Weekly Oshikatsu News (May 8, 2026): Tanita's Fan Health Survey & Rakuten-WOWOW IP Project
Here is our roundup of notable corporate oshikatsu (fan support activities) marketing and fan business news from the week of May 1 to May 7, 2026.
This Week’s Highlights
This was a week in which oshikatsu expanded directly into companies’ core business domains.
Comprehensive health company Tanita surveyed 1,000 men and women aged 15 to 69 who have an oshi (a favorite idol, character, or figure they actively support). A full 77.5% responded that “life became more enjoyable” after they started oshikatsu, and 20.8% answered that their “health checkup numbers improved.” These responses show that some respondents perceive changes since starting oshikatsu even in medical metrics and physical condition management—areas that previously seemed far removed from the fan business.
Moves to step onto the “creator side” of content also stood out. Rakuten Group and broadcaster WOWOW launched “ALIUS,” a new intellectual property (IP) development project that links a vertical-scrolling digital comic with a live-action television drama. South Korea’s flagship beauty festival, “OLIVE YOUNG FESTA,” held its first-ever overseas event at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. Meanwhile, in its first-quarter financial results, Roblox reported rapid growth among its 18-to-34 user demographic in the United States. This week brought together both large-scale shifts visible in survey and earnings data and specific, targeted initiatives rolled out by individual companies.
Fan Enthusiasm Moved Health Indicators and Urban Music Events
Tanita — 77.5% Say Oshikatsu Made “Life More Enjoyable,” With Some Experiencing Improved Health Checkup Numbers
Comprehensive health company Tanita conducted an awareness and reality survey examining how oshikatsu affects personal health. The survey covered 1,000 men and women aged 15 to 69 across Japan who have an oshi. Looking at changes since starting oshikatsu, 77.5% answered that “life became more enjoyable,” feeling a clear positive shift in their mental well-being. In addition, 49.3% reported that they “started paying more attention to personal grooming and appearance,” and 47.4% said their “opportunities to go out increased.” On the physical side as well, 25.6% answered that they “lost weight and toned their bodies,” and 20.8% responded that their “health checkup numbers improved.” By genre, idols were overwhelmingly the most common type of oshi, followed by musicians, and then anime and manga characters (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
At the same time, the percentage of respondents who felt they had “become more health-conscious” varied depending on the genre of their oshi. While that figure reached 51.7% among fans of idols, it remained at 37.7% among fans of game characters and 35.5% among fans of sports athletes.
- 77.5%
- Felt life became more enjoyable (mental well-being shift)
- 49.3%
- Started paying more attention to personal grooming
- 25.6%
- Reported losing weight and toning their bodies
- 20.8%
- Reported that their health checkup numbers improved
Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the Tanita survey reported by AdverTimes.
The Oshi Lab’s Note: The fact that 20.8% of respondents answered that their “health checkup numbers improved” is significant. The responses suggest perceived changes beyond mood, including in everyday lifestyle habits. Rather than viewing oshikatsu merely as a place to buy advertising slots, the healthcare, insurance, and food industries can treat it as actionable data for designing behavior-change programs. These quantified self-reported findings can also inform discussions with other industries.
J-WAVE × Mori Building — An 18-Year Free Live Music Series at Roppongi Hills Builds an Urban Brand
Radio station J-WAVE and Mori Building, the operator of the Roppongi Hills complex in Tokyo, co-hosted the free live music event “TOKYO M.A.P.S” on May 2 and May 3. The event began in 2008 as the successor to “LIVING IN TOKYO,” a free concert series J-WAVE previously held at the Roppongi Hills Arena. Since its start in 2008, the festival has maintained its free-admission approach, although it was canceled in 2020 and changed format in 2021. According to Masato Shioda of J-WAVE’s Content Design Bureau, ticketed concerts tend to draw audiences centered primarily on existing music fans. By making the event free, however, people visiting the neighborhood for other purposes—such as shopping or sightseeing—gain a chance to encounter live music by happenstance (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The on-site experience was also designed to link with radio broadcasts and social media. This created a flow in which attendees could relive the performances on the airwaves or discover new artists via social platforms.
