Demon Slayer Tops 117.9B Yen Globally & Yokohama Goes All-In on Conan: Weekly Oshikatsu News (April 17, 2026)
Here is our roundup of standout corporate oshikatsu (fan-driven support activities) marketing and fan business news from the week of April 10 to April 16, 2026.
This Week’s Highlights
The defining theme of this week was how fandom numbers showed up in both urban development and the global box office.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Chapter 1 ended its Japanese theatrical run on April 9, except at some theaters. Cumulative worldwide box office revenue, including Japan, reached 117,917,539,329 yen. Domestic box office revenue in Japan also topped 40.2 billion yen, making it only the second Japanese film in history to reach the 40-billion-yen mark. That same week, the City of Yokohama launched a campaign timed to the theatrical release of Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway (Meitantei Konan: Haiwei no Datenshi). It is a public-private “Conan whirlwind” involving roughly 450 stores across the central waterfront district.
There was also notable movement in how corporations engage with sports. Mitsui Fudosan was named the special sponsor for the “TEAM JAPAN Fan Appreciation Parade” held on April 25. Organizers announced that a total of 115 athletes, including medalists from the Milano Cortina Olympic Games, would gather in Nihonbashi for the parade. New consumer data on younger generations also came out: in a survey by ContentAge, over 93% of Gen Alpha and Gen Z respondents said they want to continue buying and using products or brands even after a collaboration with their oshi (favorite idol, character, or creator) ends.
- 117.9B yen
- Worldwide cumulative box office revenue for Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Chapter 1
- Approx. 450 stores
- Shops in Yokohama's central waterfront participating in the Detective Conan campaign
- 115 athletes
- TEAM JAPAN athletes, including Milano Cortina Olympic medalists, announced for the Nihonbashi parade
- Over 93%
- Gen Alpha and Gen Z respondents who want to keep buying brands after an oshi tie-up
Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article
Local Governments Turned City Streets into Lively Hubs with Film and Game IP
City of Yokohama × Detective Conan — Sparking a Public-Private “Conan Whirlwind”
The theatrical film Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway opened nationwide across Japan on April 10. Timed to the release, the City of Yokohama, the Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau, Yokohama Minato Mirai 21, Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, TOHO Marketing, and other partners signed a cooperation agreement. From April 10 through July 31, they rolled out a large-scale collaboration campaign. Major initiatives included the “YOKOHAMA Town Tour Stamp Rally” covering 10 locations across the city, an original sticker giveaway campaign (8 designs in total) with roughly 450 participating shops in the central waterfront area, and a specially designed “Minato Burari Ticket” one-day sightseeing pass priced at 700 yen for adults and 350 yen for children. The giant Ferris wheel Cosmo Clock 21 also ran special illuminations from April 10 to April 19, and fireworks inspired by Detective Conan were launched on April 11 (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
This series of initiatives is designed to directly connect anime pilgrimage by fans of the work to stronger visitor foot traffic and circulation around Yokohama’s central waterfront district.
The Oshi Lab Note: The participation scale of roughly 450 stores captures the true essence of this initiative. Rather than funneling crowds into a single marquee attraction, the city turned its everyday retail network itself into a walking route. When designing an anime pilgrimage (seichi junrei, visiting real-life locations tied to a beloved work) as a tourism strategy, the approach of spreading activity across a broad area rather than narrowing it to a single hub can be applied not only by municipalities, but also by companies that operate commercial complexes.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building × Pokémon Trading Card Game — Drawing Inbound Tourists with Projection Mapping
At the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1, the “TOKYO Night & Light” projection mapping show has been screening year-round. On March 20, “Pokémon Trading Card Game TOKYO LUMINOUS NIGHT” premiered, drawing approximately 8,000 visitors to Citizens’ Plaza. The initiative has been certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest permanent architectural projection-mapped display by surface area. Cumulative attendance topped 1 million visitors as of October 2025, with international tourists accounting for roughly half of all visitors. Past collaborations have featured Godzilla, Gundam, BLUE LOCK, and PAC-MAN. BLUE LOCK -TOKYO EGOIST- drew more than 6,000 visitors in total on its opening day alone (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Starting March 27, the project also began screening four new video works in parallel, created by students from Tokyo Metropolitan University and Tokyo Zokei University. The students produced the videos after receiving roughly three months of professional instruction. It was an effort that advanced a major IP attraction and young creator development at the exact same time (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: What makes this fascinating is how two seemingly unrelated goals—blockbuster IP content and student training—are operated on the very same building facade. Instead of separating the venue that draws inbound tourists from the venue that nurtures the next generation of creators, the organizers combined them into one. Businesses in other industries would do well to consider whether IP-driven promotions can go beyond one-off crowd-pullers and overlap with their own talent development or recruitment branding.
