Pokémon's 1,025 Logos & Nissan's 650M Yen Naming Rights: Weekly Oshikatsu News (March 6, 2026)
Here is our roundup of standout corporate oshikatsu (fan support activities) marketing and fan business news from the week of February 27 to March 5, 2026.
This Week’s Highlights
The defining theme of the week was anniversary initiatives designed to embrace every single fan’s personal number-one favorite.
As Pokémon celebrated its 30th anniversary, the company designed an individual commemorative logo for each of all 1,025 Pokémon species and rolled them out across outdoor advertisements in five cities nationwide in Japan. Representative Director and COO Takato Utsunomiya explained the decision by noting that every single Pokémon is someone’s absolute favorite Pokémon and an irreplaceable partner.
Major milestones for long-running corporations also converged this week. Aeon marked the 100th anniversary of its incorporation as a joint-stock company by establishing a new slogan, “CHANGE for GOOD, Together.” Meanwhile, the city of Yokohama renewed its naming rights agreement for Nissan Stadium with Nissan Motor for a total of 650 million yen over five years. Even while in the midst of business restructuring, Nissan pivoted away from a proposed single-year contract and agreed to a five-year commitment.
- 1,025
- Individual 30th-anniversary Pokémon logos designed for every species, up from 151 in 1996
- 100 Years
- Time since Aeon's incorporation as Okadaya Gofukuten Co., Ltd. in September 1926
- 650M Yen
- Total value of Nissan Motor's five-year naming rights renewal for Nissan Stadium (2026–2031)
- 83rd Edition
- The first oshikatsu-themed installment in Takara Tomy's 58-year-old Game of Life series
Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the article
Designing Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary to Embrace Everyone’s Favorite
Pokémon — Creating an Individual Commemorative Logo for All 1,025 Species
Pokémon marked its 30th anniversary since the February 27, 1996 Japanese release of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green (Pocket Monsters Red and Green). For the occasion, The Pokémon Company individually designed a dedicated 30th-anniversary logo for each of the 1,025 Pokémon species. From February 23 to March 1, outdoor advertisements featuring the logos were displayed across five cities nationwide: Tokyo (Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Akihabara, and Shibuya), Osaka (Namba and Umeda), Nagoya, Fukuoka (Tenjin), and Sapporo. In a campaign on X (formerly Twitter), users who participated through the official post received a reply delivering one random logo icon out of all 1,025 species. Starting on Pokémon Day on February 27, fans could download every single icon from a special anniversary website (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Back in 1996, there were 151 species of Pokémon. Representative Director and COO Takato Utsunomiya stated that out of gratitude and respect for all Pokémon and everyone who has supported them, the company will build excitement throughout the anniversary year together with every one of these logos.
The Oshi Lab’s Note: The sheer effort required to create 1,025 distinct designs one by one is itself the message. Lining up only the most popular flagship characters would be far more efficient. Pokémon chose not to take that shortcut based on a deliberate judgment not to leave behind fans whose favorite character (oshi) is not a main-cast star. The CITEN × Sanrio collaboration we covered in our February 13 issue prepared complete lineups for all nine characters in its roster. Pokémon is executing that exact same philosophy on an entirely different order of magnitude.
Aeon — 100 Years Since Incorporation, Highlighting a History of “Customer Shareholders”
As Aeon reached the 100th anniversary of its incorporation as a joint-stock company in 2026, it established a new corporate slogan: “CHANGE for GOOD, Together.” The company originally reorganized as Okadaya Gofukuten Co., Ltd. (a kimono and dry goods retailer) in September 1926. Following that milestone, it introduced an employee stock ownership plan in 1973 and a shareholder benefit program in 1985. In its anniversary messaging, the company highlighted the concept of “customer shareholders” and “open general shareholder meetings” as pillars of its corporate history. Looking ahead, Aeon announced that it will roll out products tied to the year 1926 as well as supervised and collaborative merchandise created with other companies that are likewise celebrating their 100th anniversaries (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: A company that has maintained a shareholder benefit program since 1985 is actively reframing its everyday shoppers as shareholders. A relationship in which the people who buy your products are also the people who support the enterprise is the ideal form of fan marketing. Putting the history of a company’s relationship with its fans into clear words at an anniversary milestone provides a concrete starting point for planning the next decade of initiatives.