The Oshi Lab’s Note: Continuing an event free of charge for 18 years is distinctive because “not monetizing the event directly” is itself part of the objective. Rather than fencing in existing fans, this event continually offers serendipitous touchpoints to passersby who are not yet fans. For a commercial facility, the true meaning of hosting a music event lies less in raw foot traffic on the day and more in raising the probability that uninitiated visitors become fans. Establishing an event as an annual neighborhood tradition yields a greater long-term impact than chasing single-year attendance numbers.
Media Companies Stepped Into Creating and Connecting Content
Rakuten × WOWOW — Developing Original IP That Links a Vertical-Scrolling Comic with a TV Drama
On April 23, Rakuten Group and satellite broadcaster WOWOW announced the launch of the “ALIUS Project” to develop original IP. The project marks the first content co-developed by WOWOW and Rakuten’s content label, “Rakuten Content Central.” First, they announced that on June 14 they would release the vertical-scrolling digital comic Ino Fukushusha ALIUS (Supernatural Avenger ALIUS). Distribution is handled through Rakuten’s digital comic platform “R-TOON” as well as LINE Manga. WOWOW announced plans to produce and broadcast, starting at almost the same time in July, ALIUS -Tokutei Jisho Sosa File- (ALIUS: Special Phenomenon Investigation File) in its 30-minute drama slot, “Renzoku Drama W-30.” Both companies stated that they are coordinating closely between the two works—for example, by having the protagonist of the comic version appear as a key character in the television drama (Mynavi News (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: Unlike collaborations built on existing franchises, this project is unusual in that it develops an original IP from the ground up on the premise of multi-media deployment from the very first stage. The structure is designed so that fans can get closer to the full picture of the story by following both the comic and the drama. This case demonstrates that even companies without an established library of characters have the option to nurture their own IP from scratch, rather than relying solely on licensing third-party properties.
Sony Music × Left-Handed Eren — The History of Anime Tie-Ins and Behind the Scenes of a Live Production Committee
The TV Tokyo network anime adaptation of Left-Handed Eren (Hidarikiki no Eren) began airing on April 7. Sony Music Entertainment (SME) did not join the anime’s production committee (seisaku iinkai, the multi-company consortium that funds and manages an anime project), instead participating from the standpoint of providing theme song tie-ins. Kenta Tasaka of SME’s Corporate Business Marketing Group explained how the format of anime theme songs has evolved over time. He noted that the industry shifted from a “merchandising” model—where the production committee itself produced and sold the music—to a “tie-in” model where external recording artists provide songs. He cited City Hunter as an early example, followed in the 1990s by Detective Conan (also known as Case Closed) and Rurouni Kenshin, where bands such as JUDY AND MARY and SIAM SHADE performed the theme songs (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
Leading up to the broadcast premiere, animation studio Production I.G—which handles animation production within the committee—submitted versatile chibi (miniature deformed character) artwork for licensing use. Those assets were utilized in a social media icon giveaway campaign celebrating the official X (formerly Twitter) account reaching 10,000 followers. Overseas, major streaming platform Crunchyroll was set to stream the series exclusively worldwide (excluding certain regions), led by North America. Distribution deals were also finalized for South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Within Japan, in addition to advance streaming on Amazon Prime Video, distribution was also set for U-NEXT, d-anime Store, and ABEMA (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: Leadership in anime tie-ins is expanding from simply “the side that supplies a song” to “the side that maximizes the work’s overall value, including streaming and social media rollouts.” The role of a company providing a theme song is shifting from buying an advertising slot to co-designing the global rollout of the work itself. When non-music companies partner with an IP as well, the difference between a one-off campaign and lasting impact comes down to whether they can propose an integrated package spanning distribution, social media, and merchandise.
Beauty Brands Moved to Expand Their Fan Bases Through Global Expansion and AI
OLIVE YOUNG — Hosting K-Beauty’s Flagship Festival Overseas for the First Time at Makuhari Messe
South Korean K-beauty specialty retailer “OLIVE YOUNG” held its experiential festival, “OLIVE YOUNG FESTA,” at Makuhari Messe in Chiba from May 8 to May 10. This marked the first time the company held the event outside South Korea. Founded in 1999, the company operated more than 1,400 stores inside South Korea as of 2025. Its gross merchandise value (GMV) grew rapidly from 258.3 billion yen in 2021 (based on company disclosures, converted at the exchange rate as of April 30, 2026) to 573.2 billion yen in 2025. In May 2026, it also opened its first US store in California and was planning a partnership with global beauty retailer Sephora. At the Makuhari Messe event, OLIVE YOUNG showcased a total of 36 products selected from the 2025 domestic “OLIVE YOUNG Awards” in South Korea, and announced that its online store would offer popular items at up to 63% off regular retail prices (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: It is fascinating that a company that has grown its business scale so dramatically over the past four years chose to hold its first overseas festival in a country where it does not yet operate physical stores. OLIVE YOUNG established an official, real-world touchpoint in a market where a dedicated fan base had already formed through personal imports and cross-border e-commerce. When brands consider international expansion, this sequence—hosting a flagship live event in a place where fans already exist before opening local brick-and-mortar stores—offers a valuable blueprint.
