring Son Goku Designs

Through September 25, the Japan Mint accepted lottery reservations for two commemorative products celebrating the 40th anniversary of the original Dragon Ball manga. The “Proof Coin Set” (16,500 yen) houses six proof coins dated Reiwa 7 (2025) along with a silver medal featuring a Son Goku design inside a specially crafted leather case. The standard “Coin Set” (3,100 yen) includes six regular uncirculated coins and a dated nameplate featuring a Son Goku design (Inside (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Here we see the national Japan Mint—an institution that would normally seem furthest removed from the character business—entering IP collaborations. By designing the sets as collector’s items priced above face value, they become keepsakes for fans that are “something they cannot bring themselves to spend, yet do not want to part with.” Collaborating with a public institution provides a stamp of credibility and creates a new opportunity to introduce a long-running IP to the next generation.

IP Licensing Expanded into Pet Supplies and AI Generation

Square Enix’s “SQEX PETs” — Launching Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy Pet Supplies

On September 27, Square Enix released merchandise from the Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts series under its pet goods brand “SQEX PETs.” The lineup includes a Dragon Quest-themed pet stroller and leashes inspired by Kingdom Hearts. The company also scheduled exhibition booths at “Chihuahua EXPO 2025 HALLOWEEN” and “Pomeranian Festival 2025 HALLOWEEN” on October 12 and 13, where visitors could try out the “Slime” pet stroller firsthand (Inside (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: The demographic that has spent years as loyal video game fans is now reaching an age where many own pets. Aligning IP expansion with changes in existing fans’ lifestyles, rather than solely chasing a younger generation, is a grounded and practical strategy. The more a company’s fan base matures in age, the more business opportunity lies in developing merchandise that anticipates those changing life stages.

Official Say Hello to Black Jack AI Illustration Generator — Offered with a Commercial License

MotionElements released an AI illustration generation tool for the manga Say Hello to Black Jack (Black Jack ni Yoroshiku, by Shuho Sato). The release is an official collaboration with Sato Manga Production Ltd. MotionElements offered the tool under a commercially usable license, stating that users could quickly generate illustrations and videos trained on a professional manga artist’s style. At the time, the company was running a limited-time free campaign and planned to expand the lineup of styles and IPs through additional official collaborations going forward (Inside (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Because the original creator officially licensed this tool, it draws a clear line separating itself from concerns over unauthorized AI training. Rather than turning an IP into physical merchandise, this represents a new monetization model: lending the IP out as creative material. Rights-holding companies can provide production tools featuring their characters directly to fans and business users. This approach could become a viable next option alongside traditional collaborative merchandise.

AR Technology and In-Game Economies Expanded the Fan Experience

Hatsune Miku “Night Sky Program 2025” — AR Musical Fireworks at an Amusement Park Draw 2,300 Visitors in 3 Days

“Hatsune Miku Night Sky Program 2025” (Yozora Program 2025) was held for the first time from September 13 to 15 at Suntopia World, an amusement park in Niigata Prefecture. Approximately 2,300 people attended over the three days. The centerpiece content was the “Special AR Musical Fireworks,” which synchronized actual fireworks with augmented reality using the smartphone app “HoloModels.” A special experience using “XREAL” AR glasses was also offered. Meanwhile, approximately 20,000 people participated in an experience inside a virtual recreation of the park’s Ferris wheel in VRChat, and following strong reception, the virtual distribution was extended through October 27. A meet-and-greet event sponsored by the instant camera brand “instax” (Cheki) was also held, with tickets selling out (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: The event drew approximately 2,300 on-site visitors over three days, while the VRChat experience drew approximately 20,000 participants over six days. Offering an online experience also expanded opportunities for fans unable to visit in person. For facilities looking to expand fan engagement beyond their physical venues, this initiative offers a useful example.

Fortnite announced that starting in December 2025, it would introduce a system allowing creators to sell items directly within their own islands (user-created game maps). Eligible items include both durable items and consumables. During the initial phase from December 2025 through the end of 2026, creators will receive 100% of the V-Bucks value (equivalent to approximately 74% of the purchase price), compared to the standard payout rate of 50%. The announcement also noted that a “Sponsored Row” would be added to the Discovery feature in November, allowing creators to bid funds to compete for island placement rankings (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: This is a move by the platform to elevate fan-creators from mere users into revenue-sharing partners. It shifts the relationship from one where a company unilaterally consumes fan-made content to one where both sides share the earnings. For companies running user-participatory initiatives, we are entering an era where the design of participant rewards itself determines how long content can sustain its momentum.

This Week’s Takeaways

This was a week in which the VTuber business model expanded its revenue streams well outside of livestreaming.

hololive, UUUM, and KONAMI launched new services in the VTuber and idol domain almost simultaneously. ANYCOLOR grew its operating profit 2.6-fold in its latest earnings report. A nationwide theatrical release was announced for a film starring Kizuna AI, and NIJISANJI talents starred in a web commercial for a major video game. What ties this week together is that characters born on livestreams are now working across separate revenue pillars: corporate earnings, advertising, and theatrical box office business.

At the same time, initiatives pulling fans into real-world daily routines remained just as active. Dole’s produce aisles, Lawson’s convenience stores, Keihan Electric Railway’s station name sign, and the Japan Mint’s coin sets are prime examples. Companies that strengthen both virtual and physical touchpoints simultaneously are capturing the widest share of this week’s support-driven spending.

Where are your own fans concentrating along their daily routines? Take a look at this week’s developments alongside our guides to oshikatsu marketing design principles and fan marketing fundamentals.

Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a weekly roundup of the latest developments at the intersection of oshikatsu and business. For past issues, visit the Oshikatsu x News category.