Tamagotchi Hits 100M Shipped, Nissin Taps Chargeman Ken! [Weekly Oshikatsu News: September 19, 2025]

Here is our roundup of notable corporate oshikatsu (fan support activities) marketing and fan business news from the week of September 12 to September 18, 2025.

This Week’s Highlights

This was a week where companies turned fan culture directly into marketing initiatives.

On August 28, Bandai announced that its portable digital pet series Tamagotchi had surpassed 100 million units in cumulative shipments across Japan and overseas. When the company reissued the “Original Tamagotchi” in 2018, it boosted demand among younger demographics through promotions that incorporated elements of oshikatsu. Ahead of the brand’s 30th anniversary in 2026, more Gen Z fans have reportedly been wearing Tamagotchi devices in their favorite character’s or idol’s signature “oshi color.”

Food and beverage brands also stood out for absorbing fan culture into their campaigns. For a web commercial promoting its “Makaizo Cup Noodle” (heavily modded Cup Noodle) lineup, Nissin Foods tapped Chargeman Ken!, a 1970s cult anime with a fiercely devoted following on social media. Ito En used AI to produce a new commercial depicting a “juggling meme” inspired by baseball star Shohei Ohtani, releasing it as a sequel to its March broadcast spot. Meanwhile, an X (formerly Twitter) posting campaign that Sapporo Breweries ran in June for its “Otoko Ume Sour” canned drink took off like an ogiri (an improvisational comedy prompt game where participants compete to post the wittiest reply) among fans, and the results were highlighted anew in September.

DIAGRAMKey Numbers from This Week's Fan Business News

100M+: Cumulative global shipments of Bandai's Tamagotchi series
50%+: Share of cumulative Tamagotchi shipments outside Japan (33% US, 16% Europe)
19: Consecutive World Athletics Championships with Seiko as official timer
111.8M: Average daily active users on the Roblox platform

Source: Compiled by The Oshi Lab from company announcements covered in this article

Translating Sports Fandom into Brand Experiences

Seiko × Tokyo 2025 World Athletics — Conveying “The Moment” with a Ginza Line Ad Takeover and Collab Cafe

To coincide with the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 opening on September 13, Seiko Group launched a collaboration cafe called “Seiko 0.001 cafe.” Running from September 11 to September 21 at Royal Garden Cafe Aoyama near the Japan National Stadium, the initiative was accompanied by an ad takeover on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, exhibitions around the stadium, and sprinting clinics for children. Through these touchpoints, Seiko communicated its brand message, “A TRUE MOMENT,” to young people, women, and inbound international visitors. Inside the cafe, displays traced Seiko’s history of serving as the official timer for 19 consecutive World Athletics Championships. The company also announced plans to invite approximately 2,000 competing athletes to the space (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

Senior Executive Officer Hiromi Kanagawa commented, “Our role is to engrave, down to one-thousandth of a second, the stillness at the start and the emotions packed into the moment of crossing the finish line.”

The Oshi Lab’s Note: Rather than stopping at a single billboard campaign, Seiko prepared multiple touchpoints—a collaboration cafe, a Ginza Line train takeover, stadium-area exhibits, and children’s running clinics—and tied them together under the single message “A TRUE MOMENT.” Instead of merely stating its track record of 19 consecutive tournaments as official timer in print, Seiko turned those numbers into a physical exhibition experience. The longer a company’s history of sponsorship, the more crucial it becomes not to leave that heritage as a one-way announcement, but to transform it into a space visitors can walk through and experience firsthand.

Ito En × Shohei Ohtani — An AI-Crafted “Juggling Meme” Sequel Commercial

Ito En announced that it would begin airing a new television commercial featuring Shohei Ohtani, titled “Oi Ocha LEMON GREEN Simultaneous Japan-US Launch,” starting September 22. The new spot serves as a sequel to the viral scene from a March 2025 commercial in which Ohtani juggled a tea bottle like a soccer ball. Utilizing AI, the company produced footage in which children, animals, and even astronauts start attempting the juggling challenge (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).

A representative from the company commented that they “took on the challenge of unconventional visual expression.”