Showa Sangyo’s 90th Anniversary — Tsuyoshi Domoto Spends Four Months Supervising “Super Thin and Tiny” Pancakes
To mark the 90th anniversary of its founding (February 18, 2026), food manufacturer Showa Sangyo released a pancake mix produced by singer and actor Tsuyoshi Domoto on March 1, titled Ore ga Suki na Usuukute Chiichai Yatsu. Hotcake Mix (“The Super Thin and Tiny Ones I Like: Hotcake Mix”). Development took more than four months, starting around August 2025. The resulting pancakes measure roughly 8 centimeters in diameter and under 1 centimeter in thickness, cooking in about one and a half minutes per side for a total cooking time of around three minutes. The television commercial was structured to closely follow the behind-the-scenes process leading up to product completion, including taste tests and naming meetings, while a special website released a full development documentary (Mynavi News (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: Showa Sangyo did not simply attach a celebrity talent’s name to a package; it opened up the development process itself for fans to see. The fact that over four months were spent crafting the mix becomes part of the product’s intrinsic value. This follows the same dynamic as the Morinaga Ramune story we covered in our January 16 issue, where illustrations were hand-drawn onto 13-millimeter candy tablets. Making time and craftsmanship visible is increasingly becoming a decisive factor in product differentiation.
Stadium Names and Tourism Symbols Renewed to Preserve Long-Standing Relationships
Nissan Stadium — Renewed for 650 Million Yen Over Five Years Even During Business Restructuring
On February 27, the city of Yokohama announced that it will renew its naming rights agreement with Nissan Motor covering three municipal facilities, including Nissan Stadium. The contract runs for five years from March 1, 2026, through February 28, 2031, for a total of 650 million yen. Because the previous five-year contract (March 2021 to February 2026) totaled 600 million yen, this renewal represents a fee increase. In autumn 2025, a renewal proposal for a single-year deal at 50 million yen per year had been floated, but the terms were reconsidered following feedback from the city council and other stakeholders. Nissan has been navigating weak financial performance and announced its business turnaround plan, “Re:Nissan,” in May 2025. In parallel, Yokohama also continued its naming rights contract with NHK Spring Co., Ltd. (Nippon Hatsujo) for NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium (Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium) at a total of 200 million yen over five years (AdverTimes. (in Japanese), Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese), FOOTBALL ZONE (in Japanese), Qoly (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: It is precisely when business performance is under strain that a company’s stance toward long-term regional commitments is put to the test. Nissan has maintained the “Nissan Stadium” name since 2005. Rather than acting merely as a media advertising slot, stadium naming rights serve as a vehicle for sustaining a relationship with local fans and the community. Switching to a single-year contract would reduce immediate expenses, but a name that took 20 years to take root in everyday life cannot easily be recovered once lost.
Matsue City — Using a Morning Drama for Regional Revitalization and Opening Its Logo for Free Use
The Grand Prix at the San’in Advertising Awards went to Matsue City’s promotional campaign leveraging the NHK morning television drama series (Asadora) Bakebake: “Age, Soge, Bake. Matsue, Where Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo) and Setsu Met” (the phrase plays on local Izumo dialect expressions for “that way” and “this way”). The campaign logo mark and catchphrase could be used free of charge with approval from Matsue’s promotion council and compliance with its conditions of use. Drawing inspiration from illustrator Weldon’s work depicting Hearn departing New York, the logo portrays Lafcadio Hearn and his wife Setsu seen from behind. Earlier, in October 2024, Matsue City had established a dedicated “Koizumi Yakumo and Setsu Drama Support Office” within its Tourism Promotion Division. This year’s award competition drew a record-high 229 entries across 12 categories (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: Matsue City’s decision to make the logo freely available is highly effective. Restricting usage makes it easier to maintain strict brand control, but it drastically reduces the volume of spontaneous adoption by local shops and businesses. The strategic crossroads lies in whether you prioritize protecting proprietary rights or expanding the reach of actual use. When the goal is to generate tangible momentum within the limited broadcast window of a television drama, choosing open access is a rational move.
