A Venue for 290 Non-Game Days & Watanabe Pipe's First TV Ad [Weekly Oshikatsu News: March 20, 2026]
Here is our roundup of notable corporate oshikatsu (fan-activity) marketing and fan business news from the week of March 13 to March 19, 2026.
This Week’s Highlights
The defining theme of this week was how to fill the days when peak fan excitement isn’t happening.
On March 19, an eight-company group including Mitsui Fudosan opened BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai on a site adjacent to Yokohama Stadium. Tomoko Namba, Chairman of DeNA, pointed out that Yokohama Stadium hosts official baseball games on only about 70 days a year. With that in mind, she noted that “there are 290 days without a game.” The former Yokohama City Hall building has been converted into a Hoshino Resorts hotel, and the complex also houses a permanent live-viewing arena.
In the advertising world, Watanabe Pipe, a specialized trading company dealing in water supply and housing equipment, aired the first television commercial in its history since its founding during World Baseball Classic (WBC) broadcast slots. The commercial generated lively conversation on social media. Its primary goal is to strengthen new graduate recruitment.
Designing Facilities Around How to Fill the Days When Peak Excitement Isn’t Happening
BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai — Roughly 130,000 Square Meters Built for the “290 Days Without a Game”
On March 19, an eight-company consortium led by Mitsui Fudosan opened the mixed-use complex BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai on the former site of Yokohama City Hall right in front of Kannai Station in Yokohama. The development spans a total scale of approximately 130,000 square meters. The former Yokohama City Hall administrative building was transformed into “OMO7 Yokohama by Hoshino Resorts” (which was scheduled to open on April 21). In addition, the complex houses “THE LIVE,” a permanent live-viewing arena operated by DeNA; “Wonderia Yokohama,” an immersive experience facility; a new industry creation hub; offices; and commercial retail spaces. The eight participating companies are Kajima Corporation, Keikyu Corporation, The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Takenaka Corporation, DeNA, Tokyu Corporation, Hoshino Resorts, and Mitsui Fudosan (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
DeNA Chairman Tomoko Namba remarked that “there are 290 days without a game,” expressing her desire to offer a wide range of visitors “new experiences that make this place a destination in its own right.” Yoshiharu Hoshino, CEO of Hoshino Resorts, commented on repurposing the former city hall building by saying, “Tearing it down and building something brand-new would be easy, but this is a project that creates historical value.”
The Oshi Lab Note: In a location that traditionally depends on roughly 70 game days a year, framing the core challenge around how to use the remaining 290 days is an outstanding approach. In our January 2 issue, we covered how Yurakucho Marui turned its eighth floor into a dedicated event floor. Even at destinations where fans gather in droves, there are inevitably times when crowds aren’t coming together. Whether a business can design for how those off-peak hours and days are used makes a massive difference in a facility’s overall utilization rate.
- 290 days
- Days per year without an official baseball game at Yokohama Stadium (vs. roughly 70 game days)
- ~130,000 sq m
- Total development scale of the BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai mixed-use complex by eight companies
- ~300 seats
- Bench capacity built with local Nishikawa timber inside Moominvalley Park's all-weather Emma's Theatre
Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the article
Moominvalley Park — Bringing 3D Audio to a 300-Seat All-Weather Theater
Moominvalley Park in Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture, renovated its in-park “Emma’s Theatre” into an all-weather theater. Emma’s Theatre reopened following its renovation on March 14, 2026. The theater features a polygonal tent structure standing 10 meters high with a maximum width of 30 meters. It is equipped with a 4-by-7-meter LED screen and benches seating approximately 300 people crafted from Nishikawa timber locally sourced from Hanno City. Its “XR Sound Experience,” provided by SoVeC, uses a system in which sounds generated in real time by the interactive sound engine “VAUD” are controlled by Sony’s 3D audio player (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Converting the space into an all-weather venue is the most significant investment decision here. Outdoor facilities see wide swings in attendance depending on the weather, but putting a roof overhead makes visitor numbers much easier to forecast. Even better, the benches use locally sourced timber. Combining an investment in show production with local community relationship-building within the exact same piece of equipment is a very smart execution.
