Sanrio Hits Record 70.64M Votes; Yoshinoya x Dragon Quest Sells Out: Weekly News (July 3, 2026)

Here is our roundup of notable corporate oshikatsu (fan support activities) marketing and fan business news from the week of June 26 to July 2, 2026.

This Week’s Highlights

This was a week in which the players driving oshikatsu expanded to include local governments, major capital investors, and education companies.

Total votes in the Sanrio Character Ranking reached 70,647,379 (112% of the previous year’s total), setting a new all-time record. Taking first place for the second year in a row was Pompompurin. Fans’ voting behavior itself has become market data for companies. In the same week, a collaboration rice bowl from Yoshinoya and Dragon Quest Walk sold out in roughly six hours after going on sale. A first-ever collaboration between Nintendo’s Animal Crossing and Baskin-Robbins (known as “31 Ice Cream” in Japan) was also announced.

Capital movements stood out as well. Sony Pictures announced that it will invest $100 million (approximately 16.1 billion yen) in immersive venue operator Cosm. Meanwhile, the Public Enterprise Bureau of Beppu City in Oita Prefecture launched its own original intellectual property (IP), Jigoku Korin, rather than inviting an existing anime series for a tie-up. This represents a reversal of the traditional regional promotion approach.

DIAGRAMKey Figures from This Week's Oshikatsu Business News

70,647,379: Record total votes in the 2026 Sanrio Character Ranking (112% year-over-year)
$100M: Sony Pictures Entertainment's strategic investment in Cosm (approx. 16.1B yen)
~6 Hours: Time it took Yoshinoya's online Dragon Quest Walk bowl set to sell out
3.2x: Year-over-year increase in users posting articles with the

Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the article

Local Governments Turned to Oshikatsu Methods to Grow Their Connected Populations

Beppu City Public Enterprise Bureau x Pictoria — Designing a Fan Community with Original IP Jigoku Korin

The Public Enterprise Bureau of Beppu City (Oita Prefecture) and AI and IP creation company Pictoria launched a new IP project titled Jigoku Korin (a play on jigoku, Beppu’s famous “hell” hot springs, and keirin bicycle racing). Bringing on anime director Hiroko Utsumi for the original character concepts, the project was developed around the angle of anthropomorphizing “Beppu Keirin x Beppu’s Hell Tour (Jigoku Meguri).” Unlike conventional municipal tie-ups that invite well-known existing anime series, this initiative is distinctive in that the municipality itself owns the IP. Following the release of a teaser promotional video on June 4 and the announcement of the key visual and voice cast on June 11, the project streamed a special live program on June 26. Its target audience was young people and women, demographics that previously had little contact with the public racing industry (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

Behind this initiative are declining attendance and an aging visitor base at Beppu Keirin Stadium. By cultivating its own in-house IP over the long term, the city aimed to overcome a recurring problem of conventional tie-ups with existing works: that excitement ends as a temporary spike.

Lab Note: Unlike licensed IP, which comes with restrictions on campaign periods and usage, an in-house IP can be deployed flexibly and continuously to match regional needs. This is an investment decision built on the premise of nurturing a fan community over many years rather than ending with a one-off tie-up. The concept of treating IP as a regional asset can also be applied beyond local governments to companies thinking about building a long-term “connected population” (kankei jinko—people who are not full-time residents but maintain regular, meaningful engagement with a region or brand).

Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture x VTubers — Bus Guide Casting and “Machi Super Chat” Performance Report

On June 25, uyet Inc., which runs city promotion businesses utilizing VTubers, released the first performance report for its “Machi Super Chat Project” (Town Super Chat Project). The document summarizes initiatives carried out in Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture. The project was designed to create opportunities for VTuber fans in their teens through thirties to discover a “town worth supporting” (oseru machi). Since launching in December 2023, it had been implemented across eight municipalities, including Hachimantai City in Iwate Prefecture and Tamana City in Kumamoto Prefecture (Mogura VR (in Japanese)). On July 1, a joint campaign with Niimi City also began: a bus tour running through the end of October in which two VTubers, Mito Shigure and Nana Nanahoshi, appear on onboard bus monitors to guide passengers through the Rashomon sightseeing spot and introduce the local specialty Chiya beef (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: What is intriguing here is the decision to distribute the performance report exclusively to municipal officials. Before chasing flashy campaigns, uyet has organized a standardized framework for measuring effectiveness that is easy to roll out horizontally across regions. Having implemented the program in eight municipalities shows that an operational structure is in place to keep projects from ending as one-off events. It is a useful business model for companies considering regional promotions.