Character Collaborations Expand from Classic Board Games to Watches and Sleepwear
Sanrio × The Game of Life — The First “Oshikatsu” Theme in the Series’ 83rd Installment
Takara Tomy announced that it will release the Sanrio Characters Game of Life (Sanrio Characters Jinsei Game) in late April 2026 for 4,950 yen (tax included). Marking the 83rd installment in the history of the Japanese Game of Life series, this edition is the first in the franchise centered on an oshikatsu theme. At the start of play, each player chooses one favorite character card (oshi character card) from 18 available characters. Under the game’s mechanics, the player who collects the most Heart Points wins victory for their chosen oshi. In the “Stage Event” area of the board, players spin the roulette wheel to draw seat tickets for a live show, and the number of points earned changes depending on which seat they pull. Since the first Japanese edition of The Game of Life launched in September 1968, cumulative sales have surpassed 16 million units (Cho! Animedia (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: The rule where your reward changes depending on the concert seat you draw is brilliantly observed. The way your entire experience shifts depending on whether you pull a front-row ticket mirrors real-life concerts. Takara Tomy has translated the lived customs of oshikatsu directly into board game mechanics. Watching a 58-year-old board game absorb contemporary fan playstyles for its 83rd release offers a great case study in how to keep a classic staple fresh.
Sumikkogurashi × Seiko, and Sanrio × Wacoal
The online specialty store PREMICO was accepting pre-orders for a collaborative wristwatch created by Sumikkogurashi and Seiko. Limited to 2,000 pieces, the watch was priced at 44,800 yen (49,280 yen including tax). Made in Japan with 10-bar water resistance, each timepiece features an engraved edition number on the case back, with sequential shipping scheduled to begin in late June 2026 (NEWSCAST (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, Wacoal’s sleepwear brand Suimin Kagaku (“Sleep Science”) was selling collaborative pajamas featuring Sanrio Characters for 16,500 yen (tax included). Constructed with double-gauze fabric and a three-dimensional pattern tailored to make turning over in bed easier, the pajamas feature prints of Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, and Pompompurin (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: Both a wristwatch in the 40,000-yen range and pajamas in the 16,000-yen range possess core functional quality that stands on its own even without character branding. This is the exact same structure we saw with the Noritake cup and saucer sets covered in our January 2 issue. When the time-tested craftsmanship of a heritage manufacturer meets strong fan devotion to an intellectual property (IP), unit prices rise substantially. The longer a company has honed its own manufacturing technology, the more powerful this combination becomes.
Sanrio × Mochikichi, and Black Butler × JR Central
Celebrating the 97th anniversary of its founding, traditional rice cracker (senbei) maker Mochikichi launched its second wave of collaborative tins with Sanrio Characters on March 1. The Pompompurin Tin, Pochacco Tin, and Cinnamoroll Tin are priced at 1,200 yen each, a three-tin set sells for 3,600 yen, and a newly introduced Hello Kitty Tin costs 2,000 yen (all prices include tax). Each tin includes one random sticker out of six designs for its character (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)). Additionally, a collaboration between the anime series Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) and JR Central’s “Oshi-Tabi” (fan travel campaign) debuted newly illustrated merchandise depicting characters Sebastian and Ciel dressed in station attendant uniforms. Pre-orders were open on the e-commerce site AMNIBUS through March 25 (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: The station-attendant version of Black Butler uses the exact same “Oshi-Tabi” framework as the Cardcaptor Sakura × JR Central campaign we noted in our February 27 issue. JR Central continues to run collaborations in the same format across multiple IPs. Once a solid operational framework is built, it can be reused repeatedly with different partners. Companies that rebuild their campaign structure from scratch for every single collaboration end up exhausting themselves across that gap.
Heritage Craftsmanship × Character IP
- Sumikkogurashi × Seiko: 49,280-yen (tax included) Japanese-made 10-bar water-resistant watch limited to 2,000 pieces
- Sanrio × Wacoal Suimin Kagaku: 16,500-yen double-gauze pajamas engineered for comfortable movement during sleep
- Sanrio × Mochikichi: 97-year-old rice cracker maker offering collectible character tins (1,200 to 2,000 yen) with random stickers
Repeatable Formats & Staggered Rollouts
- JR Central 'Oshi-Tabi': Reuses an established station-attendant merchandise and travel framework across IPs like Black Butler
- Detective Conan Cafe: Staggers schedules across 8 venues in 6 cities through August 2 to sustain social media conversation
- Keio Department Store 'Kinnikuman Festival': Brings over 300 items to department store shoppers whose purchasing power grew with the IP
Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the article
Experiential Spaces Expand Simultaneously Across Cafes, Department Stores, and XR
Detective Conan Cafe — Eight Venues Across Six Cities Timed to the Theatrical Release
The Detective Conan Cafe announced a staggered opening starting April 10, 2026, across eight venues in six cities nationwide: Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Tokyo Solamachi, Kanagawa, Nagoya, Osaka, Miyagi, and Hokkaido. Operating dates vary by venue, with the longest-running locations staying open until August 2. Built around a “Port Town Retro” theme, the menu offers dishes such as the “Bowtie Rice Set” and “Falling Rice Curry Black Fallen Angel.” Original merchandise includes random tin badges (12 varieties at 605 yen each) and a bowtie-shaped blanket for 3,850 yen (tax included). The cafe is planned to coincide with the April 10 theatrical release of the 29th feature film in the franchise, Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway (Meitantei Conan: Highway no Datenshi). The previous film, Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback (Sekigan no Flashback), earned 14.74 billion yen at the box office (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: The organizers intentionally staggered the operating periods across the eight venues. Starting and ending every location at the exact same time would make administration easier, but the buzz would also vanish all at once. Shifting the schedule by region keeps organic mentions circulating on social media over a much longer span. For companies rolling out collaboration cafes across multiple locations, calendar design is itself a core driver of customer traffic.
