3COINS Pokémon 30th Goods & chocoZAP x Attack on Titan (Sep 18, 2026)
From the week of September 11 to September 17, 2026, we selected seven news stories covering oshikatsu (fan activities supporting favorite idols, characters, or creators) marketing and the fan business. In this roundup, we read product and event announcements separately from research surveys that report measured results and attitudes.
The complete 12-story edition is available on note in “Weekly Oshikatsu News: September 18, 2026 Issue (in Japanese).” This article is our highlight edition.
This Week’s Highlights
Variety shop chain 3COINS announced products celebrating the 30th anniversary of Pokémon. Meanwhile, convenience gym chain chocoZAP is using a collaboration with Attack on Titan as a motivation for members to keep visiting its locations. Across the week, a lineup of projects explored where fans encounter their favorite works in everyday life and how they participate.
New features for a fan travel app and a Gintama sightseeing train project by Hagi City and JR West were also announced. On the research side, we review surveys examining the relationship between working adults and oshikatsu, as well as fan trends for Chiikawa before and after its film release. Finally, we look at an initiative by 100-yen shop operator DAISO that turned a fan proposal into an official event.
Weekly Fan Business (Sep 11–17, 2026)
- 3COINS x Pokémon30th anniversary everyday household items launching Oct 10
- chocoZAP x Attack on TitanGym visit incentives and in-gym videos running through Nov 23
- &Fanfun Travel AppReaches 20,000 downloads and adds an attendance type check
- JR West & Hagi City x GintamaSightseeing train advance goods sales and local pamphlets
- Persol Tempstaff & GEM StandardSurveys on work motivation and post-movie Chiikawa fan trends
- DAISO no Wa CommunityFirst fan-proposed parent-and-child event at Tokyo headquarters
Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the article
Collaborative Projects Connecting Popular IPs with Everyday Retail and Fitness Spaces
3COINS — Bringing Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary into Everyday Household Goods
On September 14, 3COINS announced that it will release the first wave of Pokémon 30th anniversary items on October 10. The lineup features items designed for everyday life, including tableware, stationery, and bags. On the first day of release, physical stores will require an advance lottery for admission to the sales floor, and purchase quantity limits have been set for both physical stores and the official online store. Winning the entry lottery does not guarantee that a customer will be able to purchase the products.
Source: Pokémon 30th Anniversary × 3COINS (in Japanese)
Lab Note: Turning commemorative merchandise into everyday household tools allows fans to stay connected with a work even after leaving the sales floor. The more popular the merchandise, the more essential it becomes for operations to communicate lotteries and purchase limits early and clearly.
chocoZAP — Creating a Reason to Visit the Gym with Attack on Titan
On September 17, RIZAP launched a collaboration with Attack on Titan at chocoZAP gym locations across Japan. The campaign runs through November 23, while entry registration is scheduled to remain open until October 10. The collaboration provides in-gym videos and merchandise, and it sets up rewards based on the number of times a member visits the gym. Some rewards are awarded by lottery, and receiving any reward other than the digital wallpaper requires maintaining a paid membership through November 23.
Source: Attack on Titan × chocoZAP Collaboration Campaign (in Japanese)
Lab Note: This collaboration is structured so that a favorite work becomes the spark for members to start exercising and build a habit of repeat gym visits. Because the reward requirements become part of the fan experience itself, organizers need to carefully design how they explain visit counts, lotteries, and membership continuation rules.
Travel Apps and Sightseeing Trains Expanding Fan Experiences and the Joy of Travel
&Fanfun — A New Feature for Looking Back on Event Attendance History
On September 15, the oshikatsu travel support app &Fanfun (Ensei refers to traveling outside one’s local area for concerts or events) announced that it had surpassed 20,000 cumulative downloads and launched a new “Event Attendance Type Diagnosis” (Sansen Taipu Shindan) feature. The update lets users look back on their fan activities through metrics like their attendance history and the number of venues visited, while also adding a feature to view compiled media articles about their favorite artists. Note that the download count is a figure announced by the service provider and is a separate metric from active user numbers or retention rates.
Source: Oshikatsu “Ensei” Travel Support App &Fanfun Surpasses 20,000 Cumulative Downloads! (in Japanese)
Lab Note: Apps originally used for schedule management are expanding into tools for enjoying the personal record of one’s fan journey. When offering features that share attendance histories, it is also important that users can choose exactly which details they make public.
JR West and Hagi City — Gintama Sightseeing Train Project
On September 14, JR West, the city of Hagi, and their partners released additional details regarding “Gintama Koyomi” (Gintama Calendar), a collaborative project with the TV anime Gintama scheduled to begin in October. Onboard the sightseeing train Maru-Maru no Hanashi, passengers will have access to advance sales of limited-edition merchandise and receive a pamphlet introducing the anime, the train, and the city of Hagi. Onboard merchandise sales run on regular operating days from October 3 through December 20, are cashless only (cash is not accepted), and limit purchases to five of each item per person.
Source: Hagi City × TV Anime Gintama “Gintama Koyomi” JR West Maru-Maru no Hanashi Collaboration Details (in Japanese)
Lab Note: Traveling to buy exclusive merchandise becomes an opportunity to experience the train itself and learn about the local region. Clear guidance on sales sections and payment methods is especially important for fans traveling from far away.
