IP Merch Spending Peaks in 30s & UNIQLO Memes (June 6, 2025)

Here is our roundup of the week’s standout stories in oshikatsu (fannish devotion and support for one’s favorite character, idol, or creator) marketing and fan business from May 30 to June 5, 2025.

This Week’s Highlights

This week made one trend unmistakably clear: consumers in their 30s are the biggest drivers of intellectual property (IP) collaboration spending.

According to an IP collaboration survey released by Minto on June 4, average annual spending on IP goods in 2024 peaked among consumers in their 30s at 60,000 yen, the highest of any age group and 1.5 to 2 times what other generations spend. Overall, 88% of respondents said they “like” IP content, a figure that rises to 94% among people in their 30s and 40s. Targeting both this demographic and their children at once, everyday apparel chains UNIQLO, GU, Shimamura, and Avail rolled out IP merchandise starting in the 1,000-yen range across physical stores and online shops.

Across two completely different retail aisles—cosmetics and protein—both KATE and be LEGEND released products featuring Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen. Meanwhile, Kirin commercialized a canned chuhai (shochu highball) made from off-spec watermelons following a “reverse pitch” directly from farmers. In the VTuber space, companies also found new ways to open up IP usage and partnerships, including Cover Corp. unlocking fan licensing inside Holoearth and Keio Corporation joining a TikTok LIVE talent agency project.

Married Men in Their 30s Lead IP Collaboration Spending

Minto — IP Spending Peaks in the 30s Bracket, Driven by Married Men

On June 4, Minto released the findings of a consumer survey on IP collaborations conducted between January 10 and January 15, 2025, covering 1,364 consumers aged 15 to 69. While 88% of respondents overall said they “really like” or “somewhat like” IP content, that share reached 94% among those in their 30s and 40s. Average annual IP spending in 2024 was highest among people in their 30s at 60,000 yen, trending 1.5 to 2 times higher than other age brackets. Among respondents aged 30 to 49, roughly 15% reported spending more than 50,000 yen a year on IP. When the 30s and 40s brackets were broken down by gender and marital status, married men recorded the highest figures for both actual and ideal IP spending. Conversely, unmarried women were the only demographic whose ideal IP spending was lower than what they actually spent (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

DIAGRAMKey Figures from Minto's IP Collaboration Survey (Ages 15–69)

60,000 yen: Average 2024 annual IP spending among consumers in their 30s (1.5–2x other age groups)
94%: Share of respondents in their 30s and 40s who say they like IP (vs. 88% overall)
~15%: Share of respondents aged 30–49 spending over 50,000 yen annually on IP
1,364: Total consumers surveyed between January 10 and January 15, 2025

Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of Minto survey data reported in the article

The Oshi Lab’s Take: This survey translates the higher disposable income of thirty-somethings directly into hard numbers. When companies design IP collaborations, they need to select target demographics not only by the intensity of fan passion, but also by how much disposable money that group actually has to spend. Because consumers in their 30s and 40s also frequently buy IP goods for their children, they represent the most substantial customer base for building two-generation collaborations that appeal to parents and kids alike.

Apparel Chains Put Favorite Characters on Everyday Shelves

UNIQLO x Chiikawa & Nagano’s Bear — 8 New UT Designs Capturing Everyday Character Moments

On June 23, 2025, UNIQLO launched its “Chiikawa x Nagano’s Bear UT” graphic T-shirt collection, bringing together characters from Chiikawa and Nagano’s Bear (Nagano no Kuma), both created by popular illustrator Nagano. The eight-design lineup includes four Women’s shirts priced at 1,500 yen each and four Kids’ shirts priced at 990 yen each. The graphics capture slice-of-life moments from the characters’ daily routines, such as battling spicy heat at the “Uma Curry” shop. Alongside the apparel launch, UNIQLO also arranged a promotion at stores with UNIQLO FLOWER sections where shoppers buying eligible houseplants received an original character garden pick (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: Offering eight designs across Women’s (1,500 yen) and Kids’ (990 yen) price points gives parents and children room to choose which designs to wear together across two generations. Giving away garden picks with houseplant purchases also layers a second reason to visit the store on top of the T-shirts. Rather than letting an IP collaboration end as a standalone product drop, pairing it with existing store sections to encourage browsing across the sales floor is a smart model to study.

