Imperial Theatre Furniture & Fujiya’s New Characters: Weekly Oshikatsu News (Jan 23, 2026)
Here is our roundup of standout corporate oshikatsu (fan-activity) marketing and fan-business news from the week of January 16 to January 22, 2026.
This Week’s Highlights
The defining theme of this week was putting a fresh price tag on things that were meant to be thrown away and things that had been forgotten.
Toho and Karimoku Furniture launched the “Teigeki Premium Remake” collection, transforming building materials and fixtures from the temporarily closed Imperial Theatre (Teikoku Gekijo, often abbreviated as Teigeki) into furniture and merchandise. Six creators participated in the collection, producing a total of 30 items. Within Toho’s Theatrical Division, an “IP Strategy Office” had been established back in June 2022, designed to build revenue schemes separate from ticketed stage performances.
Meanwhile, Fujiya added five new characters for the first time in roughly 30 years, and Takara Tomy announced a reissue of its “1/1 Scale Pikachu Plush,” which launched in 1997 and shipped roughly 450,000 units. Across the board this week, we saw overlapping moves where companies reorganized assets they already held on hand into forms that sell today.
Existing Assets Given New Price Tags
- Toho x Karimoku FurnitureRebuilt Imperial Theatre materials and fixtures into 30 furniture and goods items
- FujiyaExpanded Peko-chan's 75-year-old world with 5 new characters after roughly 30 years
- Takara TomyReissued the 1997 1/1 Pikachu plush with faithful form and tag design
- Twisted Wonderland ExhibitionRecreated 8 past limited-time game events across 5 physical exhibition areas
Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article
Pricing Retired Materials and Dormant IP Anew
Imperial Theatre Premium Remake — Six Creators Turn Theater Fixtures into Furniture
As part of the Imperial Theatre’s closing project, the “Teigeki Legacy Collection,” Toho and Karimoku Furniture released a line of products remade from the theater’s building materials and fixtures on January 17. Six creators and brands took part: Yuma Kano, Yoh Komiyama, SAKUMAESHIMA, Hisakazu Shimizu, Hightide, and Sae Honda. The lineup spans 30 items in total, ranging from chairs and other furniture to jigsaw puzzles, keychains, ballpoint pens, and book covers. Sales ran through March 1 on “ZOZOVILLA” inside ZOZOTOWN, accompanied by a launch exhibition held through February 14 at the KARIMOKU RESEARCH CENTER in Nishi-Azabu (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Hideaki Hatano of Toho’s Theatrical Division IP Strategy Office explained the background: “It all started about three and a half years ago, around June 2022, when a department called the IP Strategy Office was launched within our Theatrical Division to explore revenue schemes separate from regular theatrical productions.”
Lab Note: Scrap material generated when a building is demolished is, to fans, the physical embodiment of their memories. Toho recognized that value, established a dedicated department, and spent three and a half years turning those materials into commercial products. Among the items a company plans to discard, there may well be things that fans would gladly pay to own. That is a perspective worth considering every time a business closes a store, relocates, or updates its facilities.
Fujiya — Expanding Its World with Five New Members After Roughly 30 Years
On January 9, Fujiya unveiled five new characters under the banner “Peko-chan, Poko-chan, and Their Merry Friends.” This marks the brand’s first new additions in roughly 30 years, since the puppy character “Dog” joined the lineup in 1995. Each new character symbolizes specific values: Nekonyan (a cat) represents “being yourself,” Usagi-chan (a rabbit) represents “kindness” and “sensitivity,” Kamekichi (a turtle) represents “effort” and “reassurance,” Kotori-chan (a little bird) represents “dreams” and “hope,” and Hamu-o (a hamster) represents “brightness” and “approachability.” Peko-chan originally debuted in 1950 as a storefront figure before appearing on “Milky” candy packaging in 1951 (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Natsuki Miyanaga of Fujiya’s Public Relations Office explained, “The year 2025 was also a milestone year marking the 75th anniversary of Peko-chan’s birth and the 30th anniversary of Dog’s birth, and this initiative was timed to match that occasion.”
Lab Note: Fujiya has explicitly articulated the core values that each character symbolizes. Simply adding more visual designs dilutes a brand’s world, whereas giving each character a distinct role generates stories. The stated goal—“sharing their appeal with the world”—is equally clear, reflecting a deliberate intention to nurture domestically beloved characters into globally oriented IP.
