JCB Launches Oshikatsu Cancellation Insurance; McDonald's Starts Pokémon Summer Campaign [July 10, 2026]
Here is our roundup of the most notable corporate oshikatsu (fan activity) marketing and fan business news from the week of July 3 to July 9, 2026.
This Week’s Highlights
The defining theme of the week was oshikatsu becoming built directly into everyday infrastructure.
On July 7, JCB began selling “Oshikatsu Cancellation Insurance” to cover cancellation costs for ensei (fan travel to attend concerts and events). The domestic travel version is affordably priced, with a ¥900 premium for ¥30,000 in travel expenses. Its developer, Mysurance, had already surpassed a cumulative total of 2 million insurance policies in January 2026. This effectively integrates dedicated coverage for fan activities directly into payment infrastructure.
Local governments and transit systems showed similar momentum. Gunma Prefecture’s “Gunma Passport” closed applications for its initial run of 10,000 copies on the very first day of distribution. Although the prefecture printed an additional 30,000 copies, server outages hit the web application system for the extra batch, prompting a switch to a lottery system. Meanwhile, JR West’s “WOW RIDE” bus bound for the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum surpassed 100,000 passengers, following roughly 55,000 riders in fiscal 2025. And McDonald’s rolled out its “Pokémon Summer Mac” campaign starting in mid-July to celebrate the 55th anniversary of McDonald’s Japan and the 30th anniversary of Pokémon, turning roughly 3,000 stores nationwide into PokéStops.
- ¥900
- Insurance premium for ¥30,000 in domestic fan travel coverage via JCB and Mysurance
- 2M+
- Cumulative policies surpassed by developer Mysurance as of January 2026
- 100,000+
- Cumulative riders on JR West's WOW RIDE dinosaur bus in Fukui
- ~3,000
- McDonald's locations across Japan turned into Pokémon GO PokéStops
Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article
Railways and Local Governments Turn Characters into Regional Gateways
Tottori Prefecture — IP Tourism Strategy Backed by Conan Airport and Kitaro Airport
As Ishikawa Prefecture’s Noto Satoyama Airport was temporarily renamed “Noto Satoyama Pokémon with You Airport” on July 7, Tottori Prefecture drew attention as an early pioneer in this space. Tottori has two character-named airports: “Tottori Sand Dunes Conan Airport” in the east (given its nickname in fiscal 2014, or Heisei 26) and “Yonago Kitaro Airport” in the west (given its nickname in fiscal 2010, or Heisei 22). Tottori is reportedly the only prefecture in Japan with two airports named after fictional characters. Conan Airport expanded its decorations for its grand opening in July 2018 and has featured mystery-solving rallies and in-terminal announcements. Kitaro Airport features trick art, an eyeball character (Medama Oyaji from GeGeGe no Kitarō) riding the baggage carousel, and ceiling paintings (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Prefectural officials explained that they have pursued these airport nicknames to raise nationwide awareness and attract tourists.
Lab Note: This case shows that turning a “transit point” like an airport into a destination in its own right takes a decade-scale commitment. More than 15 years have passed since Kitaro Airport first received its nickname. Unlike one-off collaborations, Tottori Prefecture embedded IP into the permanent asset of an airport’s name. In that respect, it stands apart from temporary renamings like the newer campaign at Noto Satoyama Airport.
JR West — Dinosaur Bus Surpasses 100,000 Riders and the Farewell Etiquette for Doctor Yellow
On July 5, JR West held a ceremony celebrating 100,000 riders on the “WOW RIDE Ikossa! Fukui-go,” an immersive experience bus connecting Fukui Station and the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. Ridership stood at roughly 33,000 in fiscal 2024 and about 55,000 in fiscal 2025, with another 12,000 or so passengers using the service between April and July 5 in fiscal 2026. The bus interior is covered in displays and equipped with an AI dialogue system (Mogura VR (in Japanese)). Separately, the company announced that it will not publicly disclose the final operating date for its T5 train set of the “Doctor Yellow” Shinkansen track-inspection train, manufactured in 2005. When JR Central’s T4 train set retired in January 2025, an interior cleaning event with 200 spots drew more than 23,000 applications (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: With the dinosaur bus, JR West engineered an experience to generate popularity; with Doctor Yellow, it is restricting information to protect that popularity safely. Though the methods are opposites, both answer the same challenge: how to handle a sudden rush of people. When too many fans gather at once, there is a risk of accidents and confusion. Drawing crowds and managing dispersion need to be designed together as a set right from the planning stage of any oshikatsu initiative.
