ECC on Signing Shohei Ohtani & Even G2’s Top Store in Japan: Weekly Oshikatsu News (Jan 16, 2026)

Here is our weekly roundup of notable corporate oshikatsu (fan support activities) marketing and fan business news from the week of January 9 to January 15, 2026.

This Week’s Highlights

The defining theme of the week was how deeply brands can step into fans’ inside jokes and subculture traditions.

McDonald’s released a video paying homage to the iconic shadow-art music video for the Touhou Project derivative fan song “Bad Apple!! feat. nomico.” Within roughly 19 hours, the post had racked up 14.339 million views on X and more than 2,000 comments. Meanwhile, language education company ECC cast baseball star Shohei Ohtani in a series of commercials that showed a fresh side of him wearing glasses as “Teacher Ohtani.”

Retailers and restaurant chains also made their moves all at once. FamilyMart kicked off its third Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration across approximately 16,400 stores nationwide. Lawson rolled out a tie-in with Katekyo Hitman REBORN! (Reborn!), Coco’s partnered with Uma Musume Pretty Derby, and Gyu-Kaku launched a campaign with hololive VTuber Hoshimachi Suisei. It was a week in which “stores where you can meet your oshi (favorite character or idol)” were no longer an unusual sight, but an everyday part of the retail landscape.

Convenience Stores, Restaurants, and Retailers Rolled Out Character Campaigns in the Same Week

FamilyMart x Jujutsu Kaisen — Turning Roughly 16,400 Stores into the Stage

Starting January 13, FamilyMart launched its third collaboration with Jujutsu Kaisen across approximately 16,400 stores nationwide. Alongside two snack items, the chain prepared limited-edition patterned skewer bags in limited quantities for four hot counter foods, including Jumbo Franks and grilled chicken tsukune meatball skewers. Free giveaway items were staggered by a week: five varieties of “cut-out clear sheets” were distributed starting January 13, followed by five varieties of “original A4 clear file folders” starting January 20. FamilyMart also introduced a reward system where customers who present the FamiPay app when purchasing eligible products earn one or two stamps depending on the item (GAME Watch (in Japanese)).

The collaboration was timed to match the broadcast premiere of the TV anime’s third season, The Culling Game Part 1, which began airing on January 8.

The Oshi Lab Note: Staggering giveaway items by a week is a classic technique for increasing repeat store visits. What caught our attention here is that FamilyMart also created limited-edition packaging for hot counter skewers—items that shoppers typically pick up as an impulse add-on. The campaign is designed all the way down to the flow of the sales floor, encouraging fans who come in for their target merchandise to grab one more item right next to the register.

Lawson x REBORN!, Mos Burger x Sanrio, and Country Ma’am x Sanrio

Starting January 13, Lawson began rolling out merchandise for Katekyo Hitman REBORN!. Prices were set at 1,760 yen each for six types of acrylic stands and 550 yen (tax included) for 14 types of blind-pack tin badges. Pre-order items exclusive to Loppi terminals and HMV were scheduled for sequential pickup starting May 28 (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, Mos Burger announced the third installment of its commemorative project celebrating My Melody’s 50th anniversary and Kuromi’s 20th anniversary: two meal sets with plush mascots priced at 1,200 yen each (tax included), going on sale in limited quantities starting February 5. Special online pre-orders opened at 3:00 p.m. on January 14 (Inside (in Japanese)). Confectionery maker Fujiya also announced that it would release five collaborative products pairing Country Ma’am cookies with Sanrio Characters on January 21 (Inside (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: We took note of Mos Burger’s decision to place a purchase limit of up to two sets per variety per person. Purchase limits serve as a countermeasure against resellers, while also signaling a brand’s commitment to making sure products reach actual fans. At a time when blind-box and random merchandise frequently draws criticism, placing limits on non-random, guaranteed items so they can be distributed fairly is a smart choice that protects trust in the brand.

