Record Toy Market Led by Gacha & Cards; Mrs. GREEN APPLE's 9 Pop-Ups (Weekly News, Oct 2, 2026)
From the week of September 25 to October 1, 2026, we selected eight news stories on oshikatsu marketing (marketing built around fans supporting their favorite idols, characters, or creators) and the fan business. Throughout this roundup, we distinguish between project plans announced by companies and measured figures reported in research surveys.
The full edition is available on note in “Record Toy Store Market Driven by Gacha and Trading Cards / Mrs. GREEN APPLE Opens Pop-Ups in 9 Locations Nationwide for New Album (Weekly Oshikatsu News, October 2, 2026 Issue)” (in Japanese). This article introduces the week’s highlights.
This Week’s Highlights
According to Teikoku Databank, Japan’s toy store market reached an all-time high of 762.0 billion yen in fiscal 2025. That growth was driven by specialty stores dedicated to capsule toys (gacha) and trading cards (toreka). Meanwhile, Mrs. GREEN APPLE opened pop-up stores in nine locations across Japan to coincide with the release of their new album, turning the act of going out to buy a CD into an experience in itself.
Points of contact with beloved characters are also expanding into cultural institutions and consumer electronics, including a collaboration between the Tokyo National Museum and a VTuber, as well as the first-ever collaboration between Sony and Hello Kitty. Services that support fans before and after their oshikatsu outings also made their debut, such as a grooming and getting-ready lounge at Osaka Station and a new campaign built around parcel delivery lockers.
Gacha and Trading Cards Grow as Fortunes Diverge on the Toy Sales Floor
Teikoku Databank — Toy Store Market Reaches a Record High of 762.0 Billion Yen
On October 1, Teikoku Databank announced that Japan’s toy store market in fiscal 2025 (based on operator sales) rose 8.6% year-on-year to 762.0 billion yen, the highest level since fiscal 2015. Specialty stores for capsule toys (gacha) and trading cards (toreka) accounted for more than 70% of the 60.2 billion yen increase. Taking fiscal 2020 as an index baseline of 100, capsule toy specialty stores reached 385, trading card specialty stores reached 307, and conventional toy stores stood at 151. On the same day, Toys“R”Us-Japan filed for proceedings under the Civil Rehabilitation Act.
Source: Teikoku Databank, “Toy Store Industry Trends Survey (FY2025)” (in Japanese)
Lab Note: The survey analyzes how the main customer base for capsule toys has shifted toward adults, including women in their teens through thirties, centering on targeted buying aimed at specific characters (shimeigai) and consumption that enjoys the experience of turning the handle and drawing a capsule itself. Whether a storefront can create a clear “reason to visit,” rather than merely offering a wide assortment of goods, is dividing winners from losers on the sales floor.
- 762.0B yen
- FY2025 toy store market (+8.6% YoY), the highest since FY2015
- 385 / 307
- FY2025 sales index for gacha (385) and trading card (307) specialty shops (FY2020 = 100)
- 42.6%
- Indoor music event attendees (venues of 5,000+) concerned about entry/exit crowding and safety
- 79.2%
- Event organizers and operators (out of 48 surveyed) saying further safety measures are needed
Source: Teikoku Databank FY2025 Toy Store Survey and Japan Consumer Safety Investigation Commission Interim Report
Consumer Safety Investigation Commission — 40% of Indoor Music Event Attendees Feel Anxious About Crowding
On September 30, the Japan Consumer Safety Investigation Commission published an interim report aimed at preventing accidents caused by congestion during entry and exit at indoor music events. Among 1,276 attendees of events with a scale of 5,000 people or more, 42.6% responded that they felt concerned about crowding and safety before the show started or when exiting the venue. In addition, 79.2% of 48 business operators—including event organizers—answered that further measures and practical improvements are needed.