Beverage Makers and Sports Broadcasters Widen Their Reach Through Talent
J SPORTS x ME:I and Kuro-chan — Lowering the Barrier to Entry for Tour de France Broadcasts
Sports broadcaster J SPORTS held a press presentation in Tokyo on July 2 to announce its broadcasting lineup for the Tour de France cycling road race, which kicked off in Barcelona, Spain, on July 4. The network announced that it would broadcast and stream all 21 stages live. Taking the stage at the presentation were AYANE of the girl group ME:I, comedian Kintalo., and Kuro-chan of the comedy trio Yasuda Dai Circus. While the 2025 race recorded an average viewership rating of over 40% in France, the challenge in Japan has been how to bring in new viewers, prompting the network to prepare offerings such as free streaming for Stages 1 and 2 (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
J SPORTS has been broadcasting the Tour de France continuously since 1998, going back to its predecessor SKY Sports.
Lab Note: The longer a piece of content runs, the more its presentation tends to cater only to people already in the know. J SPORTS brought in celebrity talent to stand in for beginners. Expanding highly specialized content beyond existing fans requires a guide who stands on the side of people who do not know the sport yet. This approach applies not just to competitive cycling, but to any highly specialized product.
Lotte — Casting VTubers in a Coolish x Sou Commercial and Ballpark Event
On July 3, Lotte unveiled “Cold and Blue, Summer Has Come,” the first-ever joint TV commercial for its “Coolish” and “Sou” ice cream brands. In the commercial, virtual idol Hoshimachi Suisei and virtual singer Hatsune Miku sing a passionate duet of Tatsuya Kitani’s song “Ao no Sumika” (Where Our Blue Is). The commercial was announced to air nationwide starting July 7. Lotte also announced a train takeover on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (July 13–27) and ran a giveaway awarding tin badges to 100 lottery winners (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)). In addition, it was announced that Hoshimachi Suisei would throw the ceremonial first pitch on July 20 at the Chiba Lotte Marines’ title-sponsored game “Coolish & Sou DAY” against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Inside (in Japanese)).
Hoshimachi Suisei held a solo concert at the Nippon Budokan in February 2025 and is a top-tier VTuber with songs exceeding 100 million views on YouTube.
Lab Note: Lotte is rolling out the same campaign not just in a TV commercial, but also across a ballpark first pitch, a train takeover, and hotel guest rooms. The key point is how it spreads across multiple places people pass through in daily life. A television commercial cannot choose who watches it, whereas only people visiting with a specific purpose experience a ballpark or a hotel. Breaking a single tie-up down into multiple touchpoints is the key to keeping buzz from ending as a one-off flash in the pan.
Meiji — “Hello Panda,” Raised Overseas, Makes a Homecoming at Costco
Meiji launched the predecessor to its “Hello Panda” snack in 1987 to ride the wave of the Ueno Zoo panda boom, only to end sales after just two and a half years. However, after relaunching in Singapore in 1991, its sales territory expanded, and it is now sold in more than 30 countries and regions. Annual global shipments have reached the ¥20 billion scale, growing to account for the largest share of Meiji’s overseas confectionery sales. In Japan, sales had resumed at the membership warehouse club Costco (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Meiji also produces Halal-certified versions for Islamic markets and adapts the character designs for each region.
Lab Note: Here we see a product that was discontinued in Japan, grew its sales overseas, and then returned home in triumph. Judging a product’s potential solely by the domestic market’s initial reaction means missing out on growth opportunities like this. For companies with character goods, selling overseas first and re-importing back into Japan can be a viable option for re-evaluating discontinued products.
Restaurant Chains Drive Store Visits Through Games and Characters
McDonald’s x Pokémon — “Pokémon Summer Mac” Celebrates 55th Anniversary
McDonald’s Japan announced that it would sequentially roll out “Pokémon Summer Mac” starting in mid-July, a special collaboration celebrating the 55th anniversary of McDonald’s Japan and the 30th anniversary of Pokémon. Across the summer, it rolled out four phases: the “Tokuninarudo” value campaign, the “Summer Chance Bag” edition, the “Burger” edition, and the “Happy Set” (Happy Meal) edition. At the same time, it entered an official partnership with Pokémon GO—which is celebrating its 10th anniversary—for the first time in roughly six years. From July 20 to September 1, all of its roughly 3,000 stores nationwide were announced to become “PokéStops” (Inside (in Japanese)).
