Ado × adidas: 18B Potential Reach; Sharp’s Viral Sakura Miko Reply (Jun 26, 2026)
Here is our roundup of standout corporate oshikatsu (fan-activity) marketing and fan-business news from the week of June 19 to June 25, 2026.
This Week’s Highlights
This was a week where companies made a serious push to close the distance between themselves and fans.
Against the backdrop of FIFA World Cup excitement, it was revealed that adidas Japan’s “Ado × adidas” project generated over 18 billion in potential reach worldwide. Meanwhile, on social media, an exchange between Sakura Miko and Sharp—alongside Daikin responding to a post by Nakiri Ayame—became a hot topic. The quick wit of official corporate accounts drew widespread attention.
In railways and theme parks, the JR Group promoted the appeal of Fukushima through the world of FINAL FANTASY. Sanrio’s Harmonyland announced an attraction combining AR technology and mobility robots. Overseas, Kodansha and Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) announced the establishment of a local publishing company in India. Japan’s IP business has entered a stage where it is expanding the market itself.
Responding to World Cup Fever with Jerseys and Transit
Ado × adidas — Uniform Song Generates 18 Billion Global Potential Reach
In December 2025, adidas Japan announced that it had appointed the singer Ado as a creative partner. Since then, the company has rolled out an integrated campaign encompassing the release of the uniform song “Kira,” animated commercials, limited-edition collaborative jerseys, and tie-ins with stadium concerts. Written and composed by Tatsuya Kitani, “Kira” features a guitar-rock sound built around Ado’s vocals. From the partnership announcement in December last year through April of this year, the campaign generated 4.4 billion in potential reach in Japan and over 18 billion worldwide (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
According to Keita Takahashi, Senior Manager of Brand Communications at adidas Japan, the aim was to expand their target audience. He explained that by “treating soccer as a culture that transcends the boundaries of a sport,” they sought to reach casual audiences and music fans who differ from traditional soccer fans.
The Oshi Lab Note: In this tie-up, putting the “song” front and center rather than the product proved effective. Even people who never look at soccer jerseys have opportunities to hear the track on their everyday playlists. By creating a touchpoint that does not rely on visual exposure, the campaign introduced the brand to audiences with no prior interest in soccer.
- 18B+
- Global potential reach of the Ado × adidas campaign (including 4.4B in Japan)
- 3M+
- Total downloads across 40+ titles under hololive's holo Indie game brand
- 15,000 JPY
- Adult reserved-seat fare on JR Central's overnight Tokaido Lumiere Express
- 200 titles/yr
- Planned local manga and book output in English and Hindi by Kodansha India
Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the article
Levi’s — Turning a Covered Logo Under Sponsor Rules into a Stylish Statement
At “Levi’s Stadium,” a venue for the 2026 World Cup, Levi Strauss & Co.’s logos were covered with fabric due to tournament regulations protecting official sponsor rights. Although the company holds the naming rights, the venue’s name was also temporarily changed to “San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.” Rather than pushing back against this, Levi’s changed its own Instagram profile icon to a design showing its logo similarly covered in fabric. It then posted a message welcoming the world to its “(masked) beautiful stadium!” On social media, the move drew praise such as “It’s free advertising” and “Very sophisticated marketing” (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: The reason this earned support is that Levi’s did not hide the restriction, but instead turned it into the subject of its presentation. By proactively publicizing the disadvantageous situation of having its logo covered up, the existence of the regulation itself became a talking point for the brand. This case shows that even when bound by rules, a brand can win goodwill depending on how it communicates.
JR Central — A One-Day-Only Special Train for “Spending the Night on the Shinkansen”
On June 22, Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) announced a special Tokaido Shinkansen train called the “Tokaido Lumiere Express.” Designed as a “same-day departure, next-morning arrival” train, it was scheduled to run for one day only on August 8. According to the announcement, the train departs Tokyo Station at 10:00 PM and arrives at Kyoto Station at 6:44 AM and Shin-Osaka Station at 6:59 AM the following morning, August 9. An ordinary-car reserved seat from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka costs 15,000 yen (tax included) per adult. Tickets were scheduled to go on sale starting at 2:00 PM on July 3 via the JR Central Tours website. Intended passengers include people who want to avoid staying an extra night beforehand due to soaring hotel prices, eventgoers who cannot catch the last Nozomi train after an event ends but still want to travel to the Kansai region, and travelers who want to start their activities at their destination early in the morning (Tetsudo.com (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: What makes this realistic is that it stepped in to fill a “transit gap” rather than selling an “experience.” Fans traveling for events have been caught in a bind between surging hotel rates and the last train of the night. JR Central turned that exact headache into a new product. It is a prime example of how simply picking up on an inconvenience in fans’ lives can generate new customer spending.