Coco’s x Uma Musume and Gyu-Kaku x Hoshimachi Suisei — Four-Wave Menus and App Integration

Coco’s held its collaboration with Uma Musume Pretty Derby from January 20 to March 16. The menu was structured across four waves, rotating every two weeks. Wave 1 featured the “Coco’s-Style Carrot Hamburger Steak” for 1,529 yen, and Wave 2 offered the “Motivation UP Sweets” for 1,309 yen (tax included). With each eligible menu item ordered, customers received one of 20 random clear cards, with the card designs changing in every wave (Inside (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, yakiniku chain Gyu-Kaku announced a collaboration running from January 21 to February 23 tied to hololive member Hoshimachi Suisei’s live concert SuperNova: REBOOT. The menu featured the “Hoshimachi Suisei Select Platter” priced at 1,958 yen (tax included). Through the official Gyu-Kaku app’s point system, diners could redeem points in tiers for digital rewards: 20 points for a smartphone wallpaper, 40 points for a voice drama, and 80 points for an original video (Inside (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Gyu-Kaku’s point design is remarkably well thought out. Because the app awards points equal to 2% of the bill, redeeming the 80-point video requires spending 4,000 yen (tax included). Gyu-Kaku has structured its rewards specifically as a reason for customers to keep coming back to the restaurant. Coco’s four-wave schedule follows the exact same philosophy—both are clever ways of using bonus perks (tokuten) to drive repeat visits.

Shimamura x Sanrio — Offering Sizes All the Way Up to 5L–6L

Starting at 3:00 p.m. on January 14, clothing retailer Shimamura released 15 varieties of adult Sanrio Characters aprons exclusively through its official online store. Prices were 2,189 yen each for sizes M–L and 3L–4L, and 2,420 yen each (tax included) for sizes 5L–6L. The aprons were designed with side buttons so they can easily be slipped on over the head (Inside (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Shimamura deserves credit for preparing sizes all the way up to 5L–6L. Character apparel often suffers from a narrow size range, leaving out fans who want to wear the items but cannot find their size. Body type has nothing to do with being a fan. Expanding the size range directly expands the circle of fans who can purchase and enjoy the merchandise.

Repeat-Visit Design

• FamilyMart staggered Jujutsu Kaisen giveaways by one week across roughly 16,400 stores
• Coco's split its Uma Musume menu and 20 clear cards across four two-week waves
• Gyu-Kaku set tiered app rewards at 20, 40, and 80 points (requiring 4,000 yen at 2% return for the top tier)

Access and Fairness Design

• FamilyMart added limited-edition bags to hot counter skewers to encourage impulse add-on purchases
• Mos Burger capped My Melody and Kuromi mascot sets at two per variety per person
• Shimamura offered 15 Sanrio adult aprons in inclusive sizes ranging from M–L up to 5L–6L

Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article

Ads That Step into Fan Culture and Ads That Communicate Through Craft

McDonald’s x Touhou Project — A Shadow-Art Video With 14.339 Million Post Views on X

On January 13, McDonald’s Japan posted a video titled “Black Pepper!! PV” on X, paying homage to the shadow-art music video for the Touhou Project derivative fan song “Bad Apple!! feat. nomico.” Built around the limited-time menu item “Spicy Chicken McNuggets Black Pepper Garlic,” the video reconstructed the famous shadow-art sequence. Within roughly 19 hours of posting, the post recorded approximately 14.339 million views on X and over 2,000 comments. In its post, McDonald’s explicitly expressed its gratitude to original composer ZUN, arranger Masayoshi Minoshima, vocalist nomico, and animator Yasuda Gensho (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

The company had also recently released an “Ionazun (Kaboom) Job Interview” video for its Dragon Quest collaboration, continuing a string of campaigns that tap into internet subculture memories.

The Oshi Lab Note: What matters most here is that when McDonald’s used a fan-made derivative song, it explicitly credited the original creator, the arranger, the vocalist, and the video artist. When a corporation steps into derivative fan works (nijisousaku) culture, the way it shows respect becomes the message itself. Reactions from users saying things like “They finally summoned a legend from the golden age of Nico Nico Douga” show that the community welcomed how McDonald’s handled the tribute.