The company announced that Pokémon from across generations would gather in force and released advance teaser silhouettes for each part of the campaign.
Lab Note: Simply turning a store into a “PokéStop” gives even people who aren’t buying food a reason to visit. McDonald’s is using its existing network of roughly 3,000 brick-and-mortar stores directly as the stage for the game. For companies with large store networks, making the store itself a stop within a game can create touchpoints with large numbers of people at a lower cost than developing a full product collaboration.
Marugame Seimen x Sumikkogurashi — Udon Chain’s Limited-Time Collaboration
Marugame Seimen held a nationwide collaboration campaign with Sumikkogurashi starting July 14. The centerpiece item was the “Marutto Wakuwaku Udon BOX” (¥690 including tax), an assortment packing cold udon together with shrimp tempura, fried chicken (karaage), and other toppings. The campaign also featured newly illustrated limited-edition udon-fuda (collectible udon tickets) and original merchandise across four sub-campaigns in total. The sales period ran through August 31, and a social media campaign awarded collaboration insulated cooler bags to 100 lottery winners (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), Crank-in! (in Japanese)).
One udon ticket is handed out with every regular bowl of udon ordered, with different designs prepared for the first and second waves.
Lab Note: Notice the care Marugame Seimen took in matching the colors of the udon toppings to the world of Sumikkogurashi. Rather than just printing characters on the box, they aligned the visual appearance of the food itself with the characters’ aesthetic. Whether a restaurant chain’s IP collaboration stays in customers’ memories depends on whether it can adapt the design of the food itself, not just the packaging.
Yoshinoya x Dragon Quest Walk — Switching from a 6-Hour Sellout to Made-to-Order
Yoshinoya launched a collaboration campaign with Dragon Quest Walk starting July 2. It also released a limited quantity of the official online store exclusive “Dragon Quest Walk Collaboration Set” (one melamine collaboration beef bowl and two frozen packs of beef bowl topping for ¥3,999). This set sold out in roughly 6 hours after going on sale. In response, Yoshinoya announced that it would hold an additional made-to-order sales window from 12:00 p.m. on July 7 until 8:00 p.m. on July 15 (Game*Spark (in Japanese)).
Purchases are limited to three sets per person, with shipping scheduled to begin sequentially from October 2026 onward.
Lab Note: Yoshinoya switched to made-to-order production immediately after the sellout, and the speed of that decision is what matters. While a “sold out” notice on a limited-edition item generates buzz on its own, leaving demand unfulfilled dampens excitement for the next collaboration. A two-stage approach—creating initial buzz with a limited run, then supplying additional made-to-order stock once the scale of demand is clear—is becoming standard practice for game collaborations.
Commercial Facilities and Hot Spring Resorts Attract New Demographics via Collaborations
Tokyu Land Corporation x Kao — Building Year-Round Brand Touchpoints Across Shibuya
On July 2, Tokyu Land Corporation announced “Shibuya Marugoto Connect,” an annual partnership program designed to let people encounter corporate brands throughout the neighborhood, centered on the community app “SHIBUYA MABLs.” Kao was selected as the inaugural first-wave partner. That same day, a project launched featuring three of Kao’s haircare brands: “melt,” “THE ANSWER,” and “MEMEME.” The target area is the Greater Shibuya sphere (roughly a 2.5 km radius around Shibuya Station). The project was announced to bundle together sampling across dozens of shops, street signage, and events such as a joint Shibuya company induction ceremony (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).
Project representatives emphasized a “co-creation” model built from scratch for each company rather than offering templated menu packages.
Lab Note: What stands out here is a design that accumulates everyday opportunities to encounter a brand around town. In measuring effectiveness, too, it prioritizes “what kind of relationship was born through experiences in the neighborhood” over raw exposure volume. That perspective is fascinating and can also be applied to measuring the effectiveness of oshikatsu marketing.
Oedo Onsen Monogatari x Blue Lock — Hot Spring Group’s First Collaboration Project
The Oedo Onsen Monogatari Group announced that it will hold its first collaboration event with the TV anime Blue Lock, titled “Choose the Best Hot Spring,” from August 1 to October 31. Participating hotels and inns will offer overnight plans exclusively for staying guests that include a five-piece set of original novelty goods such as a “Dormitory Entry Pass” and a “Doorknob Hanger.” At five selected facilities, they will also run a digital photo rally where guests walk through the building scanning 2D barcodes (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
Since its 2022 TV anime adaptation, Blue Lock has expanded across a wide media mix including a theatrical film and smartphone games.