GU x Chiikawa — Online Limited-Quantity Restock for Sold-Out Summer Collection

After GU’s “Chiikawa Summer Item Collection” (originally released on May 23) ran low on stock, the company announced that it would offer pre-order sales for select items through its online store starting June 2. The restock covered 11 items, including kids’ sweat shorts, graphic T-shirts, and pouches. The sales window ran from 12:15 p.m. on June 2 through June 8 (closing early once maximum quantities were reached), with a purchase limit of two items per pattern and color per customer (Inside (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: Rather than restocking physical stores after items sold out, GU responded with online-only pre-orders. That approach avoids taking on additional inventory risk at physical locations. Setting a strict limit of two pieces per pattern and color per person is a practical adjustment to make sure the merchandise reaches as many individual fans as possible. When a hit collection triggers the “happy problem” of selling out, brands are tested on how well they can balance speed of response with fairness to fans.

Shimamura x Pokémon and Avail x Super Sentai 50th Anniversary — Shared Retail Playbooks

Shimamura rolled out Pokémon coin cases and bags featuring Pikachu and Gengar designs on its online store. The five-item lineup ranged from coin cases at 1,089 yen to shoulder bags at 2,970 yen, with shipping scheduled from mid-June to early July (Inside (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, Avail announced a nationwide in-store release starting June 7 for short-sleeve T-shirts celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Super Sentai series, which first aired in 1975. Priced at 1,980 yen each, the three designs spotlight Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, and Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger (Inside (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: Shimamura sells affordable IP merchandise in the 1,000- to 3,000-yen range through online-only, limited-quantity drops (while Avail also sells its shirts at physical stores nationwide). This setup keeps brick-and-mortar inventory risk low while capturing the exact demand of fans who dislike missing out when they want to buy something. For retailers handling low-priced IP goods, combining online exclusivity with limited quantities has become a reliable template for balancing inventory control with social buzz.

Fast Food and Hotel Restaurants Turn IP into a Reason to Visit

Hypnosis Mic x Wendy’s First Kitchen — Movie Tie-In Campaign with Exclusive Menus at 5 Locations

From June 3 to July 6, Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- The Movie and fast-food chain Wendy’s First Kitchen held a collaboration event, with special menus and merchandise offered at five locations nationwide, including the Ikebukuro North Exit and Ueno Asakusa Exit stores. Customers received one random original coaster (out of 18 designs) with every collaboration menu item ordered, plus an original postcard when purchasing 3,300 yen or more (tax included) in event merchandise. Collaboration goods were also made available for pre-order via DMM mail order (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: Limiting the special menus and merchandise to just five locations for roughly one month creates a sense of scarcity that motivates fans to travel to a store in person. Offering a random coaster per menu order alongside a minimum spend threshold for merchandise bonuses creates a two-tiered mechanism that pushes up both average spend per customer and repeat visits. Adding the fun of collecting to an in-person dining experience builds a reason to visit that standalone merchandise sales cannot replicate.

Sumikko Gurashi x Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk — Collaboration Buffet Makes Its Kyushu Debut

Brasserie & Lounge Seala on the fourth floor of the Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk announced a collaboration sweets buffet with Sumikko Gurashi, running exclusively on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from July 5 to August 31. Titled “Sumikko Marine Party” (Sumikko-tachi no Marine Party), the event marks the franchise’s first buffet collaboration in Kyushu and features roughly 20 varieties of marine-play-themed sweets and savory bites. Admission is priced at 4,900 yen for adults and 2,600 yen for children aged 6 to 12 (tax included), with an exclusive collaboration clear file folder given to up to 30 guests per day (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: Notice how the national fast-food chain concentrates its campaign into sharp “points,” whereas the hotel buffet spreads its promotion across a seasonal “surface.” Wendy’s First Kitchen focuses buzz by limiting special menus and merchandise to five stores over a single month. Hilton Fukuoka, by contrast, is designed to draw guests steadily over two months of weekends. Depending on the scale of a company’s store network, planners have to decide how tightly to narrow both the duration and the physical footprint of a collaboration.