Utena “Moisture” — Approaching Younger Demographics with AI-Generated Anime, Leading to an Apology Over Resemblance to Existing Works
On May 1, long-selling skincare brand “Utena Moisture” released an entirely AI-generated magical-girl-style transformation anime titled Uruoi Senshi Moisture (Moisture Warrior Moisture) on its official YouTube channel. Transit advertisements were also displayed across 28 JR Yamanote Line stations starting April 27 and at 4 Osaka Metro stations starting May 1. Launched in 1983, the brand was celebrating its 43rd anniversary, with its core loyal customer base centered on people in their 60s and 70s. Building touchpoints with younger demographics had been a long-standing challenge. For video production, the company adopted CrestLab’s animation digital transformation (DX) service. By utilizing generative AI, a one-minute animation that would normally take six months to a year to produce could be tested and verified in just a few hours to half a day (AdverTimes. (in Japanese)).
On May 6, however, Utena issued an official notice titled “Apology and Report.” The company had received numerous comments and criticisms regarding the use of generative AI in advertising production as well as the campaign’s visual similarity to specific existing anime works. Stating that it “lacked consideration for the feelings of fans who love existing works,” Utena deleted the video from its official YouTube channel along with its social media posts, and announced that the transit ads currently on display would be removed sequentially. Going forward, the company stated its policy to comprehensively overhaul its creative review system under the guidance of external experts.
The Oshi Lab’s Note: This is a case in which both the operational achievement of shortening production time through AI and the failure of insufficient consideration for existing fan culture occurred within the exact same campaign. For a 43-year-old brand, the underlying challenge of leaning into a “Showa retro” aesthetic to approach younger generations made strategic sense. However, the campaign missed the crucial premise that many of the young consumers it targeted are already devoted fans of other creative works. When crafting visuals that evoke an established IP genre, companies must verify their respect for that genre’s fandom before prioritizing the speed of AI production.
Apparel and Lifestyle Companies Put Popular IPs Front and Center in Stores
Adastria × Detective Conan — A Large-Scale Collaboration Spanning 6 Brands and 44 Items
Apparel group Adastria announced that it would release its latest collection collaborating with the TV anime Detective Conan on May 9. Six of the company’s brands are participating: “GLOBAL WORK,” “LOWRYS FARM,” “RAGEBLUE,” “JEANASIS,” “PAGEBOY,” and “PBLIM.” Under the theme “Uncover Your Own Truth — Fashion —,” the company announced a rollout of 44 items in total, spanning apparel and lifestyle goods. The original Detective Conan manga has surpassed 270 million copies in cumulative worldwide circulation and won the Shonen (boys’) category at the 46th Shogakukan Manga Awards. Having begun airing in January 1996, the TV anime was celebrating its milestone 30th broadcast anniversary in 2026 (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: Mobilizing six brands simultaneously around a single IP is a strategy available only to a company that holds multiple distinct customer segments under one corporate roof. Because each brand serves a different demographic, the company can release products tailored to how that specific audience connects with the exact same IP. Even when a single-brand company conducts an IP collaboration, it is worth considering whether to divide the presentation across multiple customer personas rather than narrowing the product line to a single uniform style.