A First-Ever Commercial Made for Recruiting Sparked Unexpected Buzz
Watanabe Pipe — Airing Its First TV Commercial Since Its Founding During WBC Broadcasts
Watanabe Pipe, a specialized trading company dealing in water supply, housing equipment, electrical construction materials, and civil engineering materials, began broadcasting the first nationwide television commercial in its history on February 27. The commercial consists of two versions—“Susume” (“March Forward”) and “Genba no Saizensen” (“The Front Lines of the Job Site”)—featuring the comedy duo Audrey dressed in bagpiper outfits marching through the company’s work sites. In addition to buying ad slots during WBC-related programming on TBS, the company also ran the ads on Netflix. From March 2 to March 16, it also rolled out outdoor advertisements at Otori Station (Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture), Wakabayashi Station (Setagaya Ward, Tokyo), and Kasuga Station (Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo). The primary objective is strengthening new graduate recruitment for the 2027 hiring class (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
On social media, posts such as “I keep seeing the Watanabe Pipe commercial while watching the WBC” and “I got curious and looked them up” spread widely. Yusuke Noro, Group Leader of the Public Relations and President’s Office Group, stated, “We anticipated a certain level of response, but we received an even bigger reaction than expected.”
The Oshi Lab Note: A business-to-business (B2B) specialized trading company used the broadcast slots of an international tournament to expand its public recognition. On top of that, it placed outdoor ads at three train stations named after the comedy duo (“Audrey” / Otori) and its two members’ surnames (Wakabayashi and Kasuga). Spotting room to be playful with the company’s own name (“Pipe” paired with bagpipers) and following through on that decision paid off. As a recruitment PR campaign for a B2B company, this serves as a great reference case.
Pocari Sweat × Aonishiki — Overlapping a Sumo Wrestler’s Practice With “Sweat”
On March 6, Otsuka Pharmaceutical released a new 15-second Pocari Sweat commercial titled “Takusan Sweat Kakimashita” (“I Worked Up a Lot of Sweat”), marking the first commercial appearance by grand sumo wrestler Aonishiki. Created as a special edition of the “Pocari, Nomanakya.” (“Gotta Drink Pocari.”) campaign series, the spot connects the sweat shed during daily sumo practice with replenishing water and electrolytes. Aonishiki was also slated to appear in the 25th installment of the main commercial series scheduled for release in April (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).
Maiko Ota, who was in charge of planning the campaign, explained: “The English word ‘sweat’ means perspiration. Aonishiki sweats a great deal during his daily training.”
The Oshi Lab Note: Otsuka Pharmaceutical tied part of its own product name—“Sweat”—directly to the everyday routine of the talent it cast. Just like Watanabe Pipe in the previous item, the spark for the campaign concept was hiding right inside the company’s own name. Reinterpreting an asset you already own can be brought to life faster—and made much easier for audiences to remember—than inventing a brand-new premise from scratch.
Eren the Southpaw — Calling the Anime Adaptation “The First Signal Fire”
On March 15, a stage greeting celebrating the advance screening of the television anime Eren the Southpaw (Hidarikiki no Eren) was held, with original creator Kappy taking the stage. The series had reached approximately 250 million cumulative page views, roughly 4.1 million copies in circulation, and its 10th year since serialization began. It was announced that during a limited one-week advance theatrical screening starting March 27, theatergoers would receive a 58-page bonus booklet containing a newly written and illustrated prequel by Kappy. The television broadcast was set to begin late at night on April 7 (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Kappy looked back and admitted, “I had come to feel that once the anime adaptation happened, Eren the Southpaw would be finished.” However, after seeing the completed anime, Kappy had a change of heart—“If I quit after this, the anime will end up becoming the definitive version of the work”—and described the anime adaptation as “the first signal fire.”
The Oshi Lab Note: Regarding the decision to attach a 58-page bonus booklet to the advance screening, Kappy noted, “I felt that asking people to come watch three episodes together in a theater is, if anything, for our own convenience on the production side.” That refusal to make fans bear the burden of the creators’ convenience shows up directly in the thickness of the bonus booklet. It feels like a genuinely sincere way to build opening momentum.