Major Home Appliance and Toy Companies Team Up Seriously with VTubers
Sakura Miko × Sharp, Plus Daikin Joins In — A Dehumidifier Buzz Tested Brand Wit
On June 23, hololive VTuber Sakura Miko posted on X, “Wait, does dehumidifying need water…?” In response, Sharp’s official account immediately replied, “Actually, water collects in it.” Sharp followed up with another post—“A humidifier is where you put water in the tank, a dehumidifier is where water collects in the tank, and we are the ones watching over the water in the tank”—sparking widespread conversation for its humor. Sakura Miko and Sharp had a similar exchange back in December 2021, and in January 2025, Sharp also announced a “Sakura Miko Ver.” customization service for its humidifying air purifiers. On the very same day, fellow hololive talent Nakiri Ayame posted, “I haven’t emptied the dehumidifier tank water in my DAIKIN air purifier even once.” Daikin also responded immediately with, “Here is how to care for your tank” (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Sharp’s response is trusted because of the history it has built since 2021. Sharp did not reply just to chase a one-off viral moment. Years of ongoing interaction with the same talent laid the groundwork for both the speed of this reply and the sense of reassurance among fans. Including Daikin’s rapid response, the unscripted wit of official accounts generated buzz on social media.
Bandai Namco — Simultaneously Announces Namco Franchising and XR Integration in Its VTuber Business
On June 23, the Bandai Namco Group announced new initiatives across both physical and virtual fronts. For its “namco” arcade centers, the group announced that it will launch a franchise business alongside its roughly 200 directly operated stores nationwide. Full-scale rollout begins in August 2026 with a location in Hyogo Prefecture, aiming to open 100 franchise stores by 2030. At the same time, the company announced a new collaboration on the VTuber project “MEWLIVE PROJECT.” Bandai Namco Research is providing technology focused on digital expression areas such as streaming visuals and live concert stages, working together to create new VTuber entertainment (PR TIMES (in Japanese), AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: The decision to deploy the company’s own R&D division directly into VTuber visual expression stands out. By positioning VTubers as a subject for technological development rather than just a marketing budget item, the weight of its investment differs from that of other IP holders. Announcing physical store expansion and digital expression enhancements on the same day also signals its intent to grow both sides together.
hololive’s “holo Indie” — Surpasses 3 Million Total Downloads, Shifts Review Process to a Seasonal System
Starting May 1, hololive’s derivative fan-game brand “holo Indie” transitioned its review system from year-round open submissions to a seasonal schedule held three times a year. In the two and a half years since its launch, more than 40 titles have been released, and combined downloads across paid and free titles have surpassed 3 million. According to Takayuki Hatano and Kikuo Saga of Cover Corp., the reason for the transition was that their review structure could no longer keep up with the rapid surge in applications. They noted that roughly half of the submissions come from creators overseas (Inside (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: What defines this initiative is how it institutionalized fan-made derivative works as an “ecosystem that supports monetization.” Because the system expanded to the point where applications outpaced the review team’s capacity, Cover introduced submission deadlines to reorganize it into a sustainable model. It serves as a valuable reference for building an operational structure that turns user-generated content (UGC) into an ongoing business rather than a passing fad.