Zoff × Attack on Titan — “Dedicate Your Eyeballs” in the Eyewear Brand’s First Collaboration with the Series
Eyewear brand “Zoff” opened pre-orders on April 30 for “Zoff | Attack on Titan,” an eyewear collection marking its first collaboration with the TV anime Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin, promoted with the playful tagline “Dedicate your eyeballs,” a riff on the series’ famous salute “Dedicate your hearts”). Online pre-orders were accepted through the official web store. The frame designs incorporate character traits and in-story motifs inspired by Eren, Jean, Levi, Hange, and other cast members. Try-on corners were set up at five Zoff stores across Japan, and collaboration-exclusive trading lens-cleaning cloths were also prepared. Based on Hajime Isayama’s manga serialized in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, the TV anime series concluded its broadcast run in fall 2023 (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: With eyeglasses—a product people wear every day but typically prefer to keep understated—Zoff deliberately released designs with strong character personality. By limiting the physical try-on corners to five locations rather than rolling them out to every store nationwide, the company intentionally created “pilgrimage flagship stores” for fans. When a company with a brick-and-mortar retail network conducts an IP collaboration, concentrating the physical showcase in select stores can generate a stronger motivation for fans to visit than a uniform all-store display.
Restaurants and Hotels Transformed Their Venues Into IP Worlds
Hilton Osaka × Moomin, Huis Ten Bosch × Evangelion, and Joyfull × Jujutsu Kaisen — Three Companies Designing Experiences Built for Repeat Visits
“Folk Kitchen” on the second floor of Hilton Osaka announced that it will hold its “Summer Sweets Buffet Moomin’s Tropical Vacation” from June 4 to August 30. This marks the hotel’s second collaboration with Moomin. The buffet is themed around a comic storyline in which “the Moomin family and their friends travel from Moominvalley to a southern island to spend a vacation on the beach.” First published in 1945 by Finnish creator Tove Jansson, Moomin is beloved across a wide range of generations in Japan (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
In Nagasaki Prefecture, theme park “Huis Ten Bosch” collaborated with Evangelion to introduce a new ride attraction, “Evangelion the Ride - 8K -.” It is the first attraction in the Evangelion franchise to utilize 8K ultra-high-definition video. Visitors are welcomed as staff members of the “NERV Sasebo Branch” and receive a mission briefing via an audio message from character Misato Katsuragi. Alongside the ride, Huis Ten Bosch rolled out a stamp rally as well as themed food and merchandise (Inside (in Japanese)).
Family restaurant chain “Joyfull” announced that it will launch the second wave of its collaboration campaign with the TV anime Jujutsu Kaisen starting at 3:00 p.m. on May 12. The second wave adds three new limited-edition menu items, including “Kinji Hakari’s Fever-Loving Spicy Sundubu Jjigae Set” and “Kirara Hoshi’s Beef Pepper Garlic Rice.” Combined with the four menu items from the first wave that began on April 14, all seven collaboration dishes will be served simultaneously during the campaign period. Joyfull also announced that a limited novelty item—an “Original Acrylic Chopstick Rest Keychain”—will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis as an order bonus. The Jujutsu Kaisen manga series has surpassed 150 million copies in cumulative circulation, including digital editions (Nijimen (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: All three companies designed their collaborations not as a “one-off pop-up,” but as menus and experiences that visitors can choose throughout an extended period. Joyfull kept its four full-period dishes on the menu while adding three second-wave exclusives for a total of seven items available from May 12. Hilton Osaka built continuity with a second annual installment following last year’s buffet, and Huis Ten Bosch introduced its collaboration as a permanent ride attraction. For the food service and hospitality industries, the true value of an IP collaboration lies less in opening-day buzz and more in designing “a reason to keep coming back” that drives repeat visits.
Transit, Food, and Regional Enterprises Moved People Through the Power of Oshikatsu
JR Central × The Quintessential Quintuplets, Fujiya × Seibu Lions, and Kyushu Sanko × Natsume’s Book of Friends — Three Companies Announcing Campaigns That Get People Moving
To commemorate the collaboration between JR Central’s “Oshi Tabi” (Push-Trip) campaign and the TV special anime The Quintessential Quintuplets* (Go-Tobun no Hanayome*), entertainment company MAGES. released a line of new merchandise. Featuring newly drawn illustrations, the goods were sold at pop-up stores opening sequentially from May 1 under the campaign title “The Nakano Quintuplets’ Operation Futaro Uesugi Hospitality 2026.” The Quintessential Quintuplets is a romantic comedy based on the manga by Negi Haruba, with its theatrical film released in 2022 (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese), Cho! Animedia (in Japanese)).