Convenience Stores and Bathhouse Chains Moved in Sync With Anniversaries and New Series
FamilyMart × Umamusume — Celebrating the 5th Anniversary Across Roughly 16,400 Stores
Starting March 15, FamilyMart rolled out the campaign “Celebrate at Famima! Umamusume 5th Anniversary!” across approximately 16,400 stores nationwide. The promotion commemorated the fifth anniversary of the release of Umamusume: Pretty Derby. It featured five collaborative food and drink items, including “Hachimi Drink” and “Tracen Academy Honey Bread.” For every two eligible items purchased, customers received one A4 magic clear file starting March 15. Distribution of one tin badge from four designs was announced for March 24, with both offers subject to availability. Meanwhile, a stamp rally on the FamiPay app entered shoppers into a lottery to win prizes such as a special-edition set of seven “Chibi Nui Sitting Mascot” plushes (Pouch (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: FamilyMart split its giveaway items into two phases on March 15 and March 24. On top of that, it layered multiple ways to participate: FamiPay stamps, Famima Print on-demand prints, and Ichiban Kuji prize lotteries. This is the exact same structural design as the FamilyMart × Jujutsu Kaisen campaign we covered in our January 16 issue. The company is repeating the same framework with different intellectual properties (IPs). Precisely because it doesn’t rebuild the underlying structure from scratch every single time, it can increase the total number of campaigns it runs.
Gokurakuyu × Bungo Stray Dogs — A Third Collaboration Across 10 Locations
The Gokurakuyu and RAKU SPA bathhouse group held its third collaboration with the anime Bungo Stray Dogs, titled “Welcome to the Bathhouse Hunting Dogs Rest Arc.” The event ran from April 2 to April 27, 2026, across 10 locations. For this third installment, guests who added the “Hunting Dogs Rest Arc Towel Set” to their admission fee received one random muffler towel out of six designs. The venues also prepared five types of themed collaboration baths. Related books in the franchise had surpassed 17 million cumulative copies in circulation (Nijimen (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Gokurakuyu adjusts the scale of its rollouts—running across 19 locations for the Puella Magi Madoka Magica collaboration we covered in our January 2 issue, compared to 10 locations this time. Because the geographic distribution of fans differs from title to title, choosing not to run every campaign uniformly across all stores is a rational decision. Being able to keep the same operational playbook while flexing only the number of participating locations is a major strength for multi-store operators.
Licca-chan × The Strings Omotesando — A 6,000-Yen Weekday Afternoon Tea
Takara Tomy’s dress-up doll “Licca-chan” and the cafe at The Strings Omotesando collaborated from April 21 to June 22, 2026. Built around the concept of “Sweet Picnic,” the afternoon tea was priced at 6,000 yen on weekdays and 6,500 yen on weekends and holidays (tax and service charge included). A guaranteed “Special Decoration Seat” plan limited to six terrace seats cost 10,000 yen on weekdays and 10,500 yen on weekends and holidays, and included the loan of a Licca-chan doll for photography. A collaboration-exclusive “Strings Licca-chan” also made an appearance, and starting May 26, select menu items switched to a pistachio green theme (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Loaning out dolls specifically for photo shoots is the single detail that defines the value of this plan. Because guests cannot take the loaned dolls home, it doesn’t translate directly into a doll purchase on the spot—but the photos remain. When a venue sets up the exact scene that fans want to photograph, those photos automatically become word-of-mouth advertising. This follows the same thinking as Sanrio Puroland’s “Oshi-Color Character Room” covered in our January 9 issue.
- 01Year-Round Destination Design (BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai)Adding hotels, immersive attractions, and live viewing for the 290 days without stadium games
- 02Staggered Two-Phase Giveaways (FamilyMart × Umamusume)Splitting bonus items between March 15 and March 24 across roughly 16,400 stores
- 03Monthly Subscription Delivery (Felissimo × The Apothecary Diaries)Sending one collaborative lifestyle item per month to create automatic recurring touchpoints
- 04Six-Day Teaser Rollout (VTuber Project 'Cellmates')Revealing one member per day from March 13 to 18 to spark conversation and reach 98,000 followers
Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the article
Apparel and Lifestyle Goods Showed Their Seriousness in Their Own Ways
ALPHA INDUSTRIES × Char’s Counterattack, Chiikawa × Robert P. Miller
STRICT-G, the apparel brand planned by Bandai, opened pre-orders for a collaborative flight jacket between ALPHA INDUSTRIES and Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack. The price is 46,200 yen (tax included). The navy body features Amuro Ray’s personal emblem alongside the Earth Federation Forces emblem, and each jacket purchased came with a newly illustrated acrylic stand (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, on March 19, collaborative T-shirts and other apparel pairing Chiikawa with Robert P. Miller and Talking Heads went on sale. The items were carried at 14 Chiikawa Land stores and other retailers (Inside (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: STRICT-G bundled an acrylic stand with a 46,200-yen flight jacket. At that price point, a bonus novelty item wouldn’t normally be needed to close a sale, yet including one anyway shows a deep understanding of fan psychology. The more expensive an item is, the more strongly fans want to keep tangible “proof of purchase.” This is a point that companies handling high-ticket IP merchandise often overlook.