Railways and Theme Parks Attract Fans Through Experience Investments
JR Group × Final Fantasy — Redefining Fukushima by Turning “Travel into an Adventure and Famous Sights into Dungeons”
From April through the end of June, the JR Group ran the “Fukushima Destination Campaign.” As part of the initiative, it rolled out “FUKUSHIMA FANTASY,” which showcased the appeal of Fukushima through the world of FINAL FANTASY under the supervision of Square Enix. Across a series of 10 posters and a video set at locations such as the Nicchu Line weeping cherry blossom trees and the Abukuma Cave, a family dressed in costumes reminiscent of characters from the game embarked on a journey. The posters were displayed at JR stations nationwide, and JR East also held a stamp rally featuring the FINAL FANTASY character Chocobo. Kiyoyuki Enomoto of JR East Marketing & Communications, who served as creative director, remarked, “We felt we needed a ‘story’ that makes people who see it want to go on a trip” (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Rather than stopping at showing tourist spots as mere “scenery,” the JR Group replaced them with a “story” that casts the traveler as the protagonist. Simple sightseeing promotions easily get lost among campaigns from other regions. Providing the framework of traveling as an RPG protagonist creates a reason to visit in itself—an approach that aligns closely with the Design Principles of Oshikatsu Marketing.
Sanrio Harmonyland — A New Attraction Combining AR Technology and Honda Robots
Sanrio Character Park Harmonyland (located in Hiji, Oita Prefecture) announced the opening of a new facility called “NAKAYOKU LAB” on July 3. As its centerpiece, the park prepared a new attraction called “Sky Pal Collection,” which combines Honda’s mobility robot “UNI-ONE” with AR technology. Visitors wear AR glasses and ride the UNI-ONE to enjoy a “journey through the sky” alongside Sanrio characters. The attraction is open to ages 5 and up, costs 500 yen per ride, and takes approximately 10 minutes. The park also announced a location-linked AI audio guide tour (for ages 13 and up, 500 yen per session) (Mogura VR (in Japanese), Dtimes (in Japanese), ORICON NEWS (in Japanese), PR TIMES (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: What catches the eye here is the investment in a physical “riding” experience rather than a display you simply “look at.” Pricing it at 500 yen per ride keeps it right in line with existing attraction fees, avoiding treating the new technology as something overly exclusive. For theme parks, AR and robotics are becoming standard operational options rather than extraordinary spectacles.
Restaurants and Retail Chains Create Reasons to Visit Through IP Collaborations
Sushiro × Zenless Zone Zero — Merchandise Rollout Built Around Opening a Store Inside an In-Game City
Starting June 24, Sushiro restaurants across Japan launched a collaboration with the game Zenless Zone Zero. The collaboration was framed around the premise that Sushiro had opened a branch inside the game’s city of “New Eridu.” The lineup featured menu items paired with newly illustrated character picks, laser tickets, stickers, and mini-figures covering four characters. The picks and laser tickets also included redemption codes for obtaining in-game items (Inside (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: This campaign stands out for its inverted concept of “opening” a real-world restaurant chain inside a game’s setting. Rather than just decorating its dining rooms with characters, Sushiro wove itself into the in-game lore. For fans, immersing themselves in that world directly becomes their motivation to visit the restaurant.
Kura Sushi × PEANUTS — Spreading Out Store Visits with Three Waves of Limited Merchandise
Starting June 26, Kura Sushi locations nationwide kicked off a collaboration campaign with the comic strip PEANUTS. Customers ordering eligible menu items received one of 20 original stickers at random, and special prizes were also added to the “Bikkura Pon!” game played by inserting finished plates. Giveaways of limited merchandise were divided into three waves: Wave 1 on June 26, Wave 2 on July 10, and Wave 3 on July 24. For every 3,000 yen (tax included) spent at checkout, early customers received items such as notebooks, clear file folders, or sushi plates on a first-come, first-served basis. Two global flagship locations—Harajuku and Namba Parks South—were also outfitted with special interior decorations (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), Cho! Animedia (in Japanese), Kura Sushi (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Instead of letting customers feel satisfied after a single visit, this structure plants reasons for multiple visits across a full month through late July. By splitting the merchandise giveaways into three phases, even fans who were satisfied by the first wave still have a reason to say, “Let’s go again next time.” For restaurant chains, collaborations have become a way to engineer visit frequency itself.