Lab Note: Hot spring collaborations tend to revolve around merchandise sales, but Oedo Onsen Monogatari turned walking around the facility itself into the main event. A mechanism that gets guests visiting every area via a photo rally can also be expected to extend how long staying guests spend inside the building. Rather than stopping at decorations, they are using an IP collaboration as an opportunity to rethink the routes guests take through their properties.
Gunma Prefecture — Switching the “Gunma Passport” to a Lottery Even After Reprinting
Gunma Prefecture announced that it is switching distribution of its prefecture-created “GUNMA PASSPORT” from first-come, first-served to a lottery. Although the prefecture originally planned to issue 10,000 copies, more than 2,000 people visited the prefectural office on May 1, the first day of distribution, causing the prefecture to close applications in a single day. Even after printing an additional 30,000 copies, heavy traffic to the application website caused the server to crash twice. From July 9 until noon on July 15, the prefecture accepted lottery applications for 20,000 copies via its official LINE account (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
A prefectural representative expressed bewilderment at the scale of the response, saying it “went beyond our imagination…”
Lab Note: This is a case where a local government novelty item drew so many applications that it crashed the servers even after multiple reprints. Public relations materials from government offices tend to be designed on the assumption that “if we print it, we can hand it out.” However, if the featured characters are popular, demand spikes just as fast as it does for private-sector merchandise. Whether for a municipality or a private company, systems for limited distributions must be designed without underestimating fan demand.
Finance and Idol Agencies Turn Oshikatsu into New Revenue Streams
JCB — Launching Insurance to Cover Fan Travel Cancellation Costs
On July 7, JCB announced the start of sales for “Oshikatsu Cancellation Insurance,” planned and developed by Mysurance, a subsidiary of Sompo Japan Insurance. Applications had already opened via “JCB no Hoken” (JCB Insurance) on June 30. The policy covers cancellation fees for fan travel expenses incurred due to concert or event cancellations or postponements, transit delays or flight cancellations, or sudden hospital visits. It comes in two versions: Domestic Fan Travel and Overseas Fan Travel. For the domestic version, a traveler could enroll for a ¥900 premium on ¥30,000 of travel expenses. Mysurance had surpassed 2 million cumulative insurance policies in January 2026 (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).
The product has won accolades including the 2025 Good Design Award and the 12th Small-Amount and Short-Term Insurance Grand Prize.
Lab Note: Mysurance tailored an existing financial product—insurance—specifically to the moment when a fan books travel right after ticket lottery results are announced. Viewing the oshikatsu market not just as an audience to sell merchandise to, but as one where you “insure against uncertainty,” is a fresh angle. It demonstrates that for the finance and insurance industries, oshikatsu is a market to approach through behavioral data rather than simple purchasing data.
hololive — Simultaneous Global Release for Official Rhythm Game “Holodori”
On July 3, Cover Corporation, operator of the VTuber group “hololive,” announced that its official rhythm game hololive Dreams (nicknamed Holodori) would launch worldwide, excluding certain regions, on July 23. Alongside the smartphone version, a Steam version was also scheduled for release. The game features an original storyline where players build facilities for talents on an uninhabited island, and allows players to play rhythm stages with official music videos and concert footage in the background (Inside (in Japanese)).
While the Steam version supports data synchronization with the smartphone version, rhythm game scores on Steam are excluded from rankings.
Lab Note: In addition to merchandise and live events, we are seeing IP owners themselves operate games that fans play on an ongoing basis. When an agency runs an app that fans access every day, it can secure fans’ disposable time without relying on external platforms. Not just for VTuber agencies, the strategic value of IP holders owning their own dedicated apps is growing year by year.
KAWAII LAB. — Smartphone Game Featuring Five Idol Groups Launches
Asobisystem and Appirits Fan Culture Partner announced the first official smartphone game project for the idol project “KAWAII LAB.” The game is scheduled to feature 38 members across 5 groups: FRUITS ZIPPER, CANDY TUNE, SWEET STEADY, CUTIE STREET, and MORE STAR. Centered on a rhythm game using live concert footage, it was also announced to include newly shot photos and original videos (Inside (in Japanese), Scketto (in Japanese)).