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Fujiya’s long-selling candy “Milky,” a special collaboration event titled “Peko-chan milky Mother’s Day” was announced for May 9 at a Saitama Seibu Lions professional baseball home game (against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Belluna Dome, starting at 2:00 p.m.). Fujiya announced that it would serve as the official game sponsor for the matchup. Playing off the famous slogan “Milky tastes like Mom,” the company named the day game scheduled for the Saturday before Mother’s Day “Mother’s Day” (Anime! Anime! (in Japanese)).
Kyushu Sanko Group announced that it will carry out a collaboration project with the TV anime Natsume’s Book of Friends (Natsume Yujin-cho) titled “Natsume’s Book of Friends in Kumamoto 2026 Hitoyoshi & Kuma” in July 2026. As part of its regional contribution initiatives, the group planned special tours visiting the Hitoyoshi and Kuma region of Kumamoto Prefecture, which served as the real-world scenic model for the anime, and unveiled collaboration-exclusive newly drawn illustrations. Based on the manga by Yuki Midorikawa, the series has surpassed 18 million copies in cumulative circulation (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: All three companies are using IP not as “one-time merchandise,” but as an “engine that physically moves people.” JR Central ties fan action to transit itself, Fujiya ties it to a specific baseball game, and Kyushu Sanko ties it to the local land of Kumamoto. For transportation and regional companies, the essence of an IP collaboration lies less in product merchandising and more in designing an itinerary for when and where to move people. Regional contribution projects like Kyushu Sanko’s are likely to be much more reproducible over time than standalone merchandise drops.
VTubers and Fan Communities Demonstrated Their Presence Through Protection and Numbers
Cover Corp. — 149 Legal Actions Against Defamation and 1,411 Takedown Measures
Cover Corp., the operator of the VTuber agency “hololive production,” released its annual report on measures taken against defamation and other rights infringements during fiscal year 2025 (April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026). Legal actions totaled 149 cases (including civil lawsuits and criminal cases), while content takedown actions across X, YouTube, and TikTok reached 1,411 cases. In addition to filing sender information disclosure requests in Japan, the company filed multiple lawsuits in courts with jurisdiction outside Japan. Regarding aggregator blogs (matome sites) that repost and amplify defamatory content, Cover completed measures in multiple cases to identify the site administrators and force the sites to shut down. In cases involving improper exploitation for financial gain, the company coordinated with police, leading to the arrest of multiple perpetrators (Mogura VR (in Japanese), Sponichi Annex (in Japanese), Inside (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: The act of publicly disclosing concrete figures like 149 legal actions and 1,411 takedowns every year has itself become part of the mechanism that protects talent. In the fan business, the more passionate fan support becomes, the more the risk of targeted defamation grows in proportion. Not limited to VTuber agencies, any company that manages talent with a devoted following can balance deterrence against malicious actors with peace of mind for its creators by regularly disclosing its track record of legal enforcement.
VRChat × Roblox — 3.9x Growth in Japanese Users Proceeds Alongside a Gen Z Demographic Shift
According to an official announcement from the social VR platform “VRChat,” peak concurrent users reached an all-time high of 158,192, and daily average concurrent users reached 100,000. The number of users in the Japanese market increased 3.9-fold. VRChat has positioned and operated its Creator Economy—in which creators receive approximately 50% of user spending in their stores, excluding VAT—as one of the highest standards in the industry (Mogura VR (in Japanese)). Meanwhile, Roblox announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2026. Daily active users (DAU) rose 35% year-over-year to 132 million, and revenue increased 39% year-over-year to $1.442 billion (approximately 226.4 billion yen). The company announced a 42% increase in creator earnings from in-game spending by age-verified users aged 18 and older in the United States, effective June 8 for games using the R15 avatar system, and reported that DAU among the 18-to-34 age bracket in the United States grew by more than 50% year-over-year (Mogura VR (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: The 3.9-fold growth of Japanese users on VRChat and the rapid expansion of 18-to-34 DAU on Roblox in the United States point to the exact same underlying trend: the user base of XR and virtual platforms is broadening from children and teens to adults. When companies plan oshikatsu initiatives in XR spaces, they need to envision adult users—not just kids and teens—as core customers. Pricing structures tailored to adults with disposable income will also be required.