The Oshi Lab’s Note: While Seiko conveyed “the moment” through a physical cafe space, Ito En conveyed “the moment” through a viral setup built around an AI meme. Neither company relied passively on the prestige of a tournament or brand ambassador as-is; instead, both reshaped that prestige into something fans can relive through their own senses. In sports marketing, the dividing line increasingly lies in whether a brand can move beyond simply showing support to designing experiences that make fans want to join in and try it themselves.

Turning Fan Posts into Raw Material for Product Development

Nissin Foods × Chargeman Ken! — A “Heavily Modded” Web Ad Starring a Cult Anime

On September 8, Nissin Foods launched four varieties of “Makaizo Cup Noodle” (Heavily Modded Cup Noodle), in which the company radically customized its own classic Cup Noodle flavors. The following day, September 9, Nissin released a web commercial titled “Chargeman Ken! Makaizo” on its official YouTube channel. Chargeman Ken! is a sci-fi anime originally broadcast in the 1970s that gained a second life on social media in the late 2000s and even saw a remastered edition funded through crowdfunding. The commercial parodies the famous fan-favorite episode “Dynamite in the Brain” (Atama no Naka ni Dainamaito) under the title “Garlic and Chives in the Brain” (Atama no Naka ni Ninniku to Nira) (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

Project planner Shota Mori explained the background behind the casting, noting that the team “searched for content and internet memes with strong viral power.”

The Oshi Lab’s Note: Nissin Foods demonstrated impressive speed by releasing the web commercial the day after launching the new products. The choice of IP is directly rooted in the history of Chargeman Ken! itself—an anime reappraised on social media and remastered through fan crowdfunding. By structuring the ad as a direct parody of a beloved episode, Nissin also ensured that the humor would resonate with fans of the original work. Using content sustained by a dedicated fan community instead of hiring a mainstream celebrity offers a telling blueprint for viral campaigns.

Sapporo “Otoko Ume Sour” — A Prompt Campaign That Spread Like an Improvisational Game on X

From June 20 to July 18, Sapporo Breweries ran an idea-submission campaign on X around the theme: “Please find some way to express the taste of Otoko Ume Sour.” Rather than simply encouraging people to drink the product, the goal was to get young adults in their twenties to participate personally. Mindful of “niche community consumption” (kaiwai shohi, where trends spread within tight-knit online subcultures), the company also tapped influencers to seed the conversation. Reposts and likes exceeded initial expectations, inspiring entries that used generative AI as well as audio-based expressions. Sapporo announced that standout submissions would be incorporated into the can design launching this winter (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Note: Nissin Foods drew in an existing cult fandom, while Sapporo engaged its own brand’s drinkers in social media expression. Neither company stopped at delivering a finished product; both treated fan reactions themselves as raw material for upcoming campaigns and packaging. As the oshikatsu market size continues to draw business attention, more brands are designing campaigns that treat fan posts as direct building blocks for product development.

DIAGRAMFour Ways Brands Engaged Fan Communities This Week

Sports & Experiences

Seiko connected a cafe, train ads, and exhibits under 'A TRUE MOMENT'
Ito En turned Shohei Ohtani's bottle-juggling scene into an AI meme sequel

Viral Content & Co-Creation

Nissin Foods parodied cult 1970s anime Chargeman Ken! for modded Cup Noodles
Sapporo turned X replies into winter can designs for Otoko Ume Sour

Anniversaries & Platforms

BMSG hid its name and visuals at a blacked-out Shibuya record shop
Tamagotchi reached 100M units shipped worldwide
Rilakkuma and The Exit 8 launched games on Roblox (111.8M daily users)

Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of campaigns covered in this issue

Milestone Brands Retelling Their History Through Experiences

BMSG — Marking a 5th Anniversary with an Anonymous Blacked-Out Record Shop in Shibuya

BMSG, the talent management agency and music label led by artist SKY-HI, opened a limited-time record shop called “BLACK RECORDS” right in front of Shibuya Scramble Crossing from September 16 to September 22. The store stripped away all visual information, including jacket cover art, offering visitors an experience where they encountered music purely through sound. BMSG ran the pop-up while keeping the organizer’s identity completely hidden, before revealing on September 18—the anniversary of the label’s founding—that the shop was part of its 5th anniversary project, “BMSG STREET GALLERY” (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

A representative explained, “In an era where people are said to get 80% of their information visually, we wanted to experiment with what happens when you strip away visual elements.”

