Chiikawa Park to Open July 28; DyDo × Demon Slayer Drinks [Weekly Oshikatsu News: June 20, 2025]
Here is our roundup of notable corporate oshikatsu (fannish devotion and support) marketing and fan-business news from the week of June 13 to June 19, 2025.
This Week’s Highlights
The defining theme of this week was simple: the more thoughtfully an experience is crafted, the more willingly fans will line up for it.
Chiikawa Park, a permanent experiential facility in Ikebukuro, adopted a lottery system for admission and opened applications for its first lottery round on June 16. Meanwhile, an experiential Pringles pop-up restaurant held in Omotesando back in March drew 1,356 visitors in just five days, with 688 of them taking part in the full interactive experience. Across multiple case studies this week, we saw a shared pattern: setting deliberate limits on access only increases the number of people eager to participate.
According to a survey by the Oshikatsu Research Institute (Oshikatsu Soken), individuals who practice oshikatsu together as a family spend an average of 368,461 yen per person annually. The same survey found that this figure is 2.8 times what people who are the only oshikatsu participants in their family spend (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)). In beverage news, DyDo DRINCO announced its first collaboration with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba in roughly five years. Their previous campaign sold 50 million cans within three weeks of release; building on that track record, DyDo developed not only new packaging this time, but brand-new drink formulas from scratch. We also saw several initiatives using technology to expand real-world experiences, including virtual concerts powered by extended reality (XR) and mixed-reality (MR) shopping.
- ¥368,461
- Average annual spend per person for family oshikatsu (2.8x those who are their family's only oshikatsu participant)
- 50M cans
- Sales within 3 weeks of DyDo's first Demon Slayer collaboration in 2020
- 1,356 visitors
- Five-day attendance at Pringles' experiential restaurant (688 participated)
Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article
Commercial Facilities Teamed Up with Characters to Drive Foot Traffic
Moomin x NEWoMan Shinjuku — Summer Collaboration Food Across 14 Shops
NEWoMan Shinjuku, the fashion complex straddling JR Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, ran a collaborative campaign with Moomin titled “MOOMIN | NEWoMan SHINJUKU -A Little Summer Adventure-” from June 20 to July 31. A total of 14 shops—including Petrichor Bakery and Cafe inside the station gates—participated in the event, selling limited-time collaboration foods such as smoothies and pizzas inspired by Moominvalley. Photo spots featuring exclusive designs were also set up inside the building (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
A character greeting event requiring advance lottery entry was also scheduled for July 19. To apply for the lottery, visitors needed to make a purchase at one of the participating shops.
Lab Note: What stands out here is that 14 different shops across an entire station building joined forces simultaneously for a single character collaboration. Instead of stopping at a standalone collaboration cafe, the campaign engaged the entire floor, encouraging visitors to stroll from shop to shop throughout the building. For commercial complexes, a character IP functions not just as a customer magnet for a single store, but as a circulation engine that keeps visitors moving across the entire floor.
Nintama Rantaro x Tobu Zoo — Linking Merchandise and Admission Tickets Through an “Animal Care Practicum” Theme
A collaborative event with the anime Nintama Rantaro, titled “Nintama Rantaro x Tobu Zoo: Everyone’s Animal Care Practicum Chapter,” took place at Tobu Zoo in Saitama Prefecture from July 26 to August 31, 2025. The newly illustrated artwork was built around the concept of the young ninja trainees (Nintama) taking part in an animal care practicum. These illustrations were used across special collaboration admission tickets sold at the entrance gates, a stamp rally, and a full range of trading merchandise. The zoo also announced that its on-site restaurants would serve collaboration menus (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: Overlapping the very nature of the venue—a zoo—with an in-universe “animal care practicum” setting is a thoughtful touch. Rather than simply selling merchandise, the organizers combined admission tickets with a stamp rally so visitors would explore every corner of the park. When a theme park partners with an intellectual property (IP), how closely the story aligns with the venue’s core experience determines how long visitors stay and circulate.
Juice x Chiikawa Park — Permanent Lottery-Entry Experiential Facility Opens July 28
Chiikawa Park, a permanent experiential facility operated by Juice, was scheduled to open on July 28, 2025, at Sunshine City Annex in Ikebukuro. Advance tickets were sold through the reservation platform Asoview!, with all operating days requiring reservations for specific dates and times. To enter the park, visitors had to apply in advance through a ticket lottery. The first lottery application window ran from 10:00 AM on June 16 to 11:59 PM on June 23. Admission was priced at 3,500 yen for adults (general admission) and 1,800 yen for children, with each account allowed to apply for up to four tickets (Inside (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: Even though this is a permanent facility, its defining design choice is making admission lottery-based. Rather than creating a venue people can walk into anytime, the operators deliberately set up a situation where “you can’t get in unless you win,” aiming to generate buzz and prevent overcrowding at the same time. For companies building permanent fan venues, this case demonstrates that the admission method itself can serve as part of the promotional staging.