A Real Estate Giant and the Football Association Backed Sports Through Visible Fan Support
Mitsui Fudosan × TEAM JAPAN — Sponsoring the “Fan Appreciation Parade” for 115 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Athletes, Including Medalists
On April 10, the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and the Japanese Paralympic Committee (JPC) of the Japanese Para Sports Association announced that Mitsui Fudosan had been selected as the special sponsor for the “TEAM JAPAN Fan Appreciation Parade.” The parade was held on April 25 in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. As a “TEAM JAPAN Gold Town Development Partner,” Mitsui Fudosan announced plans to dress up the neighborhood—including hanging celebratory banners on the Mitsui Main Building, a designated Important Cultural Property—and to distribute 25,000 cheering hand flags along the parade route. Organizers announced that a total of 115 athletes would participate in the parade, including ski jumpers Ryoyu Kobayashi and Sara Takanashi, the figure skating pair “RikuRyu” (Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara), and speed skater Miho Takagi (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Mitsui Fudosan became a “Gold Town Development Partner” for the Tokyo 2020 Games in 2015. Since then, the company has continued sponsorships that combine sports with the real estate properties it develops and operates.
The Oshi Lab Note: This case clearly illustrates the difference between a sponsorship that merely displays a logo and one that goes all the way into dressing up an entire neighborhood. Precisely because Mitsui Fudosan is a company that owns physical places, it can turn a sheer volume of 25,000 cheering flags into a tangible street-level experience for visitors. We feel that companies considering sports sponsorships should first define what kind of “place” they own before putting together a budget.
Japan Football Association × 9 Partner Companies — JFA’s First Joint Cheering Ad Ahead of the World Cup
Ahead of the kickoff of the FIFA World Cup 26, the Japan Football Association (JFA) rolled out a joint cheering advertisement featuring nine partner companies. Running from March 25 at MIYASHITA PARK in Shibuya, Tokyo, the campaign marked JFA’s first-ever attempt at bringing together celebrity spokespeople from multiple partner companies in a single cross-company format. The ad featured the rallying slogan “FOR OUR GREATEST STAGE (Saiko no Keshiki wo 2026),” born from Japan National Team manager Hajime Moriyasu’s phrase about “going to see the greatest view.” Creative Director Yoshiyuki Imoto of Dentsu handled the visual direction. A simultaneous cheering initiative called “BLUE WING ACTION” allowed members of the general public and partner companies alike to write their own messages into the logo (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: The key takeaway here is the decision to deliberately unite advertisements from nine partner companies—which had previously run separate campaigns—into a single visual. An atmosphere of “the whole country is cheering together,” which no single corporate spokesperson can create alone, only becomes possible through a joint effort. Designing corporate collaborations that do not stay self-contained within a single company offers a valuable reference for brands feeling the limits of solo ad placements. A coalition of non-competing partners can command visual space far more reliably than a standalone ad.
Convenience Store and Fast-Food Giants Created Reasons to Visit Using Characters
McDonald’s, Lawson, and 7-Eleven — Creating Reasons to Visit Through Character Tie-Ups
McDonald’s announced that starting April 10, it would begin selling Happy Meals (Happy Sets) nationwide featuring “Sanrio Characters” (9 varieties in total) and “Tomica” (9 varieties in total). At McCafé®, the chain also announced the simultaneous April 10 launch of Sanrio collaboration drinks: the “Pompompurin Creamy Pudding Frappe” and the “Hello Kitty Juicy Strawberry Smoothie” (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)). Lawson announced that it would launch a collaboration campaign with Kantai Collection (KanColle), which celebrated its 13th anniversary, starting April 21, including the release of original products such as “KanColle Korokoro Hi-Chew.” From April 15 to April 20, the character Shigure also handled Lawson’s in-store audio broadcasts (Inside (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, 7-Eleven announced a campaign starting April 14 targeting Lotte confectionery products: customers who purchase three eligible Lotte items receive an original “Koala’s March × Sanrio Characters” gum bottle cap (5 varieties in total) (Inside (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: What all three companies have in common is choosing to layer characters onto their existing flagship products. Without investing in developing entirely new product lines, simply placing a character onto everyday purchase pathways—like Happy Meals or chewing gum—creates an immediate reason to visit the store and buy. The higher the visit frequency of a retail format, such as convenience stores and fast-food chains, the easier it is to forecast the cost-effectiveness of this “add-on” design.