ECC x Shohei Ohtani — “Teacher Ohtani” in Glasses

Starting January 5, language school operator ECC began airing three new commercials starring baseball player Shohei Ohtani: “ECC Foreign Language Institute / Let’s Move Forward Together,” “ECC Junior / Teach Us, Ohtani-san,” and “ECC Senior / Let’s Move Forward Together.” In the “Teach Us, Ohtani-san” spot, Ohtani appeared wearing glasses for the first time. Cast as “Teacher Ohtani” answering children’s questions, the commercial highlights not only English proficiency itself, but also the added value of gaining “the confidence to speak in front of others.” According to the company, following the announcement of Ohtani’s brand ambassadorship in February 2024, internal surveys showed a major jump in unaided awareness for ECC, expanding recognition among demographics with whom the brand previously had no contact (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: It is refreshing to see a company evaluate an ambassador campaign not just by saying “brand awareness went up,” but by discussing behavioral metrics like actual visits to school branches. ECC connects Ohtani’s personal image as someone who keeps taking on new challenges directly to its message of encouraging learners. It is a strong example of keeping the reason for casting talent and the metrics used to verify results consistently aligned.

Lotte x Kyo Suki, Meiji Milk Chocolate’s 100th Anniversary, and Morinaga Ramune

Starting January 5, Lotte released a web commercial titled “Team Doting Boyfriends’ Valentine Operation” in collaboration with the ABEMA romance reality show Kyo, Suki ni Narimashita. (Today, I Fell in Love.). Featuring three “doting boyfriends” from three couples formed on the show, the video follows them making handmade treats with Ghana Chocolate to give as a surprise (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, counting down to the 100th anniversary of “Meiji Milk Chocolate,” Meiji has been releasing its “Melody of meiji” video series on the 13th of every month, featuring 12 musical acts passing the baton to sing the classic “Meiji Chocolate Theme.” It was announced that Kocchi no Kento appeared on January 13, while Chisato Moritaka would appear on February 13—marking her first collaboration with Meiji Milk Chocolate in roughly 29 years (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)). As the fourth installment of its campaign cheering on students taking entrance exams, Morinaga & Co. released a stop-motion animation on January 9. Five art university students spent a combined total of 330 hours hand-drawing illustrations across both sides (664 surfaces in total) of 332 large-sized Ramune candy tablets measuring just 13 millimeters in diameter (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Morinaga Ramune’s concept—drawing the exam-taking daughter on the front of the candy tablet and her parents quietly supporting her behind the scenes on the back—is brilliant. Last year the brand created a massive artwork by lining up roughly 40,000 pieces of candy; this year it went to the opposite extreme of microscopic 13-millimeter canvases. Even within the same strategy of “putting in painstaking effort,” the scale moved in the exact opposite direction. For products where visible dedication itself becomes the emotional message, this is a highly effective approach.

Building Reasons to Visit Again Into Stores and Theme Parks

Chiikawa Restaurant Okinawa and USJ x Jujutsu Kaisen

The second location of “Chiikawa Restaurant” was announced to open at Okinawa PARCO CITY on February 13, 2026. The announced menu featured eight standard grand menu items alongside six Okinawa-exclusive items, such as “Sunburned Shisa’s Taco Rice” and a “Snorkel Cream Soda.” Announced operating hours were 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with an advance reservation priority system (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, Universal Studios Japan (USJ) announced that it will run a Jujutsu Kaisen collaboration from January 30 to August 18 as part of “Universal Cool Japan 2026.” The brand-new limited-time attraction is titled Jujutsu Kaisen: The Real 4-D — The Turning Clock Tower. In addition, the story coaster ride was designed with different narratives split between Wave 1 and Wave 2 (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Opening the second location of a collaboration cafe in Okinawa rather than Tokyo is a fascinating strategic choice. Because there are six Okinawa-exclusive menu items, existing fans who have already visited the first location now have a clear reason to travel all the way to Okinawa. USJ splitting its nearly seven-month run into Wave 1 and Wave 2 follows the exact same logic. Both experiences build in a “reason to come back again” right from the start.