Keio Department Store’s “Kinnikuman Festival” — Over 300 Items on Basement Floor 1
Keio Department Store’s Shinjuku flagship announced the “Kinnikuman Festival” for March 19 to March 31, 2026. Located on the Basement 1st floor, the event would offer more than 300 items across apparel, figures, and lifestyle goods, and feature life-sized character figure photo spots. For photo sessions on March 28 and 29 at 13:00 and 15:00, shoppers spending at least 5,000 yen (tax included) that day would receive numbered tickets on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to 30 people per session (one ticket per transaction). Purchases of at least 2,000 yen would qualify for one novelty bonus sticker per transaction, while supplies lasted. The Kinnikuman manga series has surpassed 85 million copies in cumulative circulation, and its “Kinkeshi” miniature rubber figures have sold over 180 million units (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: An eraser-figure brand with a track record of 180 million units sold now stands as a full-fledged department store exhibition. Part of this comes down to the simple reality that the children who collected them back then have reached an age bracket with significant purchasing power. When reviving or merchandising an IP that has been quiet for some time, targeting the moment when its original fanbase has matured financially is a classic textbook play.
Flow Studio, an Akasaka Geisha Hologram, and Honkai: Star Rail × Fortnite
Autodesk’s “Flow Studio” is a browser-based application capable of compositing live-action video with CG avatars without requiring a specialized studio or motion-tracking hardware. A recent review article tested the application using video footage filmed in a real kitchen by the VTuber channel “Omurice Shokudo.” The article highlighted practical specifications, such as the ability to capture between two and four people simultaneously depending on the subscription plan (Mogura VR (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, at Akasaka Biz Tower starting February 28, a free exhibition projected life-sized footage of Akasaka geisha Ikuko Akasaka onto a transparent display unit called a “Holobox” (Mogura VR (in Japanese)). And in gaming, Honkai: Star Rail launched a collaboration with Fortnite on February 26 (US Eastern Time), with Fortnite releasing playable outfits of the characters Kafka and Blade (Mogura VR (in Japanese), PR TIMES (in Japanese), Dengeki Online (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: The Akasaka exhibition is an immediately accessible example of pairing traditional culture with extended reality (XR) display technology. Opportunities to see a geisha up close at life size are rare, and this display requires no headset at all. In our February 27 issue, we covered Epic Games’ acquisition of Meshcapade. Taken together, these stories show that the cost of technology for reproducing human figures in three dimensions continues to fall steadily.
This Week’s Takeaways
The common thread uniting this week’s news was that the longer a company maintains relationships with its fans, the less its strategic judgment wavers.
Pokémon turned a roster of characters that grew to 1,025 species over 30 years into individual logos without leaving a single one behind. Aeon re-emphasized a relationship with its shareholders stretching back 100 years. And even in the middle of corporate restructuring, Nissan committed to buying another five years of the 20-year-old “Nissan Stadium” name.
On the other hand, if you evaluate return on investment strictly within a single fiscal year, none of these decisions pencil out on paper. Neither the design cost of 1,025 separate logos nor a 650-million-yen five-year naming contract can be justified by short-term returns alone. The reason each of these companies still follows through is that they understand fan relationships can only be built through cumulative effort over time.
How many years does your organization intend to sustain its relationship with fans? Consider this week’s developments alongside our guide to the design principles of oshikatsu marketing.
Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a curated weekly roundup of oshikatsu and business developments. You can browse past issues in our Oshikatsu × News category.