Source: Nikkei, “40% Concerned About Safety at Indoor Events; Consumer Safety Commission Surveys Attendees” (Kyodo News dispatch) (in Japanese)
Lab Note: Only 18.8% of business operators cited industry association guidelines as a reference for their safety measures. The larger a venue becomes, the more entry and exit traffic flow becomes not just a matter of experience quality, but a matter of physical safety. A key question ahead will be how event organizers, venues, and ticketing operators share and implement the prevention measures that will be set out in the final report.
Turning How Fans Buy CDs and Ride the Shinkansen into Fan Experiences
Mrs. GREEN APPLE — Pop-Ups in 9 Locations Nationwide for New Album POPS
On September 30, to mark the release of their sixth album POPS, Mrs. GREEN APPLE simultaneously opened “POPS POP UP” stores in nine locations across Japan, with each location expressing the world of one of the nine new songs on the album. The venues include an astronomical observatory in the Goto Islands and a cave in Tochigi Prefecture. Store entry operated via numbered admission tickets, and album purchases were limited to one copy per person. Special bonuses were available in limited quantities each day, with sales and distribution scheduled to end once the planned daily allotment was reached.
Source: Mrs. GREEN APPLE POPS POP UP Special Site (in Japanese) / Oricon News (in Japanese)
Lab Note: According to Oricon News, the project grew out of band member Motoki Ohmori’s desire for fans to “enjoy the very experience of purchasing a CD and holding it in their hands.” It is a physical package sales design that keeps in view not only the fans who travel to the sites in person, but also the interest of people who see the distinctive storefronts in the news and on social media.
JR Central — In-Train Exclusive Lycoris Recoil Radio via the “Oshi-Tabi” Campaign
Through its “Oshi-Tabi” (fan travel) program, JR Central will run a collaboration campaign with the anime Lycoris Recoil from October 23, 2026 to April 22, 2027. The campaign will stream “Lyco-Radi,” a radio program that can only be listened to aboard the Tokaido Shinkansen, releasing two episodes per period for a total of six episodes, and listeners can obtain a bromide-style photo card and a clear file folder by presenting proof of travel at a redemption location, while supplies last. Playback is enabled when location services detect that the user is traveling above a certain speed, and 300 listeners will be selected by lottery and invited to a special limited event.
Source: JR Central “Lycoris Recoil x JR Central” Oshi-Tabi Official Site (in Japanese)
Lab Note: This project turns transit time itself into content and creates a reason to ride the Shinkansen. Because the six-month run is divided into three periods and the redemption locations for the novelty gifts also change with each period, it will be worth watching whether this structure motivates repeat rides.
Touchpoints with Favorite Characters Expand to Museums and Smartphones
Tokyo National Museum — Audio Guide and Mystery-Solving Rally with Juufuutei Raden
On September 28, ClaN Entertainment announced that a collaboration event between Juufuutei Raden, a VTuber affiliated with hololive production, and the Tokyo National Museum will be held from January 13 to March 22, 2027. During the event period, plans include a special audio guide by Raden for the regular collection exhibitions, a mystery-solving activity, and panel displays featuring newly illustrated artwork. Online pre-orders for commemorative merchandise also opened on the same day as the announcement.
Source: ClaN Entertainment, “Collaboration Event Decided Between ‘Juufuutei Raden’ and Tokyo National Museum” (in Japanese)
Lab Note: According to the announcement, the collaboration was sparked by the museum’s appreciation for Raden’s ongoing activities, such as introducing special exhibitions and contributing to crowdfunding for the restoration of the Tale of Genji folding screens (Genji Monogatari Byobu). Setting the collaboration in the regular collection galleries rather than a special exhibition offers a useful reference point for how cultural institutions can meet new visitors.
Sony — Special Edition Xperia Model in First-Ever Hello Kitty Collaboration
As its first-ever collaboration with Hello Kitty, Sony is selling special edition models of its “Xperia 10 VIII” smartphone and “WH-CH730N” headphones exclusively through the Sony Store. The Xperia bundle is limited to 1,000 sets and comes with a sacoche shoulder bag and a tote bag. It also includes one “Fan Sync Card” that, when held up to the handset, switches the wallpaper, system sounds, and charging start tone to custom Hello Kitty versions. There is no character engraving or printing on the physical body of the device itself.