Established Beverage and Food Makers Opened New Touchpoints Through IP
DyDo DRINCO x Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — A Second Collaboration After Five Years, Reformulated from the Inside Out
DyDo DRINCO announced a June 30 release of two new collaborative beverages with the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: “DyDo Demon Slayer Iced Latte” and “DyDo Demon Slayer Unsweetened Mandarin Water.” Across vending machine and retail store versions combined, the lineup featured 32 different can designs. DyDo didn’t just change the packaging; it developed custom drink formulas specifically for this release. Back in 2020, the original “Kimetsu cans” surpassed a cumulative 50 million cans sold within three weeks of launch. This marked the second collaboration between the two, coming roughly five years after the first. DyDo President Takanori Nakashima explained that the goal was “to create touchpoints with people who aren’t in the habit of using DyDo vending machines” (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The vending machine designs were released ahead of schedule in select vending machines starting June 17.
Lab Note: It is a smart move to clearly highlight the previous track record (50 million cans) while introducing a fresh angle this time: developing the beverages themselves from scratch. Campaigns that only swap out package designs tend to be short-lived. By changing the actual flavor inside the can, the brand leaves a lasting impression even after the collaboration ends. The decision to deploy IP on vending machines—where everyday usage has somewhat plateaued—is also instructive. The aim here is building touchpoints with new demographics rather than relying solely on existing customers.
Kellogg Japan x Pringles — Appealing to All Five Senses with ASMR Staging for “Hi! CHEESE!”
Kellogg Japan, which markets Pringles in Japan, opened a limited-time experiential restaurant in Omotesando designed to let guests savor its signature “Hi! CHEESE!” flavor with all five senses. The experience featured staging where guests listened to ASMR crunching sounds in the dark, alongside aroma effects delivered via an original “Cheese Cannon,” with staff hosting small groups of four people at a time. Over five days, a total of 1,356 people visited the venue, and 688 of them took part in the interactive experience. Reiko Okubo of Kellogg Japan’s Snack Division noted that “experiential entertainment content that stimulates all five senses directly connects to brand favorability and purchase intent” (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: Unlike a standard tasting event or exhibition, setting up interactive hooks in each room that made visitors want to post on social media paid off. The pop-up was covered by information programs across multiple major television networks, spreading the word without relying on paid advertising spend. Even for a low-priced snack food, this case shows how smart experience design can dramatically increase both the time spent per person and the volume of social sharing.
A Shibuya Theme Cafe Staged a Character’s Birthday Celebration
miffy café tokyo — Serving a Birthday Menu in a Store Designed by Kashiwa Sato
Operating under the concept of “a cafe where you can feel and experience Miffy’s art alongside food,” miffy café tokyo (located on the first floor of the Daikanyama Station building in Shibuya, Tokyo) offered a limited-time birthday menu. Timed to celebrate Miffy’s birthday on June 21, the menu ran from June 19 to July 31, 2025. The cafe prepared three special items—a Birthday Burger, a Birthday Cake, and a Birthday Cafe Latte—and gave customers who ordered the Birthday Burger or Birthday Cake an original birthday card featuring a pop-up cake when folded. The store’s logo and interior design were created by art director Kashiwa Sato (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: Opened in 2023 as a permanent cafe, the venue turned the character’s birthday into a seasonal event through a six-week limited menu. Precisely because it is a permanent store, an annual anniversary menu works effectively as a reason for repeat visits. In operating brick-and-mortar fan businesses, whether you can weave regular “mini-festivals” into year-round operations determines how often fans come back.
Apparel and Retail Turned Characters into Everyday Items
Samantha Thavasa x Lady and the Tramp — An Iconic Disney Film Scene Across Six Items
Samantha Thavasa Petit Choice announced the release of its Lady and the Tramp Collection, featuring Tramp and Lady from the classic Disney film. The lineup consists of six items in total, including a bifold wallet (22,000 yen) and a shoulder bag (20,900 yen). Advance reservations opened on the official online shop on June 13, followed by in-store sales at participating locations starting June 20. The metal hardware and chain details incorporate motifs from the famous scene where the two dogs share a plate of spaghetti (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: What stands out here is taking an original film released in 1955 and adapting it into standard-line products for a contemporary bag brand. Rather than leaning purely on nostalgia, the items are tailored to everyday price points and wearable designs. That leaves room for shoppers unfamiliar with the original movie to pick one up simply as a nice wallet. When adapting long-running IPs into apparel, brands need to balance nostalgic appeal with genuine quality as a practical everyday item.