Major Capital Moved Successively into Entertainment IP Players

Yoyogi Animation Group and GREE — Mitsubishi Estate’s Additional Investment and a 10-Year Partnership with Saetta

On June 26, BRICKS FUND TOKYO, the corporate venture capital fund operated by Mitsubishi Estate, announced an additional investment in Yoyogi Animation Group. The group has been developing an entertainment IP business rooted in education. It was formed in March 2026 through the business integration of four companies: Yoyogi Animation Academy, VOISING, Utaite, and ASOBI GOD. By leveraging commercial facilities and other assets held by the Mitsubishi Estate Group, the company aimed to build a content business combining physical and digital touchpoints. On the same day, GREE Entertainment signed a 10-year planning and production partnership agreement with animation studio Saetta. Envisioning Saetta as a hub with Hayabusa Film as its primary production line, the partners had also kicked off a new project scheduled to air in 2030 (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: What both companies share is a focus on building infrastructure that looks not only at planning and development, but all the way to fan touchpoints. The 10-year length of the partnership makes it clear that this is an investment in a system for continuously producing works rather than chasing single hits. For companies considering entering the IP business, these cases raise the question of which stage of the value chain to inject capital into.

Sony Pictures x Cosm — Investing 16.1 Billion Yen in Immersive Venues

On June 25, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced a $100 million (approximately 16.1 billion yen) strategic investment in immersive entertainment company Cosm. Sony Pictures announced that it would acquire a minority stake as the lead investor in Cosm’s Series C round, and it was also announced that Chairman and CEO Ravi Ahuja would join Cosm’s board of directors. Cosm uses its proprietary “Shared Reality” technology to combine massive displays with live programming for immersive experiences. At the time of the announcement, three locations were operating in Los Angeles, North Dallas, and Atlanta. A Detroit venue opened in September 2026, and another location is scheduled to open in Cleveland in early 2027 (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: This is an investment that pairs a company’s own film and television IP with the physical experience of a venue. Sony Pictures put capital not just into on-screen streaming touchpoints, but into physical places where fans travel in person. This decision carries a deeper question for content companies: how much of the physical “experience” should they own or back themselves?

Restaurant Chains Created Reasons to Visit Through Limited Collaborations

Yoshinoya x Dragon Quest Walk — Collaboration Rice Bowl Sells Out in About 6 Hours

On July 2, beef bowl chain Yoshinoya launched a collaboration campaign with Dragon Quest Walk. It also released a limited-quantity “Dragon Quest Walk Collaboration Set” (one melamine collaboration rice bowl and two packs of frozen beef bowl topping) exclusively through its official online store. This set sold out in roughly six hours after sales opened at 10:00 a.m. on July 2, and Yoshinoya was preparing for an additional made-to-order production run. The in-store collaboration campaign ran at Yoshinoya locations nationwide through August 26 (Inside (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: This design turned the tableware itself—the donburi rice bowl—into collaboration merchandise. When you turn a utensil that fans pick up at every meal into an IP item, you create an ongoing touchpoint that does not end with a single restaurant visit. The same-day sellout does reflect an underestimation of demand, yet the announcement of additional made-to-order production is itself helping sustain the buzz.

Chiikawa the Movie x CoCo Ichibanya — Driving Pre-Release Store Visits with “Island Curry” and Merchandise

Curry House CoCo Ichibanya (commonly known as CoCoIchi) announced a Chiikawa collaboration campaign titled “CoCoIchi x Chiikawa the Movie: Great Curry Operation,” running from July 16 to August 31. Customers who ordered the featured menu item, “Original Island Curry” (1,210 yen including tax), received one original sticker. Collaboration drinks were rolled out in two waves, with each order coming with an original figure. In addition, the campaign offered a receipt sweepstakes for purchases of 1,000 yen or more and a follow-and-repost campaign on X. The promotion was timed to the July 24 theatrical release of Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island (Eiga Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu) (Cho! Animedia (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: The campaign spreads merchandise rewards across multiple touchpoints—food menu items, drinks, receipts, and social media—from the moment customers walk in until after they pay. Rolling out the drinks in two waves can encourage repeat visits. Starting to build momentum ahead of the film’s theatrical release also makes this a useful template for restaurant collaborations.

Manufacturers Carried Characters into New Product Categories

Nintendo x Baskin-Robbins — First Ice Cream Collaboration for Animal Crossing

Nintendo’s Animal Crossing and B-R 31 Ice Cream (Baskin-Robbins Japan) teamed up for their first-ever collaboration, rolling out original-design products starting July 1. Alongside a new ice cream flavor combining three tastes inspired by forests, sandy beaches, and the sea, the lineup featured limited-edition cups and spoons with a charm of the character Tom Nook (Tanukichi). On the game side, a “31 Island” also launched on July 1, allowing players in Animal Crossing: New Horizons to visit a themed shopping area and museum (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: The key point here is the simultaneous July 1 release of both in-store products and in-game content. Rather than keeping the campaign self-contained in physical shops or inside the game alone, the companies created a “reason to visit” both spaces. That structure draws fans of either side into the other.