Everyday Goods and Cosmetics Reframe Products in a Fan Context

Kao Emal x Yabai T-Shirts Yasan — Teaching Concert T-Shirt Care at Harakado

On May 30 and 31, Kao held a two-day collaboration exhibition titled “Gather! T-Shirt People Exhibition” (Atsumare! T-Shirt People Ten) at Harakado in Harajuku, Tokyo. The free-admission event paired Kao’s delicate-garment laundry detergent Emal with three-piece rock band Yabai T-Shirts Yasan. Koki Tsujimoto, brand manager for Emal, explained that the campaign—timed to follow the product’s April 2025 renewal—aimed to spread the mindset of gently washing and preserving cherished shirts packed with concert memories so fans can wear them for years. While Emal’s primary user base is in their 40s and older, the team also designed this event to build touchpoints with younger consumers (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: The emotional value of “taking care of a beloved concert T-shirt” is hard to get across through functional detergent specs alone. This exhibition translated that message into a shared cultural context that immediately resonates with music fans. Alongside Emal’s core audience in their 40s and up, partnering with the band opened a natural bridge to younger fans at the same time. Timing an IP collaboration to coincide with a product renewal lets a brand re-engage existing users and meet new demographics in a single move.

KATE x Jujutsu Kaisen and be LEGEND x Jujutsu Kaisen — Cosmetics and Protein Channel Satoru Gojo

Cosmetics brand KATE announced a limited-quantity collaboration with the “Hidden Inventory / Premature Death” (Kaigyoku / Gyokusetsu) arc of Jujutsu Kaisen, launching June 21. The lineup features two products—an eyebrow item and an eyeliner—packaged with designs of Satoru Gojo’s eyes using special printing that makes his gaze stand out depending on the viewing angle. Kao’s official online shop also scheduled early pre-orders from June 3 to June 6 (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, on June 2, protein brand be LEGEND launched two limited-edition protein flavors inspired by Satoru Gojo’s signature techniques, sold through its official online store and participating Don Quijote locations. Each 900g bag (roughly 30 servings) was priced at 3,980 yen and limited to 5,800 bags per flavor (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: This was a week where products featuring the exact same character were announced simultaneously for two polar-opposite retail sections: cosmetics and protein supplements. KATE’s tagline declares that “Makeup is the ultimate technique for controlling confidence,” while be LEGEND pitches the chance to experience Gojo’s signature moves firsthand. Both brands tie the character’s in-story abilities directly to the benefits of their own products. An effective IP collaboration is not just paying a licensing fee to borrow artwork—it is the craft of translating a character’s worldview into the language of your brand’s own value proposition.

UNIQLO and Kirin Turn Voices from Fans and Farmers into Products

UNIQLO — Turning the Variety Show Meme “Please Give Me Long Sleeves” into a Mother’s Day Ad

On May 30, women’s media outlet Modelpress announced its “Buzzwords of the First Half of 2025” (Ryukogo Taisho 2025 Kamihanki). Selected among the winners was “Please give me long sleeves” (Nagasode o kudasai), a phrase shouted by comedian Atsuhiro Tsuda of the duo Diane during a segment on the TBS variety program Wednesday’s Downtown (Suiyobi no Downtown). Earlier on May 6, UNIQLO had reacted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account with the post, “Please stop by UNIQLO.” Starting the very next day, May 7, UNIQLO featured Tsuda and his mother in newspaper advertisements and web videos for its Mother’s Day campaign. A survey collecting 15,460 responses backed up just how widely the buzz had spread (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: Building on a meme born on a variety show, UNIQLO posted on its official X account on May 6, 2025, and featured Tsuda and his mother in its Mother’s Day ads from May 7. The fact that the buzzword survey drew 15,460 responses shows how broadly the joke had already caught on. Whether a brand succeeds with this kind of agile tie-in comes down to having an internal workflow capable of catching a meme the moment it peaks and folding it directly into an existing campaign.

Kirin “Hyoketsu mottainai” — Commercializing Off-Spec Watermelons from a Farmer’s Reverse Pitch

Kirin Brewery announced that it will launch “Hyoketsu mottainai Obanazawa Watermelon” on June 17 as the third installment in its “Hyoketsu mottainai” series (“mottainai” is a Japanese expression of regret over something good going to waste). Part of Kirin’s Creating Shared Value (CSV) initiative to use off-spec fruit that would otherwise be discarded, this release marks Kirin’s first-ever product born from a “reverse pitch” initiated by farmers. The first and second installments launched in 2024 both beat their 180,000-case targets to sell 270,000 cases each, cutting a combined 55 tons of food loss and generating roughly 11.7 million yen in donations. A Hyoketsu brand representative noted that while food-loss reduction alone rarely convinces shoppers to buy, curiosity about a famous regional fruit brand and an unusual new flavor gives people a reason to pick up a can (AdverTimes. (in Japanese), Mynavi News (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: Neither of these projects began with the corporation holding the reins. UNIQLO turned a viewer-driven television meme into an ad campaign, while Kirin commercialized a beverage after receiving a reverse proposal from growers. In both cases, what separates success from failure in this style of marketing is whether a company has the organizational posture to catch and elevate enthusiasm that fans or business partners set in motion first.