Takara Tomy — Reissuing the 1997 Pikachu Plush That Shipped Roughly 450,000 Units
Takara Tomy released the “Pokémon 30th Anniversary: Welcome Back! 1/1 Scale Pikachu” on February 28 for 7,480 yen (tax included). It is a reissue of the “Pokémon 1/1 Scale Pikachu Plush” that originally launched in 1997 and shipped roughly 450,000 units. Both the body silhouette and the tag design were recreated to closely match the original 1997 release, standing approximately 40 centimeters tall. Alongside it, “Palm-Sized Pikachu Pokefuwa”—which plays 25 voice patterns and lights up its cheeks when petted or rocked—also launched at 2,200 yen. In addition, the company announced the “Takara Tomy Pokémon 30th POP-UP PARK” at Tobu Department Store’s Ikebukuro flagship from March 5 to March 11 (Inside (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: Takara Tomy is bringing back a 30-year-old product by reproducing everything down to its period-authentic silhouette and tag. When a company goes to those lengths, the product never clashes with buyers’ memories. If a nostalgia product is half-heartedly modernized, buyers look at it and think, “This isn’t the one I remember.” The outcome of any reissue hinges on whether it is crafted to match the fine grain of memory held by people who knew the original.
Advertising Campaigns Built Around What the Talent Actually Loves
Mercari x Daisuke Sakuma — A 15-Second Spot Showing Even a “Single Earbud” Can Sell
On January 10, Mercari began airing a new 15-second television commercial titled “Mini-Meru Appears,” starring Daisuke Sakuma. In the spot, a character in a red hood called the “Mercari Recommendation Brother” emerges from a closet while his fingertip sidekick, “Mini-Meru,” pipes up to say, “What a waste, Meru!” Sakuma plays both roles himself. The commercial highlights how even unexpected items—such as a “single earbud” or a “mystery screw”—have the potential to sell on the marketplace, timed to capture listing demand ahead of the spring moving and new-life season (Mercari (in Japanese)).
Speaking on the casting decision, Mercari’s Kaori Yamagishi noted, “Because Mr. Sakuma himself is someone with deep passions for things like anime and manga, we felt he had a remarkably high affinity with Mercari.”
Lab Note: The casting rationale rests not on sheer celebrity name recognition, but on the fact that the talent himself has things he genuinely loves. Because someone who treasures objects is the one suggesting how to pass them on, the commercial carries real persuasive weight. Just like the ECC x Shohei Ohtani campaign we covered in last week’s issue, alignment between a talent’s personal character and a service’s core values is increasingly becoming the decisive factor in casting.
Haruyama x FRUITS ZIPPER — Rolling Out Seven Different Ads to Match Milestones of the Exam Season
Haruyama Trading sequentially released a seven-part series of vertical web commercials featuring idol group FRUITS ZIPPER, titled the “Praised Moments” series, starting December 19, 2025. Rolled out in stages through February 27, each installment was timed to a specific seasonal milestone: “Christmas,” “New Year’s Shrine Visit (Hatsumode),” “Common University Entrance Test,” “Entrance Exams,” and “Valentine’s Day.” In the third installment—the “Common University Entrance Test” version released on January 8—member Karen Matsumoto sends viewers an encouraging message: “Right now might be the toughest time of all, but I hope you can keep doing your best without giving up” (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
A project representative noted that the team was mindful that today’s incoming students and new graduates belong to “a generation that spent their teenage years during the COVID-19 pandemic,” and wanted to “boost their self-esteem through affirmation from others.”
Lab Note: Instead of airing a single commercial on repeat, Haruyama Trading tailored and released seven distinct ads matched to the emotional turning points of students preparing for exams. Even when advertising the exact same product, how a viewer receives the message shifts depending on when they see it. Mapping out the target audience’s calendar first—and only then deciding how many creatives to produce—is an approach any company handling seasonal goods can apply.
FamilyMart — A “Marriage Announcement”-Style Post Garners 3.75 Million Views
On January 6, FamilyMart kicked off “FamilyMart’s Strawberry Picking Dressed in White,” a fair featuring 16 strawberry desserts in total. Held annually since 2021, this year’s fair centered on the theme of “White.” As a teaser on January 4, FamilyMart published a post on X styled like a celebrity marriage announcement, complete with a photo of a ring and a formal letter. By January 16, the post had accumulated 3.75 million views and 190 or more comments. Actors Kotaro Yoshida and Rikako Yagi starred in the accompanying television commercial (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The teaser drew amused reactions from users, such as “I thought the person running the account had personal happy news to share” and “Are you getting married (merging) with another company?”
Lab Note: The probability that a corporate account’s post will organically appear in followers’ feeds continues to decline. That is precisely why formatting a post to make people pause and think, “Wait, what is this?” works so well. However, this post succeeded only because the “reveal”—the strawberry fair—was ready waiting behind it. If a company startles people without a satisfying payoff, audiences simply stop trusting its posts the next time around.