hololive × Ikinari Steak — A Repeat Collaboration Started by Nekomata Okayu Expands to a 4-Member Unit
Steakhouse chain “Ikinari Steak” teased a new collaboration with the female VTuber group “hololive.” This partnership originally began in 2022 as a project celebrating talent Nekomata Okayu reaching 1 million YouTube channel subscribers, and marks the chain’s first collaboration with the group since its 2024 campaign with the unit “hololive GAMERS.” This year, the chain collaborated with “常MOS”, a four-member unit consisting of Tokoyami Towa, Ookami Mio, Nekomata Okayu, and Oozora Subaru. Full details were scheduled to be unveiled on May 7 (Inside (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: What began as a campaign aimed at the fans of a single VTuber has grown over a little more than four years into a unit-scale collaboration. Starting from Nekomata Okayu’s milestone project, the partnership expanded step by step into agency-wide and multi-talent initiatives. This progression offers a practical model for how companies can nurture a one-off campaign with a single influencer into an ongoing relationship. Once a collaboration becomes an annual tradition, the return of the event itself becomes something fans look forward to every year.
RX Japan × Little League — Turning the “Fan Community” Itself Into a Product
Exhibition organizer RX Japan announced that it will hold “Content Tokyo 2026” at Tokyo Big Sight from June 17 to June 19, 2026. Within the trade show’s “1st Fan Community Marketing EXPO,” the company announced it will debut a special feature area called “Community park.” Focusing on how brands build relationships with fan communities, the program is structured around three steps: “Learning” at seminars, “Networking” in an exchange lounge, and “Practice” for applying insights to a company’s own initiatives. Hideki Ojima, Representative Director of the Community Marketing Promotion Association, is among the scheduled speakers (PR TIMES (in Japanese)). In the same week, lifestyle retailer Little League Inc. announced “Playful Life,” a pop-up store bringing together multiple lifestyle brands under one roof, opening at Ginza Mitsukoshi from May 13 and at Hankyu Umeda Main Store from May 27. In addition to four existing brands including Frank & Eileen and BAREFOOT DREAMS, three new brands including STATE OF ESCAPE are set to participate (PR TIMES (in Japanese)).
The Oshi Lab’s Note: RX Japan made “how to build a fan community” the centerpiece theme of an entire business conference. Little League, meanwhile, is creating a “space worth supporting” by bundling multiple lifestyle brands without relying on any single character IP. Both cases show that the object of fan devotion is not limited to fictional characters or idols—it can also be a curated collection of brands brought together by a company. Designing a fan community has become a core management theme that businesses can pursue regardless of whether they own character IP.
Next-Stage Fan Business StrategyMoving upstream from one-off promotional tie-ins to long-term relationship building
- Co-Creating Original IPRakuten and WOWOW developing ALIUS across vertical comics and TV drama simultaneously
- Protecting Talent RightsCover Corp. disclosing 149 legal actions and 1,411 takedowns to deter abuse
- Building Community SpacesRX Japan's Fan Community Marketing EXPO and Little League's multi-brand pop-ups
- Connecting Habits & MovementTanita's health checkup data and regional itineraries from JR Central and Kyushu Sanko
Source: The Oshi Lab's summary of the May 1–7, 2026 news roundup
This Week’s Takeaways
This week made it clear that the real-world scope of the word oshikatsu is much wider than many companies had assumed.
In Tanita’s survey, some respondents reported perceived improvements in their health checkup numbers. That finding suggests an opportunity to study the relationship between oshikatsu and everyday lifestyle habits. On the flip side, Utena withdrew its AI anime campaign due to visual similarities to existing works. That incident illustrates how companies trying to approach younger demographics can easily overlook the premise that those young consumers are already devoted fans of other works. Initiatives that chase scale and genuine respect for existing fan culture only work when both are present together.
A second major thread was the simultaneous advance of moves to “create,” “protect,” and “provide a space for” IP—rather than merely “borrowing” it. Rakuten and WOWOW’s original IP development, Cover Corp.’s rights protection enforcement, and RX Japan’s Fan Community Marketing EXPO are prime examples. Each represents an investment one step further upstream than simply releasing a collaboration product. Is oshikatsu marketing for your company a one-off sales promotion, or is it mid-to-long-term relationship building? Alongside our guides to the market size of oshikatsu and the fundamentals of fan marketing, use this week’s cases as material to re-examine your own company’s position.
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.