Legacy Publishers and World Expo Engage Fans Through Milestone Campaigns

Monthly Shonen Sirius 20th Anniversary x DOTAMA — Commemorative Music Video and Shinjuku Station Ad Takeover

Kodansha’s manga magazine Monthly Shonen Sirius celebrated its 20th anniversary with its July 2025 issue, released on May 26. To mark the milestone, the magazine unveiled a collaborative music video with rapper DOTAMA titled “A First-Magnitude Star in Your Heart” (Kimi no Kokoro ni, Ittosei o.). The video follows a protagonist dealing with personal setbacks who ventures across space while encountering various Sirius manga titles, with lyrics weaving together the appeal of 20 different works from the magazine. From May 26 to June 1, Kodansha also staged an advertising takeover screening the music video across “Shinjuku BBB,” a large-scale digital media display inside the South Ticket Gate of Shinjuku Station (Natalie (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: By weaving the appeal of 20 different series into the lyrics of a single music video, Kodansha put the Sirius label itself front and center rather than promoting one individual title. Taking over a massive display inside Shinjuku Station was a deliberate choice to catch the eyes of everyday commuters who do not currently read the magazine, not just existing fans. Instead of letting an anniversary stop at one-off merchandise sales, inviting an outside creator to reinterpret the magazine’s catalog creates fresh entry points for new readers.

Expo Gundam x SPIEWAK — Heritage Military Brand Turns Pavilion Motif into Streetwear

Gundam apparel shop STRICT-G announced a sequential rollout of new merchandise starting June 7, inspired by the private-sector pavilion “GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE PAVILION” at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. Headlined by a collaborative “L-2 Jacket” (44,000 yen) made with heritage military brand SPIEWAK, the seven-item lineup also includes T-shirts, caps, and coach jackets. Early pre-orders opened on the Bandai Namco Group’s official online store ahead of the sequential in-store release beginning June 7 (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), Dengeki Hobby Web (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: Anchoring this seven-piece collection around a 44,000-yen flight jacket shows an ambition to move beyond fleeting Expo souvenir buzz and create a wardrobe staple backed by genuine military-brand quality and pricing. Splitting the rollout into early online pre-orders followed by physical store sales allows STRICT-G to serve dedicated fans who want a guaranteed purchase while still creating new discovery touchpoints on the retail floor. Turning a motif from a temporary World Expo pavilion into long-lasting apparel through a heritage brand partnership is a great blueprint.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure “THE★JOJO WORLD” — World’s First Experiential Official Shop Opens in July

“THE★JOJO WORLD,” the world’s first experiential official shop dedicated to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, opened on July 24 on the sixth floor of Shibuya PARCO in Tokyo. The storefront greeted visitors with newly drawn illustrations of nine series protagonists created specifically for the venue by original author Hirohiko Araki. Spanning roughly 264 square meters, the facility offers free general admission while charging separately for attractions and mini-games. To ease crowding during the initial opening period, advance reservations were required for entry, with lottery applications opening on June 5 (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: A 20th-anniversary magazine project, a World Expo pavilion line, and a world-first experiential shop operate at very different scales and contexts, yet all three share one core strength: they enlist the original creator or respected outside talent to give the project real conviction. Neither DOTAMA’s original track nor Hirohiko Araki’s newly commissioned illustrations recycled existing IP assets—both were created from scratch. Making that extra creative investment is what keeps an anniversary or milestone campaign from feeling like a simple retrospective.