Uniqlo, GU, and Zoff Brought IP into Everyday Wardrobe Staples
Uniqlo’s “Shueisha 100th Anniversary Manga UT” — 5 Titles Including Jujutsu Kaisen and HUNTER×HUNTER
Uniqlo has been rolling out its “Manga UT Shueisha 100th Anniversary” collection across three waves. Among the first wave (which initially went on sale March 16), Uniqlo set April 17 as the release date for several lineup items that had been scheduled for a later drop. The release covers five manga series—Jujutsu Kaisen, HUNTER×HUNTER, GANTZ, Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Koen-mae Hashutsujo (KochiKame), and Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story—across 9 designs in total. Each T-shirt is priced at 1,990 yen (tax included) and comes in sizes XS through 4XL (Inside (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: The very structure of celebrating a publisher’s 100th anniversary across three separate waves serves as a built-in mechanism for sustaining long-term buzz. Rather than releasing every title all at once, staggering the release dates keeps fans wondering what will come next. For companies planning anniversary initiatives, this deliberate pacing—holding back rather than spending everything in one go—is a useful model. The more an anniversary campaign aims for sustained conversation, the better this phased approach works.
GU × Detective Conan, GU × Kirby, and Zoff × My Hero Academia — An Era Where Even Eyeglasses Become IP Merch
GU released a collaboration collection with Detective Conan themed around “Three KEYs Holding the Secret to the Story,” featuring 11 items in total, including graphic T-shirts at 1,490 yen each and cotton-blend pajamas at 2,490 yen each (Inside (in Japanese)). GU’s collaboration with Kirby is themed around “Pupupu Resort,” with early online pre-orders opening on April 13 ahead of general sales announced for May 1; adult T-shirts are priced at 1,490 yen each and kids’ shirts at 990 yen each (Inside (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, eyewear brand Zoff released collaboration glasses (13,300 yen each) with the TV anime My Hero Academia on April 17. The frames feature designs inspired by five characters: Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, Tenya Iida, Shoto Todoroki, and Shota Aizawa. The original manga series had surpassed 100 million copies in circulation worldwide, and its 10th-anniversary project had also kicked off in April 2026 (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: What caught our attention here is how IP merchandising has expanded beyond T-shirts and pajamas to higher-ticket items like 13,300-yen eyeglasses. Whether a brand can step beyond inexpensive trinkets into higher-priced categories of everyday practical goods may become a key criterion when choosing future collaboration partners. Products that people “use every day but aren’t cheap,” such as eyewear or quality stationery, may still be an underexplored frontier for other industries as well.
Shimamura × Pompompurin 30th Anniversary — Nationwide Store Rollout Starting April 11
To celebrate Pompompurin’s 30th anniversary, clothing retailer Shimamura launched a new lineup of items across its stores nationwide starting April 11, with online store sales opening the same day at 3:00 p.m. Alongside apparel such as T-shirts and relaxing pants, the wide-ranging lineup extended to home goods, including all-over print bedding and die-cut cushions shaped like Pompompurin’s face (Inside (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Aligning the physical store launch and the online launch on the exact same day is a practical, business-smart move. When brick-and-mortar retailers run IP collaborations, they often delay online sales by several days to prioritize store traffic. By launching both on the same day, Shimamura avoids lost sales opportunities. The more buzzworthy an item is—such as anniversary merchandise—the more effective it is to eliminate time lags between sales channels.
Department Stores Daimaru and Sogo Celebrated Anniversaries with Pop-Up Retail Campaigns
Daimaru Umeda × “Paprika” 20th Anniversary — A Pop-Up Shop Themed Around “Dream”
To mark the 20th anniversary of director Satoshi Kon’s animated film Paprika, organizers announced a pop-up shop running from May 13 to May 19 at Daimaru Umeda in Osaka. This was an additional run following an earlier pop-up held at Daimaru Tokyo. Built around the keyword “Dream,” the shop was slated to offer apparel and lifestyle goods, including a “Paprika Glass Set” (7,700 yen) and a “Paprika Market Bag” (4,400 yen) printed with scenes from the film’s famous parade sequence. Customers spending 4,400 yen (tax included) or more at the venue were set to receive one random Osaka-exclusive original sticker (out of 5 designs in total) (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: The rollout sequence—opening first at a Tokyo venue and then adding a Kansai venue—is a solid, low-risk approach. By verifying demand in one city before expanding to the next, organizers can sustain buzz while keeping inventory risk under control. Even for small- to mid-sized collaborations where a simultaneous nationwide launch is difficult, a sequential city-by-city rollout is easy to emulate. Because inventory and staffing can be concentrated on one location at a time, initial adjustments can also be made much faster.