The game is planned as free-to-play with in-app purchases, with the release date still undecided.
Lab Note: What stands out is bringing together affiliated talents across five groups into a single game. Alongside fans of each individual group, this also brings together fans of the overarching KAWAII LAB. umbrella brand. For companies managing multiple talents or IPs, this case illustrates the option of owning an app at the label level.
VTubers and XR Technology Close the Distance with Fans
Sony — New Meet-and-Greet Using MR Technology to Create a Sense of Physical Presence
Sony has developed “3D Meet & Greet,” an in-person interaction service with VTubers using Mixed Reality (MR) technology. It announced that starting in July, it will offer the experience in a cafe format through a collaboration with the Shibuya main store of the karaoke chain Manekineko. Wearing a Meta Quest 3 headset, participants see the VTuber appear right in front of them with the same sense of scale and distance as live-action reality, allowing them to interact with full gestures and body language. On the VTuber’s side, motion tracking uses Sony’s mocopi®. When “tickets with a 3D Meet & Greet” were sold experimentally for VTuber Misa Anshinin’s first live concert in December 2024, those tickets reportedly sold preferentially (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
Sony also noted that testing at a concept cafe in Akihabara produced strong results in store sales.
Lab Note: This is a technology investment that makes the “meet-and-greet”—long taken for granted in the human idol industry—work even for VTubers who do not have physical bodies in the room. The preferential sales of tickets with a 3D meet-and-greet suggest fans’ interest in the tangible feeling of face-to-face interaction. For companies with virtual customer-facing channels, the next area to invest in may be “how to close the distance” rather than “how to display the visuals.”
Roblox — Surging More Than 8x Year-over-Year Among Elementary School Gamers
GameTrainer (Gemutore), which operates e-sports lessons for children, released the results of a June 2026 survey of 367 elementary school students. In rankings of “the game title I play most right now,” Minecraft took 1st place at 31.8%. Roblox came in 2nd at 12.7%, growing more than eightfold in share compared to last year’s 1.5% (8th place). Among Let’s Play gaming YouTubers, “HikakinGames” took 1st place for the seventh consecutive year at 29.6% (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
According to GameTrainer, inquiries from children wanting to take lessons in Roblox have also been increasing.
Lab Note: Beyond one-off events like virtual concerts, Roblox is starting to take root as an everyday playground, and this survey provides the data to show it. While Bruno Mars’s Roblox concert drew buzz by attracting 12.86 million visitors, Roblox is simultaneously becoming an everyday hangout for elementary schoolers. If companies want to build touchpoints for children, permanent content inside Roblox looks likely to become the centerpiece going forward.
Connecting to Existing Infrastructure
- JCB and Mysurance embedding fan travel cancellation insurance into payment channels
- McDonald's using roughly 3,000 existing restaurants as Pokémon GO PokéStops
- Tottori Prefecture and JR West integrating IP into regional airports and transit routes
Building New Dedicated Touchpoints from Scratch
- Cover announcing the release of the official hololive Dreams rhythm game across mobile and Steam
- KAWAII LAB. uniting 5 idol groups (38 members) into a label-wide smartphone game
- Sony developing MR 3D Meet & Greet systems to give VTubers lifelike presence
Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article
Editorial Takeaways for the Week
This was the week when oshikatsu mechanisms were built directly into everyday infrastructure across finance, local government, and railways.
With its “Oshikatsu Cancellation Insurance,” JCB added coverage dedicated to fan travel right inside its payment infrastructure. Meanwhile, the cases of Gunma Prefecture’s passport and JR West’s Doctor Yellow ask how public administrations and railways should handle sudden rushes of fans driven by character and train popularity. And McDonald’s turning roughly 3,000 restaurants into PokéStops uses an existing store network directly as the stage for a game. Across industries, the mindset of connecting oshikatsu to systems that already exist rather than building new ones from scratch is spreading rapidly.
At the same time, Sony’s MR technology and hololive’s in-house game represent moves to build brand-new touchpoints with fans from the ground up. Whether to plug into existing infrastructure or develop new touchpoints depends on what assets your company already holds. Alongside our guides on Design Principles of Oshikatsu Marketing and Corporate Collaboration Cheer Ads, take a moment to review which approach aligns closer with your company’s strengths.
Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a weekly roundup of the latest in oshikatsu and business. You can browse past issues in the Oshikatsu x News category.