Closing the Distance with Fans
- Music & Rule-Bending WitAdo × adidas reached non-soccer fans via music; Levi's turned a sponsor logo ban into viral buzz
- Unscripted VTuber RepliesSharp and Daikin engaged hololive talents with fast, trusted replies; Bandai Namco invested R&D into XR
- Immersive Transit & ParksJR Central announced an overnight train; JR Group framed Fukushima as Final Fantasy; Harmonyland announced AR rides
- Multi-Visit Dining & ApparelSushiro entered Zenless Zone Zero lore; Kura Sushi staged 3 PEANUTS waves; Uniqlo, GU, and Shimamura targeted diverse fans
- Overseas Market InfrastructureKodansha and DNP established Kodansha India; Média-Participations opened a NARUTO theme park area in France
- Authenticity & Self-Expressionadidas × Oasis won at Cannes Lions; YOAKE entertainment launched a 16-type fan style diagnostic
Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the article
Apparel Brands Layer UT Releases Around Anniversaries and Movie Premiers
Uniqlo — A UT Offensive Timed to Shueisha’s 100th Anniversary and the Chiikawa Movie Premiere
Uniqlo set June 26 as the release date for a batch of items from Wave 2 of its “Manga UT Shueisha 100th Anniversary” collection that had previously been slated for a later release. Six designs across three series—One Piece, NARUTO, and Coji-Coji—joined the lineup at 1,990 yen (tax included) each (Inside (in Japanese)). Alongside this, Uniqlo announced a UT collection celebrating the theatrical release of Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island (Eiga Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu). Women’s and kids’ T-shirts are scheduled to go on sale July 17, followed by sweatshirts on July 24, at Uniqlo stores nationwide and via the online store (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), Cho! Animedia (in Japanese), Nijimen (in Japanese), Mynavi News (in Japanese), Inside (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: You can see the calculation in layering two very different “now-or-never reasons”—a publisher’s centennial and a movie release—within the same week. Even when excitement for one winds down, buzz around the other keeps the sales floor lively. Rather than relying on a single one-off IP collaboration, this design prepares multiple reasons to buy so the store floor stays fresh throughout the year.
GU × Neon Genesis Evangelion — Four Vintage-Style T-Shirts
On June 22, GU released four collaborative T-shirt designs featuring Neon Genesis Evangelion. The lineup includes designs styled after a main visual featuring Shinji, Asuka, and Rei together, as well as designs showcasing Evangelion Unit-01 and Unit-02. All four feature a vintage-inspired wash finish and are priced at 1,990 yen (tax included) each (Inside (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Selling a series that aired nearly 30 years ago as brand-new merchandise with a deliberately weathered wash finish is a fascinating approach. By building nostalgia directly into the garment through distressed textures and faded colors, the exact same product appeals both to fans who remember the original broadcast and to younger audiences encountering the series for the first time.
Shimamura — Made-to-Order “Racehorse” Merchandise Featuring Six Legendary Horses After Strong Demand
On its official online store, Shimamura opened made-to-order sales for its “Racehorse” motif merchandise, which had originally launched on June 6. The move came in response to strong customer demand. The lineup features men’s T-shirts, tote bags, and pass cases designed around six legendary racehorses. Alongside Deep Impact, the roster includes Tokai Teio, Orfevre, Narita Brian, and Silence Suzuka—horses that also appear as characters in Umamusume: Pretty Derby. The order window ran until 11:00 PM on June 21 (Inside (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Capturing demand for both real-life racehorses and game characters with the exact same product is a clever strategy. The design appeals not only to fans of the game, but also to traditional horse racing enthusiasts. This case demonstrates how real-life racehorses can appeal to both horse racing enthusiasts and game fans.
Japanese IP Moves Toward Commercialization in Massive Overseas Markets
Kodansha × DNP — Establishing Local Publisher “Kodansha India” in Delhi, India
On June 15, Kodansha and Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) announced that they will jointly establish a publishing company called “Kodansha India” in Delhi, India, in July alongside IJ Kakehashi Services, with business operations scheduled to begin in autumn 2026. The company plans to locally publish 200 titles per year—including Attack on Titan and BLUE LOCK—in English and Hindi. Ownership is split 81% by Kodansha, 14% by DNP, and 5% by IJ Kakehashi Services. This marks the first time a major Japanese general publisher has established a local subsidiary in India to publish physical books and manga (TV Tokyo BIZ (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: What carries real weight here is the decision to plant a publishing house directly on the ground rather than simply licensing out translation rights. In India, young fan populations are expanding rapidly thanks to population growth and economic development, yet distribution volume has not kept pace. To tackle this structural challenge, Kodansha and DNP built an end-to-end system covering everything from manufacturing to publishing. It reflects a stance of establishing a foothold before the market fully matures.