Source: Sony, “Hello Kitty and Sony Collaborate for the First Time♪” (in Japanese)
Lab Note: Rather than altering the exterior appearance of the handset, this design uses a tap-to-sync card to switch the screen visuals and audio. Precisely because a smartphone is a device used every day, the bundle combines limited-quantity physical goods with a digital experience that lets users feel connected to what they love every time they pick up their phone.
Services Supporting the Before and After of Oshikatsu: Getting Ready and Receiving Packages
JR West Daily Service Net — A Getting-Ready Lounge Opens at Osaka Station
On October 1, JR West Daily Service Net opened a lounge space called “ninareru” inside JR Osaka Station. On its official website, the facility promotes itself as a place to use “before oshikatsu” alongside before or after highway bus trips and before dates. Every seat is equipped with a hair iron, and guests can use hair oils, makeup-setting mists, and other styling items free of charge. Pricing starts at 200 yen per 15 minutes for an open booth seat and 350 yen per 15 minutes for a fully private room, with operating hours from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Source: ninareru Official Site (in Japanese) / Umeda Keizai Shimbun (in Japanese)
Lab Note: By providing a place to freshen up before an out-of-town concert trip (ensei) or live show, this service addresses the practical headaches fans face “before arriving at the venue.” Being located right inside the station and available without a reservation makes it well suited to travelers stopping by in the middle of their commute or trip.
Packcity Japan — “PUDO” Parcel Lockers Launch “PU-katsu-DO” for Oshikatsu Fans
On September 29, Packcity Japan launched “PU-katsu-DO,” an oshikatsu-oriented promotional initiative utilizing its open-access smart parcel lockers, “PUDO Station.” The company states that as mail-order purchases of merchandise and video releases as well as out-of-town event trips increase, the initiative responds to growing fan needs such as wanting to avoid redeliveries and wanting to pick up packages without meeting anyone face-to-face. The first installment is a collaboration with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, running through December 21.
Source: Packcity Japan, “‘PU-katsu-DO’ Launches” (in Japanese)
Lab Note: Built around the concept that “Oshikatsu isn’t over until you receive your package,” the company plans to expand “PU-katsu-DO” across other genres as a shared umbrella brand rather than building a separate brand from scratch for every collaboration. It is a clear example of a logistics infrastructure company finding a distinct role in the fan package-pickup experience.
- 01Pre-Event Preparation & TransitJR Osaka Station's ninareru grooming lounge and JR Central's Tokaido Shinkansen in-train Lycoris Recoil radio
- 02Destination Retail & Cultural VenuesCapsule toy and trading card specialty shops, Mrs. GREEN APPLE's 9 album pop-ups, and Tokyo National Museum x Juufuutei Raden
- 03Venue Operations & Crowd SafetyManaging entry and exit congestion at indoor music events of 5,000+ attendees, where 42.6% of fans report safety concerns
- 04Everyday Devices & Post-Purchase DeliverySony's Hello Kitty Fan Sync Card smartphone bundle and Packcity Japan's PUDO smart locker 'PU-katsu-DO' pickups
Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the eight stories covered in the October 2, 2026 issue
This Week’s Takeaways
This week brought a lineup of stories that ask how fans choose the places where they encounter what they love. In the toy store market, capsule toy and trading card specialty stores drove growth, while Mrs. GREEN APPLE turned the journey of going out to buy an album into an event in itself. Across separate industries at the same time, we can see people gathering at “places with a specific reason to visit” rather than “stores that simply carry a bit of everything.”
At the same time, this week’s news also highlighted practical challenges such as anxiety over venue crowding and the hassles of transit and package pickup. Just as much as the excitement of a creative campaign itself, designing the surrounding experience—including safety, getting ready before the show, and receiving goods at the end—looks set to become a defining condition for companies chosen by fans.
Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a weekly roundup of oshikatsu and business every week. The full edition is available on note (in Japanese). You can browse past issues in the Oshikatsu x News category.