DNP — “AN-IPPON,” an Overseas Brand Combining Anime and Traditional Japanese Crafts

On June 30, Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) launched “AN-IPPON,” a new overseas-oriented brand pairing Japanese anime IP with traditional crafts from across Japan. For its first wave, DNP released collaboration products combining Naruto Shippuden with Kutani ware ceramics from Ishikawa Prefecture, Yonezawa weave textiles from Yamagata Prefecture, and akabeko (red cow papier-mâché charms) from the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture. DNP announced that it would hold advance sales at two “Tokyo Anime Center” locations it operates in North America and plans to begin sales at Animate Los Angeles before the end of 2026. The company stated that it intends to expand its North American footprint to 10 locations by fiscal 2026 and aims for 2 billion yen in single-year sales across related businesses in fiscal 2028 (AdverTimes. (in Japanese), Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: This model uses the reach of anime IP to help a completely different industry—traditional crafts—expand overseas. Building awareness and opening sales channels abroad is difficult for craft-producing regions on their own, so DNP steps in to handle everything from licensing negotiations to retail distribution. It demonstrates a model for external partnerships when traditional or local industries without their own IP look toward international markets.

DIAGRAMHow Non-Entertainment Sectors Used IP and Oshikatsu This Week

Fan IP & Oshikatsu Mechanics

Municipal Governments (Beppu, Niimi)Creating original keirin IP or casting VTubers on tour buses to build long-term regional engagement
Real Estate & Tech Capital (Mitsubishi Estate, Sony Pictures)Investing in IP education groups and physical immersive venues to own fan touchpoints
Restaurant Chains (Yoshinoya, CoCoIchi)Turning everyday tableware and multi-wave menu bonuses into repeat visit drivers
Traditional Crafts (DNP's AN-IPPON)Pairing regional craftwork with global anime IP to open North American retail channels
Education Subscriptions (Benesse's Shinken Zemi)Embedding Puyo Puyo into study tablets as a reward mechanic to prevent member churn
Mass Retailers (Don Quijote, Shimamura)Placing pro baseball towels and bedding in everyday retail aisles to raise purchase frequency

Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the article

Fan Enthusiasm Became Visible as Both Data and Operational Challenges

Nijisanji Management — Issuing a Warning Over Concert Etiquette Including scrambles for Metallic Streamers

On its official X account, ANYCOLOR issued a warning regarding audience etiquette at company-hosted live concerts for the VTuber group Nijisanji. According to the company, there had been a growing number of cases during performances where audience members left their assigned seats to walk around or moved suddenly in order to grab metallic concert streamers (gin-tape) and other items. ANYCOLOR described this as a “deeply concerning situation.” The company pointed out that such actions are dangerous and can lead to injuries or accidents, while also disrupting stage production and causing trouble for surrounding audience members, and asked fans for their cooperation in following venue rules (Inside (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: The closer a venue gets to full capacity, the harder it becomes to balance safety with fans’ desire to obtain physical commemorative items. Companies that design item distribution—such as launching streamers into the crowd—as part of a live show need to think about stage impact and risk management at the same time. The fact that management issued an official public warning underscores that necessity.

Sanrio Character Ranking — Pompompurin Wins Second Straight Crown as Total Votes Reach 70.64 Million

Final standings were announced for the 2026 Sanrio Character Ranking. Total votes reached 112% of the previous year’s tally, setting an all-time record of 70,647,379 votes. Celebrating his 30th anniversary year, Pompompurin gathered more than 7 million votes to take first place for the second consecutive year and the fifth time overall. He was followed by Cinnamoroll in second place, Pochacco in third, Kuromi in fourth, and Hello Kitty in fifth. The results were announced at “Sanrio Fes 2026,” held on June 27 and 28 at Pacifico Yokohama, which drew more than 20,000 attendees in person over the two days and more than 1 million viewers online (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), eeo (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: This voting event has grown beyond a simple popularity poll to stand on its own as live entertainment drawing over 20,000 visitors in person and over 1 million online viewers. Fans’ voting behavior itself serves as decision-making material for the following year’s merchandise rollouts and character licensing. For companies designing participatory fan campaigns, the challenge is not to treat voting as the final goal, but to design with subsequent commercialization in mind.

Shinken Zemi x Puyo Puyo — Building a Game into Educational Materials

Benesse Corporation announced that on July 25 it would begin offering “Touch de Puyo Puyo,” a collaboration with Sega’s puzzle game Puyo Puyo, on “Challenge Touch,” the learning tablet for its “Shinken Zemi Elementary School Course” correspondence program. Aimed at first- through sixth-grade elementary students, the game was announced to be available through October 24. In a major March 2026 renewal, Benesse revamped the service around three pillars: “Games x Learning,” “Humans x AI,” and “Parent Support.” The program incorporates “reward-style” gamification in which children earn avatar items or get to play educational games after completing their lessons (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: Benesse is using a highly recognizable existing IP as a way to improve retention for its own service. What sets this apart from IP collaborations in other industries is that its purpose is not to acquire new fans, but to prevent existing subscribers from churning. Subscription-based businesses with an existing member base should find this approach especially adaptable.