Média-Participations — One of Europe’s Largest Media Companies Brings NARUTO to a Theme Park
On June 23, Paris-headquartered Média-Participations (MP) announced that it is ramping up its PR activities inside Japan. In April, the company opened a new NARUTO area called “NARUTO – Konoha Land” at its theme park “Parc Spirou Provence” in Provence, southern France. Founded in 1986, MP operates across 14 countries on four continents and employs more than 2,300 people. Its specialist manga publishing subsidiary KANA has brought over 400 series to Europe, including NARUTO, Kagurabachi, and Detective Conan (Case Closed) (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: It is symbolic that NARUTO has taken root locally not just through print manga and anime, but as a dedicated theme park zone. Because of a relationship built up over 30 years since the 1990s, the partnership evolved beyond simple licensing into a major capital investment like a theme park. When discussing the Market Size of Oshikatsu, the era of looking only at the domestic Japanese market may already be behind us.
How Brands Approach Fans Highlighted by Awards and Diagnostic Data
adidas × Oasis — Wins Two Entertainment Grand Prix at Cannes Lions
In Cannes, France, the “Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026” kicked off on June 22, drawing 20,050 total entries. On the night of June 23, the second day of the festival, adidas’s “Original Forever” campaign (by Johannes Leonardo New York + adidas London) was awarded the Grand Prix across two categories: the Entertainment Lions (out of 656 entries) and the Entertainment Lions for Music. Timed to Oasis’s reunion, the campaign rolled out an official adidas Originals collaborative collection and a brand film. Jury President Chris Beresford-Hill praised the work for delivering something valuable that moved the right community at the exact right moment (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: What earned such high praise was the fact that the bond between adidas and Oasis was not fabricated through an advertising contract—it was the real history of the Gallagher brothers actually wearing the brand since the 1990s. Simply giving form to an authentic relationship that fans already knew about, right at the moment of the band’s reunion, won global acclaim. It shows that in fan marketing, finding and polishing an existing relationship is far stronger than trying to manufacture a new one from scratch.
YOAKE entertainment — Launches 16-Type “Oshikatsu Type Diagnostic”
On June 25, YOAKE entertainment Inc. (based in Shibuya, Tokyo; CEO Sota Moriyama) released a new feature called the “Oshikatsu Type Diagnostic” inside its official app, “IRC APP.” Free to use with no registration required, the quiz asks users to answer 14 questions. Based on four perspectives—“Action Style,” “Sharing Style,” “Values,” and “Sense of Distance”—users are sorted into one of 16 types. Results are displayed alongside an original character for each type and can be shared directly to social media (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Rather than asking what a company can give to fans, this design uses 14 questions to help fans put their own style of fandom into words, complete with a built-in pathway for sharing results on social media. In effect, the company created a conversation starter for fans to talk with one another about how they support their favorites. Fan marketing can begin right from visualizing what kinds of actions, sharing habits, and sense of distance your own fans have.
Closing Thoughts for the Week
This week was a week in which the methods companies use to gauge and bridge their distance with fans were refined in distinct ways.
Whether we look at the 18 billion potential reach of Ado × adidas or the impromptu viral buzz of Sakura Miko × Sharp, the starting point is the exact same question: how should a company receive and respond to the enthusiasm fans already have? Both the JR Group’s FINAL FANTASY Fukushima campaign and Harmonyland’s AR attraction were investments designed to move fans from being passive “spectators” to active “riders” and “walkers.”
At the same time, looking at Kodansha’s expansion into India and Média-Participations’ developments in Europe, the era of receiving fan enthusiasm purely within Japan is coming to an end. The very scope of where we look when asking “Where are the fans?” is steadily expanding.
Take a look at where your own fans are right now and what they are looking for—and review this week’s developments alongside our guides to the Design Principles of Oshikatsu Marketing and the Fundamentals of Fan Marketing.
Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a weekly roundup of the intersection between fandom and business. You can browse past issues in the Oshikatsu × News category.