RE.UNIQLO STUDIO x Disney — Making Clothing Your Own for 1,000 Yen

Starting January 9, Uniqlo launched a Disney embroidery service through “RE.UNIQLO STUDIO,” its repair and remake customization counter. Available at 18 stores across Japan, the service costs 1,000 yen per embroidered motif. Customers can choose from eight designs, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck. A standout feature of the service is that embroidery can also be added to Uniqlo garments that customers bought in the past (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Allowing customers to add character motifs to clothes they already own is a fresh approach. Rather than selling brand-new collaboration apparel, this service turns garments already hanging in a fan’s closet into personalized oshi gear. It pairs naturally with DIY fan cultures like assembling an ita-bag (a bag decorated with badges and merch). Moreover, at a price point of 1,000 yen, it encourages shoppers to keep wearing their clothes rather than throwing them away—answering both sustainability goals and fan psychology at once.

VTuber Businesses Expanded Into Mobile Games, Major Events, and Overseas Markets

hololive’s First Official Mobile Game, hololive Dreams

Cover Corporation and QualiArts announced hololive Dreams, the first official mobile rhythm game for hololive, which the two companies are jointly developing. More than 50 talents appear in the game, with two solo songs prepared for each talent and an initial lineup of over 150 tracks. Free-to-play, the game allows players to tap along with official music videos and live concert footage playing in the background. It also includes a “Create Beatmap” feature that lets players design their own rhythm charts. The two companies are aiming for a simultaneous global release. They announced plans to stream an official program at the end of February 2026, followed by a special exhibition at an event at Makuhari Messe from March 6 to March 8 (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: Launching with more than 150 songs right out of the gate is only possible because of the deep catalog of music assets hololive has built up over the years. The feature worth watching most closely is “Create Beatmap.” When fans can build and share their own charts, players can keep enjoying the game even without the operating team constantly supplying new content. Designing a system where fan creativity sits outside ongoing operating costs is a valuable reference point for any company planning long-term live service operations.

Nijisanji Fes 2026 — Introducing Sony’s Glasses-Free 3D Display

“Nijisanji Fes 2026” was scheduled to be held by ANYCOLOR at Makuhari Messe on May 16 and 17, 2026. Inside the “Audio-Visual Room” booth—where attendees would be able to talk one-on-one with Nijisanji Livers—the company announced a brand-new “Stereoscopic 3D” corner. The planned setup would use a large-scale model of Sony’s Spatial Reality Display that is not commercially sold and of which only a handful of units exist in the entire world. Visitors would be able to view three-dimensional visuals without putting on a dedicated VR headset. Because the system relies on eye-tracking technology, the announcement specified that items blocking eye detection, such as sunglasses, could not be worn (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: ANYCOLOR plans to bring in hardware of which only a few units exist worldwide just for a single booth corner at a fan festival. That investment decision shows just how seriously companies are committing resources to fan businesses right now. Eliminating the headset is equally important: simply removing the hassle of strapping on equipment and any hygiene concerns makes the experience far more approachable for attendees.

b.stage — A “Superfan Economy” With 1 Million Paid Subscribers and 80 Billion Won in GMV

bemyfriends, the company operating the global fandom platform “b.stage,” announced that in December 2025 it surpassed 1 million monthly active paid subscribers and 5.5 million cumulative members. Total annual transaction volume for 2025 exceeded 80 billion won, and roughly 70% of users came from outside South Korea. To date, the company has built more than 350 fan platforms and collaborated with over 1,000 artists. This growth was fueled by the launch of fan platforms for major acts and properties including G-DRAGON, Son Heung-min, and Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).

CEO Seo Woo-seok stated that the results “demonstrated that the superfan business model works in practice in the global market.” For 2026, the company said it plans to expand its business beyond K-pop into other industries.