Animate x Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — A Roughly Two-Month Collaboration Featuring Store Clerk Illustrations
Animate announced a collaboration with the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba running from July 11 to September 10, 2025, at Animate stores nationwide and through the Animate online shop. Newly drawn illustrations depicted five characters—Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, and Giyu Tomioka—dressed in Animate store clerk uniforms. Alongside selling collaboration merchandise such as acrylic stands and character badge collections, the campaign rolled out special collaboration shopping bags and a custom theme for the Animate smartphone app (Cho! Animedia (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: Casting the characters as “store clerks” is a thoughtful way to align the world of the merchandise with the physical retail store itself. The roughly two-month campaign window also spans the theatrical release of the movie’s first chapter (July 18), helping sustain momentum over an extended period. When a retail chain partners with an IP, figuring out how to fold the physical reality of the store into the narrative is crucial.
Good Smile Company x Hatsune Miku — A Character Lottery Featuring Cafe Staff Outfits
Good Smile Company announced that it would sequentially release the “Good Smile Kuji: Hatsune Miku 2025 Autumn” character lottery starting September 5. Illustrated around the theme “What if they became cafe staff?”, the lineup features Hatsune Miku and other Piapro Characters. The lottery offers seven prize tiers in total, including Nendoroid figures and plush mascots. Every ticket is a guaranteed winner (hazure-nashi), priced at 880 yen (tax included) per draw (Inside (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: The “cafe staff” concept is a tried-and-true angle for showing a different side of characters compared to their usual outfits. By dividing the prizes into finely graded tiers with no losing tickets, even someone who draws just once walks away satisfied, while collectors feel motivated to gather the full set. Even with low-priced lottery goods, careful attention to the theme and prize lineup can boost repeat purchases.
Local Governments and Brands Expanded Their Reach by Tapping Talent and VTubers
Hiroshima Prefecture x Koji Kikkawa & Tamio Okuda — Hometown Peers Turning 60 Promote Local Ingredients
Hiroshima Prefecture launched a tourism promotion project targeting residents of the greater Tokyo metropolitan area titled “OK!! Hiroshima (Oishii kee, Hiroshima — ‘Because Hiroshima is delicious’).” As heads of the cheering squad, the prefecture appointed “Ooochie Koochie,” a musical unit formed by Koji Kikkawa and Tamio Okuda, who are both from Hiroshima Prefecture and born in the same year. The campaign promoted Hiroshima’s food culture through transit ads, videos, and tie-ups with restaurants. On June 17, the prefecture held a press conference in Tokyo that included a video message from Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, and announced that three special promotional videos would be released on YouTube starting that same day (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: Grounding the campaign in the fact that both musicians turn 60 (kanreki, a traditional milestone birthday in Japan) in 2025 gives the project real warmth. Rather than merely hiring famous talent as spokespeople, the organizers placed the pair’s genuine personal background—hometown peers, born the same year, celebrating their 60th birthday together—at the very center of the concept. When local governments cast talent for PR campaigns, real biographical facts like career history and age can carry far more persuasive weight than scripted staging.
McDonald’s Japan x Karubi Akami — Casting a Food-Review VTuber in a Promotional Video
On June 18, McDonald’s Japan posted a collaboration video on its official X (formerly Twitter) account featuring its new “Jurassic World Burgers” alongside VTuber Karubi Akami. The video adapts the lyrics of an original song by creator Pmarusama., using the catchphrase “Makku yabee jan” (“McDonald’s is insanely good!”) in the chorus. On her own YouTube channel, Karubi Akami has published numerous food-review (shokurepo) videos where she tastes and compares new menu items from McDonald’s and several other burger chains (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: The reason for casting her comes straight from the genuine love for hamburgers she shares in her regular streams. McDonald’s didn’t invent a new character for the ad; instead, it took the established personality a creator was already known for among fans and channeled it directly into an official brand post. When casting VTubers for advertising, simply verifying the natural fit between a creator’s existing content and the product can be enough to make a campaign work.
XR and Virtual Technologies Expanded How Fans Shop and Experience Concerts
Bandai Namco x The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls — The Franchise’s Largest-Scale XR Concert
A new event in The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls franchise, titled “CINDERELLA GIRLS fes. Once Upon a St@rs,” was scheduled to take place at Makuhari Messe on November 29 and 30, 2025. Rather than having voice actors appear on stage in person, the event used an “XR live” format that projects the game’s 3D virtual idols onto a real physical stage using XR technology. Organizers announced that the concert would feature the largest number of performing characters in the series’ history. Structured across four performances in total, combo tickets bundling in-person venue admission with streaming access were priced at 8,800 yen (tax included) per show (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: Precisely because the human voice actors do not have to stand on stage in person, the production can scale the number of appearing characters to an all-time high—that is the core strength of an XR concert. Because the show reduces the need to gather performers physically on stage, organizers can expand the scale of the event itself. As the live entertainment market grows, whether a production can use technology to remove physical constraints on performers is becoming a key factor determining the upper ceiling of an event.