VTubers and XR Technology Broaden Corporate Partnership Channels

Holoearth — Opening Up Hololive Licensing Expands User-Generated Creations

Cover Corporation released Ver. 1.0.3 of its metaverse platform “Holoearth,” enabling individual users to produce and publish their own original content utilizing official Hololive Production licenses. Alongside the licensing update, the release added summer fashion patterns, a new avatar outfit set called the “Happy Rainy Day Coord,” and all 17 designs of “Hololive T-Shirt vol. 2” featuring illustrations of affiliated talents (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: When a rights holder opens up IP licensing not just to corporate partners but directly to users, the supply chain of derivative creations expands from official drops to individual fans. Meanwhile, the platform team continues adding garment patterns and avatar items so users have the tools to keep creating. For IP holders, empowering fans to create under an official license offers a compelling way to deepen engagement alongside traditional merchandise sales.

TikTok LIVE “MDL” x Keio Corporation — Railway Operator Joins Virtual Talent Scouting

Entertainment company any style launched “MDL,” an agency specializing in TikTok LIVE that draws on experience in VTuber and influencer development to support emerging creators from scouting and training all the way to monetization. To mark the launch, MDL held an audition event titled “MDL LIVE STATION presented by KEIO” as part of an internal corporate innovation project promoted by railway operator Keio Corporation. Top winners from the audition were slated to be featured on digital signage inside Keio Corporation train stations (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Take: Even without owning entertainment IP of its own, a railway company can participate in creator scouting by contributing a physical asset it already controls: digital signage inside train stations. It is a clean division of roles where the talent agency provides the training system and know-how, while the rail operator provides a public stage and daily exposure to commuters along its lines. This case shows that companies without in-house IP can still join the fan economy by offering their existing infrastructure and facilities as distribution channels.

Shine Post x NTT QONOQ “Matrix One” — 3D Virtual Concert Announced

Multimedia idol project Shine Post announced its first 3D virtual concert, “Shine Post TINGS Virtual LIVE 2025 ‘Another Re-Live,’” scheduled for October 29 at Zepp Shinjuku. The production announced that it would use “Matrix One,” a virtual live system developed by NTT QONOQ that reflects real-time motion-capture data directly onto characters inside a virtual space. Venue tickets were priced at 8,000 yen and online streaming tickets at 5,000 yen (both before tax), with archived streaming also planned (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

DIAGRAMThree Ways Companies Engage with the Virtual and VTuber Ecosystem

Licensing the IP (Cover / Holoearth)

Opens official Hololive Production licenses to individual users
Supplies clothing patterns and avatar items to support ongoing fan creation

Lending Physical Channels (Keio Corp. / MDL)

Railway company participates without owning in-house entertainment IP
Offers station digital signage to showcase audition winners to commuters

Providing Live Tech (NTT QONOQ / Shine Post)

Supplies the "Matrix One" real-time motion-capture virtual live system
Powers hybrid venue (8,000 yen) and online streaming (5,000 yen) concerts

Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of virtual business partnerships covered in this issue

The Oshi Lab’s Take: Taken together, these three cases show how a rights holder, a railway operator, and a telecommunications company each found a distinct way to engage with “face-forward” virtual IP. Hololive authorized users to create with its license, Keio Corporation lent physical station space, and NTT QONOQ provided real-time streaming technology. Even industries that do not own character rights have multiple practical avenues to participate in the virtual space.

Editorial Takeaways for the Week

This week made the entire IP collaboration economy visible from upstream to downstream.

Minto’s survey quantified the single highest-spending demographic in IP collaborations: married men in their 30s. Apparel chains UNIQLO, GU, Shimamura, and Avail are targeting both that generation and their children at once, rolling out IP goods priced from the 1,000-yen range to a few thousand yen across physical storefronts and online shops. KATE and be LEGEND took the exact same character and deployed him simultaneously in two completely different retail aisles—cosmetics and protein. Meanwhile, UNIQLO and Kirin turned momentum first sparked by television viewers and farmers into commercial campaigns and products.

At the same time, Cover unlocking user licensing in Holoearth and Keio Corporation joining the TikTok LIVE agency project “MDL” demonstrated how pathways into the virtual space are multiplying. Some companies lend the license, some lend the physical channel, and others lend the underlying technology. IP collaborations are steadily evolving beyond the simple formula of “renting character art to put on a product.”

Which customer segment—and at what price point—is your company aiming to reach? We encourage you to review this week’s developments alongside our guides to the Oshikatsu Market Size and Oshikatsu Marketing Design Principles.

Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a curated weekly roundup of the latest developments at the intersection of fan culture and business. You can browse past issues anytime in our Oshikatsu x News category.