The Oshi Lab’s Note: BMSG operated the store while concealing both its own name and all visual artwork, timing the big reveal to match its founding anniversary so that the mystery experience itself became the talk of social media. It is a contrarian design that turns withholding information into promotional impact. Rather than treating an anniversary campaign as a straightforward announcement, BMSG turned it into a puzzle-like reason for fans and passersby to visit in person.

Bandai “Tamagotchi” — 100 Million Shipped with Oshikatsu-Focused Promotions Ahead of Its 30th Anniversary

On August 28, Bandai announced that cumulative domestic and international shipments of the Tamagotchi series had topped 100 million units. First launched in 1996, Tamagotchi surpassed 10 million units within just eight months. Since then, it has grown into a global IP with overseas shipments accounting for at least 50% of the 100 million total (including 33% in the US and 16% in Europe). When Bandai reissued the “Original Tamagotchi” in 2018, it incorporated fashion angles—allowing buyers to pick designs that suited their personal style—alongside oshikatsu elements in its promotions, driving renewed demand among younger consumers. Ahead of the 30th anniversary in 2026, Bandai has been rolling out videos and event booths themed around a “Tamagotchi Lab” for its latest release, Tamagotchi Paradise (gamebiz (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Note: While BMSG drew attention by concealing the organizer behind a record shop, Bandai took the existing customer behavior of wearing a favorite idol’s or character’s color and made it the direct hook for Tamagotchi promotions. Anniversary campaigns often default to retrospective timeline exhibits, yet both brands centered their efforts on mechanisms where customers actively participate. Focusing on the consumer habit of wearing one’s oshi color is a perspective that can be applied to long-selling products well beyond character toys.

Apparel and Lingerie Brands Bringing Characters and Streamers into Everyday Wear

Sanrio’s “Strawberry News” × Maison de FLEUR — Limited-Edition Bags for a 50th Anniversary

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sanrio’s official monthly fan paper Ichigo Shimbun (Strawberry News), lifestyle brand Maison de FLEUR announced a line of collaboration items launching at stores nationwide on September 23 and on the e-commerce site STRIPE CLUB at 8 p.m. on September 22. The paper’s mascot, the Strawberry King (Ichigo no Ousama), appears alongside popular characters such as Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll. The lineup includes charms (7 varieties, 3,700 yen each), frill tote bags (2 varieties, 7,000 yen each), a strawberry shoulder bag (13,200 yen), and a strawberry pouch (4,700 yen) (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Note: Timed to the 50th anniversary milestone of Sanrio’s house publication, this collaboration pairs the Strawberry King—a character who rarely headlines merchandise alone—with top-tier stars like Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll. Offering items across different price tiers, from charms and pouches to bags, creates multiple purchasing entry points rather than relying on a single commemorative item. It is a design that uses an anniversary not just to sell souvenir goods, but to expand exposure for a heritage character.

Hello Kitty × PEACH JOHN Sister Brand, Avail × Colorful Peach — Characters in Lingerie and Daily Goods

GiRLS by PEACH JOHN, the younger sister brand of lingerie retailer PEACH JOHN, launched a collaboration collection with Sanrio’s Hello Kitty on September 24. The lineup features three lingerie styles and one loungewear set, with bra sets starting at 2,980 yen (excluding tax). The camisole in the “Hello Kitty Light Whipply 3-Piece Set” loungewear features Hello Kitty embroidery on the chest (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, major casual apparel chain Avail announced a collaboration merchandise line with Colorful Peach, a popular gaming creator group represented by UUUM, launching September 20 at stores nationwide and via its online store. Featuring everyday items like drawstring pouches and tote bags, the collection is sold with a purchase limit of one item per product per customer (Inside (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Note: Strawberry News leveraged a 50th anniversary milestone, while GiRLS by PEACH JOHN used the intimate touchpoint of garments worn every day. Both are examples of translating characters and creators into daily necessities. Avail’s one-per-person purchase limit on Colorful Peach goods acts as an anti-resale measure while also establishing the premise that each fan is buying the item to actually use it. Alongside our analysis of the oshikatsu market size, the growing breadth of everyday-use merchandise design is well worth watching.