Cover x hololive English — Tickets for New York Concert Priced at $95 to $160
The English-speaking VTuber group hololive English was scheduled to hold its third full-group concert, hololive English 3rd Concert -All for One-, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on August 23 and 24 (local time). Venue tickets were priced between $95 and $160 USD. Members of a new group scheduled to debut their 3D models in August 2025 also appeared in the lineup (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: A VTuber group originating from Japan has grown to the point where it can book a landmark New York venue on its own. Fans cultivated through online streaming have translated into enough local demand for tickets in this price bracket to sell on the ground. For companies considering overseas expansion, this sequence—first building a steady fanbase through regular livestreams, and then staging local in-person concerts—offers a clear blueprint.
Puma x Meta — A WebXR Shopping Experience for Trying On Basketball Shoes
Sports brand Puma partnered with Meta to launch an interactive shopping experience for Meta Quest headsets. Using WebXR technology, the experience displays Puma’s latest basketball shoe, the “All Pro Nitro,” at true-to-life scale inside the user’s real-world space. Users could freely customize colors and sizes, and the app included a feature that measures the user’s foot to recommend the proper fit. A styling guide introducing Puma apparel that matches the selected shoe color was also built in, allowing shoppers to purchase items directly through the official Puma website (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: Footwear is the retail category where the physical constraint of needing to try items on is most acute, making this implementation of virtual try-on via mixed reality an ambitious step. Rather than stopping at a 3D preview, the system connects size recommendations and checkout into a single seamless flow. In online sales of fan merchandise as well, how effectively technology can compensate for the inability to try on or test items in person could significantly shift conversion rates.
Madame Tussauds Tokyo — Introducing Two VR Attractions in July
Madame Tussauds Tokyo, the life-size figure attraction in Odaiba, announced that it would introduce two VR attractions—“Thrill Coaster” and “Shark Dive”—on July 11, 2025. The former offers a 360-degree virtual roller coaster ride, while the latter places guests face-to-face with sharks in the waters of the Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean. Tickets are priced at 1,500 yen for one ride or 2,500 yen for two rides, and riders must be at least 90 cm tall (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: It is intriguing to see a venue historically built around static wax figures add motion-based VR attractions. For a facility where static exhibits alone make it difficult to extend how long visitors stay, layering in interactive content creates a fresh reason for guests to return. As a way for exhibition-style venues to lengthen fan dwell time, VR can serve as a relatively low-cost additional investment.
Adding Deliberate Constraints
- Chiikawa Park uses a lottery system even for a permanent venue
- Pringles limits its sensory restaurant to small groups of 4
- NEWoMan Shinjuku requires a purchase to enter its July 19 greeting lottery
- Tobu Zoo and Animate set defined 1-to-2-month campaign windows
Removing Physical Constraints via Tech
- Cinderella Girls XR live reduces the need to gather voice actors physically on stage
- hololive English turns global livestream reach into a New York concert
- Puma and Meta use WebXR to let shoppers measure feet and preview shoes at home
- Madame Tussauds Tokyo adds dynamic VR rides to static figure exhibits
Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article
This Week’s Takeaways
This week showed how campaigns with defined visiting periods and participation conditions created reasons to visit.
Look at Chiikawa Park’s lottery admission, Pringles’ small-group sessions, and the July 19 exclusive greeting at the Moomin x NEWoMan Shinjuku collaboration. Every one of these initiatives deliberately avoided being open to everyone at all times, narrowing the window of participation instead. Examples that set clear one-to-two-month campaign periods, such as Nintama Rantaro x Tobu Zoo and Animate x Demon Slayer, were also prominent. Setting limits on the timeframe and headcount can encourage participation.
At the same time, initiatives that use technology to remove physical constraints altogether—such as XR concerts and MR shopping—are also advancing rapidly. hololive English has reached a scale where it can fill a famous New York venue on its own, while The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls announced an XR concert with a record number of performing characters, in a format that reduces the need to gather voice actors physically on stage. Seeing campaigns that create constraints and campaigns that remove constraints side by side in the same week illustrates just how wide the design spectrum in this market has become.
Which constraints should you place on your fans, and which constraints should you remove? Reading this week’s developments alongside our guides to Oshikatsu Marketing Design Principles and How to Build a Collaboration Cafe will help inform those strategic decisions.
Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a weekly roundup of the latest developments at the intersection of oshikatsu and business. You can browse past issues in our Oshikatsu x News category.