Felissimo × The Apothecary Diaries — Selling Lifestyle Goods via Monthly Subscription
The online retailer FELISSIMO launched its first line of collaborative lifestyle goods with the television anime The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto). Sold through Felissimo’s signature hanpukai (monthly subscription club) format, the lineup included a “Pop-Up Medicine Box Pouch” designed to organize prescription bags at 3,740 yen per month for one pouch, character-inspired flavored tea at 2,750 yen per month for one set, and jacquard-woven handkerchiefs at 1,320 yen per month for one handkerchief (all prices include tax). Felissimo’s cat-themed sub-brand “Nekobu” (“Cat Club”) also ran a separate collaboration: out of each 3,030-yen charity T-shirt sold, the company allocated 500 yen to the Felissimo Cat Fund (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Felissimo’s defining characteristic lies in its sales model of delivering one item every month. Through this format, a touchpoint with the fan is created automatically once a month. In our January 9 issue, we highlighted how a Lawson × Gakuen Idolmaster campaign scheduled merchandise pickup roughly nine months after purchase. Across the industry, businesses are experimenting with different ways to design purchases so that the relationship doesn’t end the moment the transaction is complete.
In the Virtual Space, Buzz-Building and Acquisitions Moved at the Same Time
Nijisanji-Related Mystery Project “Cellmates” and VESTA’s New Live Event
In March, an X (formerly Twitter) account was launched for a mysterious project called “Cellmates” featuring six VTubers believed to be affiliated with Nijisanji. From March 13 to March 18, the account revealed one member per day over six days. The six members—Saku Sasaki, Touya Kenmochi, Yuika Shiina, Sho Hoshirube, Mito Tsukino, and Kuzuha—were each presented with an “imprisoned” character setting. Even though there had been no official announcement at the time the source article was published, the account’s follower count reached 98,000 (Mogura VR (in Japanese)). Elsewhere, the virtual creator support team VESTA announced that it would hold the VTuber live event “Vacha-Sute! -Virtual Stage Vol.0-” in Shibuya on May 23. Nine acts focusing primarily on music activities were announced as performers (PANORA (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: The project’s X account took six days to reveal its lineup one person at a time, gathering 98,000 followers before any official announcement was even made. Releasing information in small increments and making people wait is a classic technique, but during that waiting period, conversations naturally spring up among fans. How an announcement is paced and designed shapes the final result just as much as the project itself.
Blippar × Plattar — An AR Company Acquires an AR Commerce Platform
On March 12, the augmented reality (AR) and spatial computing company Blippar announced that it had acquired Plattar. Based in Australia and New Zealand, Plattar is a 3D product configuration and AR commerce platform. The company has an established track record across retail, real estate, manufacturing, and e-commerce, and Blippar explained that Plattar is a profitable business. Following the acquisition, Plattar continued operating as a wholly owned subsidiary with no changes to services for existing clients. Over the preceding year, Blippar had also established a new development hub in Bengaluru and a new global headquarters in London (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: We covered Epic Games × Meshcapade in our February 27 issue and ClaN Entertainment’s fundraising in our February 6 issue. Viewed alongside those moves, the XR (extended reality) sector has entered a phase where companies assemble capabilities through acquisitions and partnerships rather than building everything in-house. For businesses that do not have proprietary technology of their own, finding the right partner to team up with is now the faster route in this field.
This Week’s Takeaway
The most thought-provoking line of the week was DeNA Chairman Tomoko Namba’s remark: “There are 290 days without a game.”
In the fan business, attention naturally gravitates toward moments of peak excitement—concerts, games, theatrical release dates, and product launch days. Yet many times more hours and days pass by as ordinary days when nothing special is happening. BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai is a facility explicitly designed to turn those 290 non-game days into a business.
That exact same underlying structure appeared across this week’s other news stories as well. Whether it was Felissimo using a monthly subscription model that delivers once a month, FamilyMart splitting its giveaway items into two waves, or “Cellmates” rolling out its member reveals over six days, every one of these is an effort to solve how to sustain engagement in the intervals between major events.
How many days currently pass between your company’s touchpoints with its fans? Take a look at this week’s developments alongside our guides on Oshikatsu Marketing Design Principles and Planning Oshikatsu Events.
Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a weekly roundup of the intersection between oshikatsu and business. You can browse past issues in our Oshikatsu × News category.