Pro Baseball Merchandise Has Taken Root in Everyday Retail Aisles

Hanshin Tigers and Saitama Seibu Lions — Don Quijote and Shimamura Roll Out Team Merchandise

Starting June 30, discount chain Don Quijote released cheering towels for the Hanshin Tigers professional baseball team at select stores in the Kansai region. The lineup consists of 13 face towels (approximately 34 x 80 cm) featuring Manager Fujikawa and 12 players. The designs combine Don Quijote’s signature hand-drawn in-store pop lettering (“Donki font”) with the team logo and each player’s theme color, priced at 2,200 yen each including tax (Inside (in Japanese)). Fashion retailer Shimamura also launched bedding and interior goods for the Saitama Seibu Lions on its official online store starting at 3:00 p.m. on July 1. The lineup includes logo flat sheets, seat cushions, a bat-shaped body pillow prominently featuring team mascot Leo, and a cooling blanket that packs into a uniform-shaped pouch (Inside (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: Both companies are placing pro baseball goods not in official team shops, but on the shelves of retail chains that sell everyday household items. Fans can incorporate team merchandise into their daily lives right when they are replacing everyday necessities like towels or bedding, without needing to buy a brand-new jersey or dedicated stadium gear. As a design focused on increasing purchase frequency rather than average spend per fan, this method can easily be adapted to other sports IPs.

Three New Oshikatsu Business Developments from PR TIMES

OSHIAI, Quan, and note — Three Companies Handling Fan Enthusiasm with AI and Data

On June 29, OSHIAI Inc., operator of the AI fan-support app “OSHIAI,” released a new feature called “Drama Mode.” The feature lets users step into drama-like story worlds alongside “Ai,” officially licensed AI versions of idols and VTubers. It launched with two tracks: an “IF Series” featuring scenarios like “What if the two of us were stranded on a deserted island?” and a story-driven “Drama Series” built around setups like teachers or living together, with the narrative improvising dynamically based on the user’s conversation (PR TIMES (in Japanese)). On July 2, Quan Inc. launched the official version of “IKURA AI System,” an AI cloud service supporting fan community management, priced at 37,500 yen per month (excluding tax). Founded in 1996, Quan built a quarter-century of community management expertise and five patented technologies into the AI, setting a price point that makes community management—previously dominated by large corporations—accessible to small and medium-sized businesses and independent shops (PR TIMES (in Japanese)). On the same day, note Inc. released its “Oshi Artist Ranking,” combining data from oshikatsu articles posted on the note publishing platform with large language model (LLM) analysis. First place overall went to BTS, who drew numerous fan analysis articles around their album ARIRANG, while first place in the surging popularity category went to M!LK. The number of users posting articles with the “#oshikatsu” (#推し活) tag had grown roughly 3.2-fold compared to the same period the previous year (PR TIMES (in Japanese), note Inc. (in Japanese)).

Lab Note: What all three announcements have in common is a move to convert fan enthusiasm into numbers and AI-ready formats that are easier for businesses to work with. OSHIAI turned the conversational experience itself into a product, Quan opened up operational know-how affordably through AI, and note turned user post data into a ranking that companies can consult. For businesses targeting the oshikatsu market, not only the channels for reaching fans directly, but also the tools for measuring fan enthusiasm itself are becoming a competitive arena.

This Week’s Takeaways

This was a week that made clear how much wider the range of oshikatsu “players” has grown than many might imagine.

Beppu City’s Public Enterprise Bureau launched its own original IP, while Niimi City in Okayama Prefecture planned a bus tour with VTubers. Education company Benesse used a video game as a tool for study retention, and retailers Don Quijote and Shimamura lined their shelves with pro baseball goods. Launching a limited-edition collaboration product is no longer the only path for companies to enter the oshikatsu space. We came away with the strong impression that the real question across every industry is whether a company can build a place inside its own business that connects with fan enthusiasm.

At the same time, the trend of turning fan behavior itself into data—as seen in the Sanrio Character Ranking and note’s artist rankings—is steadily advancing. That data becomes the basis for decision-making in the following year and beyond. Alongside our guides to Fundamental Fan Marketing Design and Oshikatsu Marketing Design Principles, we encourage you to consider what entry route makes the most sense for your own business.

Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a weekly roundup of oshikatsu and business developments. You can browse past issues in the Oshikatsu x News category.