Convenience Stores and Restaurant Chains Drawing Foot Traffic with Anime Tie-Ins

Dandadan × Lawson — Clear File Giveaways with Qualifying Purchases and an X Quote-Post Campaign

A nationwide collaboration campaign between the TV anime Dandadan and convenience store chain Lawson kicked off on September 23. Customers who purchase three qualifying confectionery items receive an original clear file folder (6 varieties in total) on the spot, available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. In addition, an X campaign gives one lottery winner a 10,000-yen QUO card for following Lawson’s official X account and quote-posting with a designated hashtag. Original character bromides (photo prints) are also sold via in-store multi-copy machines for 300 yen (L-size) and 500 yen (2L-size, tax included) (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), Cho! Animedia (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Note: Lawson built a three-stage engagement funnel into a single campaign: an in-store visit bonus (the clear file), social media amplification (the quote-post lottery), and an optional paid upsell (the printed bromides). First-come bonuses for buying three snacks drive immediate store visits, X posts spread awareness online, and paid prints cater to fans who want more collectibles. Targeting distinct actions—visiting, sharing, and purchasing—through separate mechanics within one campaign is a textbook structure.

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc × Makotoya — First-Come Novelty Gifts Across 86 Locations Nationwide

Osaka-born beef bone ramen chain Makotoya announced three limited-time menu items timed to the September 19 theatrical release of Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. Running from September 19 to November 24 across 86 restaurants nationwide, the campaign awards an original sticker to the first 50,000 customers who order either the “White Chainsaw Ramen” (2,000 yen before tax) or “Red Chainsaw Ramen” (2,110 yen before tax). Meanwhile, the first 20,000 customers who order “Bomb’s Explosive Fried Rice” (Bomu no Bakudan Chahan, 1,500 yen before tax) receive a clear file folder. Makotoya also announced special movie-themed interior decorations for its Shibuya and Shinsaibashi locations (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Note: Both Lawson and Makotoya created a concrete reason to visit physical stores through limited-quantity bonus merchandise. However, while Lawson paired its giveaway with immediate social media amplification, Makotoya set a generous 67-day campaign window that allows fan visits to spread out over time. The contrast highlights different ways retail and dining chains can stretch the initial burst of excitement from a theatrical release into sustained store traffic.

Game IPs Expanding Across Retail Shelves and Living Spaces

Genshin Impact × Don Quijote — Bonus Clear Cards Celebrating New Character Releases

On September 13, discount retailer Don Quijote launched new merchandise at participating stores nationwide to celebrate the release of the “Nod-Krai” region in Genshin Impact. The lineup features acrylic stands and tin badges showcasing full-body character illustrations of newly introduced characters Lauma, Flins, and Aino. For every 2,200 yen (tax included) spent on qualifying merchandise, shoppers receive one random Don Quijote-exclusive clear card (Inside (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Note: Don Quijote synchronized its in-store merchandise rollout directly with an in-game update, and used a spend-threshold random bonus card to encourage multi-item purchases. By aligning retail promotions with the ongoing progression of the game’s story, the campaign naturally appeals to active players following the latest patch. Random blind bonuses also tap into fans’ desire to complete a full set, helping lift average spend per customer.