3COINS x Pokémon
- Launches October 10 with everyday items like tableware, stationery, and bags
- Advance lottery required for physical store sales floor admission on launch day
- Purchase quantity limits apply in both physical stores and the online shop
- Lottery entry does not guarantee product availability
chocoZAP x Attack on Titan
- Runs September 17 to November 23 across domestic chocoZAP locations
- Campaign entry registration is scheduled to close on October 10
- Rewards depend on gym visit counts, and some items are awarded by lottery
- Paid membership through November 23 is required for rewards other than wallpaper
JR West & Hagi x Gintama
- Onboard sales run on regular operating days from October 3 to December 20
- Advance merchandise sales and regional pamphlets on the Maru-Maru no Hanashi train
- Cash cannot be used for onboard merchandise purchases
- Purchase limit of up to 5 items per product per person
Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the article
Reading Survey Data on Oshikatsu, Work, and the Reach of Popular Works
Persol Tempstaff — Surveying the Relationship Between Oshikatsu and Work Motivation
On September 14, staffing agency Persol Tempstaff published the results of a survey conducted in February 2026 among 11,360 working adults aged 20 to 59 across Japan. Those currently engaging in oshikatsu accounted for 23.6% of respondents. Among those 2,680 people, 61.8% answered that they believe oshikatsu is helpful for work motivation and career development, and 54.1% said they would like to work for a company that welcomes outside activities. Keep in mind that this survey reflects the subjective perceptions of respondents and is not an experiment verifying the causal effects of oshikatsu.
Source: Roughly 60% of People Who Do “Oshikatsu” Answer That It Helps with Work Motivation and Career Development (in Japanese)
Lab Note: Work styles that respect employees’ personal passions offer useful food for thought when considering recruitment and retention. Rather than jumping to the conclusion that companies should give preferential treatment only to specific hobbies, we should view these findings from the perspective of building workplaces where outside activities and work are easy to balance.
- 11,360
- Working adults aged 20–59 surveyed across Japan
- 23.6%
- Share of respondents engaging in oshikatsu (2,680 people)
- 61.8%
- Of oshikatsu participants who feel it helps work motivation and career development
- 54.1%
- Of oshikatsu participants who want to work at a company welcoming outside activities
Source: Persol Tempstaff survey release (published September 14, 2026)
GEM Standard — Analyzing Post-Movie Chiikawa Fan Trends
On September 11, entertainment data firm GEM Standard published an analysis comparing fan trends before and after the theatrical film release of Chiikawa, based on its proprietary survey covering roughly 30,000 people per month. According to the firm’s “Oshi Fan” metric, the number of fans nearly doubled following the movie’s release compared with the monthly average for the year before release. While the proportion of young women rose, the absolute number of female fans in their 30s and older also increased. The report further notes that both average spending per person and the maximum amount fans say they are willing to spend rose after the film’s release. This analysis is an observational comparison before and after release, not a controlled experiment isolating the effect of the movie alone.
Source: Chiikawa Movie Box-Office Hit Nearly Doubles Oshi Fans: Depth Beyond Cutie Appeal Boosts Oshikatsu Spending Intent (in Japanese)
Lab Note: Looking separately at total fan count, demographic composition, and willingness to spend gives a much more concrete picture of how a work is expanding. Asking qualitative questions—such as what fans felt beyond simple “cuteness”—is equally important for product planning.
DAISO’s Initiative Turning Fan Ideas into a Parent-and-Child Event
DAISO no Wa — Turning Member Ideas into a Family Event
On September 14, Daiso Industries announced its first-ever fan-led event originated by members of its official fan community, “DAISO no Wa” (DAISO Circle). On October 17, the company will invite 10 parent-and-child pairs (with children in grades 1 through 4 of elementary school) to its Tokyo headquarters for English games using DAISO’s “Number Cards” (Kazu Kādo) and a wreath-making workshop. The event is based on a proposal from the “DAISO English Club” (Daisō Eigobu), a group that shares study methods within the community. Applications are scheduled to remain open through September 27.
Source: Official Fan Community “DAISO no Wa” Holds First Event Created by Fans, for Fans (in Japanese)
Lab Note: Rather than simply inviting fans to a company-planned event, this initiative reflects how fans actually use products and turns their proposals directly into programming. Precisely because the event is small in scale, how the company carries participants’ feedback into future activities will be key.
This Week’s Takeaways
The initiatives announced this week shared a common thread: extending creative works into everyday retail floors, gyms, travel routes, and mobile apps. Supporting a positive fan experience requires not only increasing the number of touchpoints, but also clearly communicating the conditions for purchasing goods or participating in rewards.
When reading survey results, it is essential to check the target population and specific metrics of each study. Beyond tracking fan headcounts and spending figures, listening to what fans personally enjoy and what kinds of ideas they want to propose is just as vital. DAISO’s community initiative demonstrates one practical way to reflect those fan voices in actual event planning.
Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a weekly roundup of the intersection between oshikatsu and business. The complete 12-story edition is now available on note (in Japanese). You can browse past issues in our Oshikatsu × News category.