Heritage Brands and K-Pop Fandoms Stage Their Own Anniversaries
Piyorin’s 15th Anniversary — Building a Nagoya Station Hub Twice the Size of the Former Shop
Marking the 15th anniversary of Nagoya’s famous chick-shaped pudding tart “Piyorin,” JR Tokai Food Service designated 2026 as the “Piyorin 15th Anniversary Year.” The theme plays on a Japanese pun—Ichigo Ichie-n (combining “15,” strawberry, and ichigo ichie / “once-in-a-lifetime connection”)—with a logo inspired by traditional mizuhiki decorative cord knots. Around June, the company opened a new flagship store, “Piyorin Village,” featuring roughly twice the floor space of the previous shop that closed in August last year. Combining a dine-in cafe with a dedicated retail space, the company announced a lineup of over 100 merchandise items. The first anniversary collaboration, launched alongside the “Toyotomi Museum” that opened on January 24, introduced the themed treats “Toyotomi Piyokichi” and “Toyotomi Piyonaga” (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: A brand that started as a fresh, perishable pastry is now assembling over 100 merchandise items and doubling its store footprint. In any business selling food that disappears once eaten, there is a natural ceiling on repeat purchase frequency. By adding physical goods that stay in fans’ hands and a cafe space where visitors can linger, the company is multiplying its touchpoints with fans. For businesses built around regional specialties, this is a grounded, realistic blueprint for business expansion.
BABYMONSTER x Kuromi — Spanning from a 20,000-Yen Varsity Jacket to 800-Yen Charms
Collaboration merchandise pairing Sanrio’s Kuromi with YG Entertainment’s girl group BABYMONSTER went on sale at 6:00 p.m. on January 21 via the BABYMONSTER ONLINE SHOP. Built around a black-and-red palette, the artwork features Kuromi with the BABYMONSTER mark on her cheek. The product lineup spans a wide price spectrum: from a stadium jumper (varsity jacket) at 20,000 yen and a zip hoodie at 8,500 yen down to blind-draw marker charms and interlocking acrylic charms at 800 yen each (all prices include tax). The partners also announced a physical pop-up shop at Hakata Marui starting February 7 (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), WWDJAPAN (in Japanese), Crank-in! (in Japanese), WEB The Television (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: Packing a 25-fold price spread—from 800 yen to 20,000 yen—into a single collaboration is the defining feature here. Whether a fan wants to buy the entire collection or just pick up a single keepsake, there is an item within reach. Placing blind-draw random goods in the affordable tier while positioning guaranteed, non-random items at the high end is a helpful structural model for companies looking to segment the buying experience.
Sumikko Gurashi x Komeda’s Coffee, and Gintama x Yamada Denki
On January 24, San-X launched a line of Sumikko Gurashi merchandise at Loft stores, depicting the characters in front of signature menu items from the cafe chain Komeda’s Coffee. While the lineup included mini towels at 935 yen and collectible plushies at 2,860 yen each (tax included), the items were not sold at Komeda’s Coffee locations (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), San-X (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, electronics retailer Yamada Denki ran a campaign with the anime Gintama from January 17 to February 13. At 41 participating stores, shoppers spending 2,000 yen or more received limited novelty gifts while supplies lasted. The company also announced a lottery for 100 customers spending 15,000 yen or more, with a staff-style jacket, card holder, and neck strap as prizes; both spending thresholds include tax. Original in-store audio announcements voiced by the three members of the Yorozuya (“Odd Jobs”) trio were also announced for those 41 stores (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), Cho! Animedia (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: San-X borrowed the visual world of Komeda’s Coffee while selling through Loft and San-X’s online store—an example showing that you do not always have to use your collaboration partner’s physical stores as the point of sale. Yamada Denki, on the other hand, leveraged an asset only it possesses: in-store audio broadcasts. In both cases, the boundary between “what we lend from our own assets and what we borrow from our partner” is drawn with crystal clarity.