Nitori × Monster Hunter Wilds / Street Fighter 6 — Pre-Orders Open for Collaboration Gaming Chairs

Furniture and home goods retailer Nitori opened advance reservations on its official online shop for three collaboration gaming chairs inspired by Lagiacrus and the Palico (Otomo Airu) from Monster Hunter Wilds, as well as Juri from Street Fighter 6. The Lagiacrus and Juri models are priced at 29,990 yen (tax included), while the Palico model is priced at 39,990 yen (tax included) (Inside (in Japanese), Game*Spark (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Note: Even within the same category of game IP × retail collaborations, Don Quijote and Nitori took completely different approaches to customer touchpoints—one focusing on purchase bonuses for small collectibles, the other on full-scale furniture. By placing game IP onto chairs priced around 30,000 to 40,000 yen, Nitori turns the fan’s living space itself into the product. When considering the design principles of oshikatsu marketing, deciding whether to place a brand touchpoint in a small display corner or at the center of daily home life is a strategic choice.

Anniversary Projects and Gaming Platforms Opening New Touchpoints

PEANUTS 75th Anniversary × Tokyo Station — Pop-Up Shop and Daily Smartphone Wallpaper Giveaways

From September 19 to October 2, Sony Creative Products held a limited-time pop-up shop titled “HAPPINESS IS 75 YEARS OF PEANUTS” at Ichiban Plaza on Tokyo Character Street inside First Avenue Tokyo Station, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the PEANUTS comic strip. Corridor walls and pillars around the venue were wrapped in special decorations featuring the Peanuts Gang. By scanning a QR code on site, visitors could download five different smartphone wallpapers that rotated depending on the date and time of day (Inside (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Note: Rather than confining the promotion to store shelves, this PEANUTS pop-up extended its decorations across the surrounding station corridor walls and pillars, creating a space capable of stopping commuters in their tracks even if they did not make a purchase. Rotating the QR code wallpapers by day and time also gave fans a reason to drop by repeatedly throughout the run. It is a smart example of using classic character assets not only to drive checkout sales, but also to build recurring touchpoints with everyday foot traffic.

Rilakkuma and The Exit 8 — Popular Japanese IPs Expand onto Roblox

On September 17, San-X and Imagineer simultaneously launched an official Rilakkuma game worldwide on Roblox, titled Rilakkuma’s Snack Hunt (Rilakkuma no Oyatsu Hanto). Roblox is a global gaming platform averaging 111.8 million daily active users. The game also features Rilakkuma-themed avatar items for players (Mogura VR (in Japanese), San-X (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, Japanese game studio MyDearest released The Exit 8 for Roblox, an official Roblox adaptation of the hit horror game The Exit 8 (Hachiban Deguchi). The Roblox version supports multiplayer for up to eight players as well as Roblox-exclusive anomalies, drawing heightened attention alongside the live-action film adaptation that opened in late August (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab’s Note: While PEANUTS brought its anniversary project into the daily commuter flow of Tokyo Station, Rilakkuma and The Exit 8 moved into the massive existing digital ecosystem of Roblox. What unites these approaches is the decision not to build a standalone venue from scratch. Bringing established Japanese IP directly into virtual spaces where more than 100 million users already gather every day is a trend likely to accelerate further.

Editorial Takeaways for the Week

This was a week where companies turned fan enthusiasm and subcultures directly into the building blocks of their campaigns.

Bandai made Gen Z’s habit of wearing their oshi color the starting point for Tamagotchi promotions. Nissin Foods and Sapporo Breweries wove social media parodies and ogiri-style prompt games directly into their commercials and product packaging. BMSG crafted a 5th-anniversary story by concealing its name at a blacked-out record shop, while Rilakkuma and The Exit 8 bypassed building their own platforms to meet users directly on Roblox. Across all of these examples, we saw a shared pattern: campaign designs where the company does not over-control the narrative end up borrowing the organic heat of fan enthusiasm far more effectively.

At the same time, initiatives that draw on the prestige of global tournaments and star ambassadors—such as Seiko and Ito En—continue to be updated through new tools like AI video and immersive spatial design. Whether for long-established heritage companies or newer entertainment labels, the craft of building touchpoints with fans is growing more nuanced every year. We encourage reading this week’s developments alongside our guides to the design principles of oshikatsu marketing and oshi color consumer behavior.

Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a curated weekly roundup of oshikatsu and fan business trends. Browse past issues in our Oshikatsu × News category.