The Oshi Lab Note: The core strength of b.stage is that it consolidates membership subscriptions, two-way communication, e-commerce, data analytics, and advertising into a single unified foundation. When fan clubs, online stores, and social media accounts are scattered across separate services, a company cannot see who is supporting the IP or to what extent. If you want to seriously grow a fan business, you first need to build an environment where data connects across every touchpoint.

14.339M

Post views in roughly 19 hours for McDonald’s Japan’s Touhou Project homage video on X

150+

Initial songs in hololive’s first official mobile rhythm game, featuring 50+ talents

80B Won

2025 annual transaction volume on b.stage, with 1M monthly active paid subscribers and ~70% overseas users

3x

Production capacity increase since launch for Even Realities’ Even G2 smart glasses

Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of reported figures in the article

Kizuna AI x Fortnite — The First VTuber Skin in Fortnite History

VTuber Kizuna AI made her debut in Epic Games’ Fortnite Festival as the first VTuber skin in Fortnite history. The collaboration skin and music tracks were announced for release on January 16 local time (January 17 Japan time), with the skin also usable in the main Battle Royale mode. In an early-access tournament held on January 14 Japan time, players placing from 1st to 250th in the Asia region were eligible to receive the outfit and the “Kizuna AI’s Wings” back bling (Game*Spark (in Japanese), AppBank (in Japanese), Denfaminicogamer (in Japanese)).

The Oshi Lab Note: The fact that one of the world’s largest gaming platforms selected Kizuna AI as its very first VTuber carries real weight. VTubers have moved beyond being a domestic Japanese subculture to being treated as global IP on the world stage. This is likely to become a key reference case for IP holders looking to expand overseas.

Why the Top-Selling Store for a Camera-Free Device Is in Japan

Even Realities — A Design Usable at Live Venues and Tripled Production Capacity

Will Wang, CEO of Even Realities, spoke with Mogura VR in an interview at CES 2026. Discussing the “Even G2” smart glasses announced in November 2025, Wang stated clearly: “Right now, our top-selling retail store is located in Japan.” In Japan, the glasses are carried by JUN GINZA and the JUN GINZA Hilton Plaza Nagoya store, priced at 99,800 yen (tax included). Wang noted, “Because orders are growing at a pace far exceeding our expectations, we have already tripled our production capacity compared to when we launched.” He added that the company expects to clear most of its order backlog by the end of January 2026 (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).

Wang positioned the Even G2 as being geared “Toward professional businesspeople rather than for everyone just yet,” and also shared that the company has already begun work on its next model, the G3.

The Oshi Lab Note: It was genuinely surprising to learn that the single top-selling store in the world for a nearly 100,000-yen pair of smart glasses is an eyewear shop in Japan. As we noted in our previous issue, the Even G2 does not have a built-in camera. A design that avoids concerns about a built-in camera may have been well received among privacy-conscious consumers in Japan. For companies looking to bring smart devices into spaces where fans gather, this sales trend holds an important lesson.

Editorial Reflections on the Week

What made us think the most this week was the question of etiquette—how companies choose to enter fan cultures.

In its Touhou Project homage video, McDonald’s named and thanked everyone from the original creator to the video animator. Instead of selling brand-new collaboration apparel, Uniqlo started a service that adds embroidery to clothes customers already own for 1,000 yen. Shimamura prepared sizes all the way up to 5L–6L. Every single one of these moves was tailored to the cultures and real-life needs that already exist on the fans’ side.

At the same time, looking at FamilyMart’s roughly 16,400 stores, USJ’s nearly seven-month campaign period, and Nijisanji Fes bringing in a display of which only a few units exist in the world, the scale of corporate investment is clearly growing larger. Our impression from this week is that the strongest campaigns were those that combined deep commitment with genuine respect for the community.

Which community is your company stepping into, and what kind of face are you showing when you enter? We encourage you to look back at this week’s developments alongside our guides on Oshikatsu Marketing Design Principles and Fan Marketing.

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Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a weekly roundup of the intersection between oshikatsu and business. You can browse past issues in the Oshikatsu x News category.