Sogo Chiba × “Sazae-san” 55th Anniversary — Roughly 350 Merch Items and Photo Sessions
Organizers announced that “Sazae-san Asahigaoka Supermarket,” a special event celebrating the 55th broadcast anniversary of the anime Sazae-san (which reached its 55th anniversary in 2024), would be held at Sogo Chiba as a Golden Week holiday event from April 21 to May 6. The shop was set to feature roughly 350 merchandise items, including venue-exclusive products and 55th-anniversary commemorative goods, such as a NEW ERA collaboration “Tama Bucket Hat” (8,580 yen). During the event, the first 50 customers each day who spend 3,000 yen or more receive an original postcard. On April 26, April 29, and May 5, commemorative photo sessions with Sazae-san (twice daily, limited to the first 20 groups per session, with up to three people per group and presentation of a receipt for merchandise purchased at the venue that day required) were also scheduled (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), Cho! Animedia (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Combining merchandise sales with photo sessions—an experience you can only get right there on the spot—is the linchpin of how this event draws crowds. The sheer volume of roughly 350 items brings in shoppers looking for goods, while the photo sessions encourage them to stay at the venue longer. For companies that tend to plan retail sales and live events under separate budgets and separate teams, keeping this combination in mind can significantly change dwell time and cross-selling rates.
Box Office Numbers and Survey Data Backed Up the Power of IP
“Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” — Finishing Its Japanese Theatrical Run, Except at Some Theaters, Past 117.9 Billion Yen Worldwide
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Chapter 1: Akaza Returns concluded its Japanese theatrical run after 266 days in theaters, except at some theaters that continued screenings. In Japan, domestic attendance reached 27,455,968 admissions, with box office revenue totaling 40,200,019,000 yen. Following its predecessor Mugen Train, it became only the second Japanese film in history to cross the 40-billion-yen mark domestically. Including 157 overseas countries and territories, cumulative worldwide attendance reached 98,520,310 admissions, with total global box office revenue hitting 117,917,539,329 yen. In North America, it became the first Japanese animated film ever to rank No. 1 at the box office for two consecutive weeks and set the all-time box office record for a foreign-language film (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), Crank-in! (in Japanese), Real Sound (in Japanese), thecage.tokyo (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: While domestic box office revenue accounted for roughly half of the overseas total, worldwide attendance reached 3.6 times the domestic figure. Refusing to settle for a single-market hit and expanding the distribution network all the way across 157 countries and territories is what propelled the final numbers to this level. Looking at these figures shows just how much weight rests on the decision of how far to horizontally scale content that has succeeded at home.
“Labubu” — A Decade-Long Journey from Picture-Book Sidekick to Top Global IP
“Labubu” is a supporting character created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung in his 2015 picture book Shinpi no Buka, and had grown into a global IP. In 2019, POP MART released blind-box plush figures, kicking off regular product lineups. In 2024, after BLACKPINK’s Lisa posted about Labubu on social media, its popularity exploded in Thailand, where resale prices soared to seven times the retail price. In 2024, revenue for THE MONSTERS series reached 3 billion yuan (approximately 60 billion yen), making it POP MART’s biggest IP. POP MART has also been expanding its overseas store footprint (reaching 140 stores as of August 2025) and rolling out collaborations with the Louvre Museum (“Mona Lisa Labubu”) and Sanrio. In 2025, its collaboration T-shirts with Uniqlo sold out on release day, and in March 2026, a live-action/CGI feature film in development with Sony Pictures was announced (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Labubu’s origin as a picture-book sidekick—rather than a traditional main protagonist—actually seems to have made it easier to adapt into diverse collaborations. The more rigidly an IP’s character backstory is locked down, the harder it often becomes to pair with outside brands. When nurturing an in-house IP, deliberately leaving room for interpretation rather than over-engineering the lore may pay off later in stronger collaboration flexibility.
- Debuts as a picture-book supporting characterCreated by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung in his picture book series.
- POP MART launches blind-box plush seriesRegular commercial rollouts begin in blind-box format.
- Global boom and 3 billion yuan in series salesViral posts by BLACKPINK's Lisa spark a boom in Thailand; THE MONSTERS hits approx. 60 billion yen.
- 140 overseas stores and instant Uniqlo selloutPOP MART reaches 140 overseas stores by August 2025; Uniqlo UT shirts sell out on day one.
- Sony Pictures feature film announcedDevelopment announced for a live-action and CGI feature film.