BABYMONSTER x Kuromi
- Combines YG Entertainment's group with Sanrio's Kuromi design
- Spans a 25x price range from 800-yen blind charms to a 20,000-yen jacket
- Sold via BABYMONSTER ONLINE SHOP and a Hakata Marui pop-up
Sumikko Gurashi x Komeda's Coffee
- Borrows Komeda's Coffee menu motifs for San-X character goods
- Sold through Loft retail stores and San-X's online store rather than inside Komeda's Coffee cafes
- Separates the creative motif partner from the retail distribution channel
Gintama x Yamada Denki
- Offers novelty gifts while supplies last at 41 participating stores for purchases of at least 2,000 yen, and announces a 100-winner lottery for a staff-style jacket, card holder, and neck strap for purchases of at least 15,000 yen (both thresholds include tax)
- Leverages Yamada Denki's proprietary in-store broadcast system
- Announces original voice announcements by the Yorozuya trio at 41 participating stores
Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article
Virtual Spaces Are Becoming Venues for Both Shopping and Art Appreciation
BOOTH Festival VRChat Edition — A Virtual Market Where You Load a Cart and Bag Your Own Goods
Creator marketplace BOOTH hosted the virtual world event “BOOTH Festival VRChat Edition” inside VRChat through January 25. Designed like a fan convention sales floor (sokubaikai), the world allowed visitors to stroll around and browse 3D items actually on sale for VRChat on BOOTH. Inside the venue, a “Cat Cart” (Neko Cart) followed each player around; placing a product onto its flatbed added the item to the user’s cart. When visitors gathered their selections at the bagging area and clicked “Open the contents of the paper bag on BOOTH,” the items populated directly into a BOOTH page on their PC web browser for checkout. Mirrors for trying on avatar items were also installed throughout the space (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: What makes this fascinating is how BOOTH deliberately threw away the frictionless efficiency of e-commerce. Visitors walk around with a cart trailing behind them, pick up items by hand, and pack them into a bag. By working backward, this case vividly demonstrates that those extra physical steps were actually what made shopping fun in the first place. For companies struggling with low browsing and circulation rates on standard e-commerce sites, it offers compelling food for thought on purchase motivations beyond pure convenience.
Tokyo Tower’s “Prado Museum Collection VR Exhibition” — A 45-Minute, 4,000-Yen Location-Based VR Experience
Organized by AquaVision, the “Prado Museum Collection VR Exhibition” ran at Tower Hall A on the first floor of Tokyo Tower from December 23, 2025, through April 12, 2026. Produced with the full cooperation and curatorial supervision of the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, Japan served as the third international stop following Shanghai and Argentina. The total experience lasted roughly 45 minutes, including about 30 minutes inside VR. Wearing PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise headsets, visitors walked freely through a physical floor space measuring roughly 9 meters by 23 meters. Weekday tickets started at 4,000 yen (tax included), and up to four people could enter simultaneously as a single group (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: The source report also candidly points out specific operational hiccups: the lack of locking storage lockers inside the venue, narrow pathways that made it easy to bump into other participants, and display glitches with virtual stone statues likely caused by wireless communication issues. Visitor satisfaction at location-based entertainment venues depends not only on the visual spectacle, but also on unglamorous fundamentals like baggage handling and foot-traffic flow. The fact that Immersive Journey—which we covered in our January 9 issue—drew 120,000 visitors in a year may well come down to differences in this kind of operational design.
Twisted Wonderland Exhibition — Revisiting Eight Limited-Time Game Events Across Five Exhibition Zones
The “Disney Twisted Wonderland Exhibition | Seasonal Memories” was held at Roppongi Museum from March 6 to March 29, 2026, before touring to Nagoya PARCO in Aichi starting April 17 and Hanshin Umeda Main Store in Osaka starting August 19. After welcoming visitors through a physical recreation of the “Ramshackle Dorm” (Onboro Ryo) in the entrance zone, the exhibition showcased eight past limited-time in-game events across five themed exhibition areas. Production reference materials from the anime adaptation—streaming exclusively on Disney+ since October 2025—were also placed on display (Cho! Animedia (in Japanese)).
Lab Note: Once a limited-time event in a live-service game ends, it becomes difficult for players to experience it in its original form again. Translating concluded digital events into a physical exhibition space is a sharp, well-targeted way for game operators to utilize their accumulated IP assets. For fans who missed the events when they originally ran, the exhibition offers a first-time experience; for veterans who played them, it serves as a place to revisit and verify cherished memories. The longer a game title operates, the more past events it accumulates as exhibition-ready assets.
Closing Thoughts for the Week
Looking across all of this week’s news side by side made one lesson clear: there are moments when reassembling what you already have is far more powerful than building something brand new from scratch.
Toho and Karimoku Furniture turned building materials from the demolished Imperial Theatre into furniture. Takara Tomy faithfully reissued a 30-year-old plush toy as it originally stood, and the Twisted Wonderland exhibition transformed concluded in-game events into physical museum displays. Even Fujiya’s brand-new characters carry meaning precisely because they build upon Peko-chan’s 75-year-old world.
How many unpriced assets are sitting inside your own company right now? Past products, concluded events, retired equipment and fixtures, and dormant internal characters all belong in that inventory. What fans perceive as valuable often diverges sharply from what companies assume on their own side of the desk.
Alongside our guide to Oshikatsu Marketing Design Principles, try looking at this week’s developments through the lens of taking inventory of your own company’s hidden assets.
Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a curated weekly roundup of oshikatsu and fan-business developments. Browse past editions anytime in our Oshikatsu x News category.