Source: The Oshi Lab’s summary of the article
ContentAge Survey — Over 93% of Gen Alpha and Gen Z Respondents Want to Continue Buying After Oshi Collaborations
From February 20 to February 23, 2026, ContentAge conducted a survey of 155 Gen Alpha and Gen Z respondents across Japan. The proportion who answered that they “have an oshi” was 97.4%. When asked how they feel when their oshi collaborates with a company, 82.8% of Gen Alpha and 80.4% of Gen Z answered that they are “very happy.” Negative responses were 0% across both generations. Furthermore, when asked whether they want to continue purchasing or using a product or service after an oshi collaboration ends, 91.9% of Gen Alpha and 96.4% of Gen Z answered that they “want to continue purchasing and using it” (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Finding virtually zero resistance to commercialization is an encouraging figure for companies building campaigns around Gen Z consumer behavior. However, an absence of pushback is not the same thing as enthusiastic support. As noted in the survey commentary, fans carefully judge whether a collaboration genuinely understands and respects their oshi’s world. Rather than taking favorable survey numbers for granted, brands still need to thoughtfully craft the substance of every collaboration.
A Theme Park and a Shopping Underground Stepped Out to Meet New Audiences
Shima Spain Village × Nijisanji’s Suo Sango — Audio Guide Appearance at Javier Castle Museum
On April 18, the Javier Castle Museum inside the Shima Spain Village theme park in Shima City, Mie Prefecture, reopened following a renovation. Organizers announced that a new audio exhibit in the museum’s Don Quixote corner lets visitors listen to excerpts of the novel read aloud by Nijisanji VTuber Suo Sango. Since 2022, Suo Sango has talked passionately about her love for the park during her livestreams. After a fan-clipped highlight video of her talk surpassed 1.3 million views, she was appointed an official Virtual Ambassador in December of that same year and also took part in this renovation. The museum also added a new “Gaudí Corner” themed around the Sagrada Família, whose Tower of Jesus Christ was scheduled for completion in 2026 (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: The sequence of events here—where organic, unprompted enthusiasm from a fan led the facility itself to reach out for an official appointment—is striking. The theme park identified an individual who was already speaking fondly about them and made her an official partner. Looking within existing fan communities to find people who are already championing your brand is a practical way to discover ambassadors without spending traditional ad budgets, and it can be applied across many other industries.
Yaesu Shopping Mall × Ultraman 60th Anniversary — LINE Stamp Rally and Photo Sessions
Yaesu Shopping Mall (Yaechika) announced that it would hold “Ultra Golden Week in Yaechika” from April 28 to May 10 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Ultraman series. One of the featured initiatives is “Kaiju Appearance Mission,” a digital LINE stamp rally where visitors scan QR codes placed throughout the underground mall. Visitors who collect six stamps receive an original smartphone wallpaper, and 100 winners selected by lottery also received a 500-yen shopping and dining voucher. On May 2, the mall also announced a photo session with Ultraman Zero held three times a day, limited to 60 groups per session (PHILE WEB (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab Note: Requiring participants to add the mall’s official LINE account as a friend in order to join is a smart operational design. In exchange for the fun experience of the stamp rally, the venue acquires LINE friends—a direct channel for ongoing communication with visitors. Rather than letting a campaign end as a one-off event, using it to simultaneously grow a promotional channel for future outreach is one of the fundamental blueprints for commercial facility event design.
Editorial Takeaways for the Week
This was a week where fandom numbers showed up clearly in both urban design and the global box office.
Yokohama’s Detective Conan campaign involving roughly 450 stores and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building’s projection mapping both refuse to treat IP as a one-off crowd-drawing event, instead weaving it into city infrastructure and year-round programming. Much like Mitsui Fudosan’s ongoing sports sponsorships since 2015, the underlying philosophy prioritizes building up long-term urban assets over chasing single-year spikes. Meanwhile, Demon Slayer’s 117.9-billion-yen worldwide box office haul and POP MART’s overseas expansion operated on an even larger global scale. Both sets of numbers speak directly to how far content honed in a home market can be scaled across international markets.
The ContentAge survey highlighted a mindset among younger generations where resistance to oshi collaborations is virtually zero. That mindset is rapidly becoming a baseline premise for every company pursuing oshikatsu marketing. Still, relying on favorable survey percentages alone is not enough. Just as Shima Spain Village found an official partner through a fan’s organic broadcasts, the patient work of discovering who is genuinely talking about your brand with real affection remains as essential as ever.
Weekly Oshikatsu News brings you a weekly roundup of the intersection between fandom and business. You can browse past issues in the Oshikatsu × News category.
