Expansion of Character Development, Sales Outlets and Event Businesses
First written in FY2017. 23 of 27 entries say "Advanced", first in FY2018-Q3. Latest entry: 2026-10-14.
The whole theme swung hardest in 2021: 1 of 7 companies on the "Worse" side.
14 other companies' latest entry also says "Advanced".
- 2026-10-14AdvancedResults presentation
「The games business released “Draw & Guess,” “The Garden of Yog-Sothoth” and “COPA CITY,” which were well received. To promote sales, we exhibited 6 titles at “BitSummit PUNCH,” one of Japan's largest exhibitions of indie games.」
Multiple games were released and 6 titles were exhibited at a trade show. - FY2026AdvancedAnnual report
「To promote sales, the company launched an official Japanese-language website, an e-commerce store and official social media accounts, held a pop-up store to mark the first anniversary of the business, and exhibited 8 titles at “Tokyo Game Show 2025.”」
In the game business, the company launched an official website, e-commerce store and official social media accounts, held a first-anniversary pop-up store, and exhibited 8 titles at Tokyo Game Show, expanding the scope of its activities. - FY2026-H1AdvancedAnnual report
「In the game business, the company sold 4 titles and held a pop-up store and launched official social media accounts to mark the first anniversary of the business.」
In addition to online sales and content distribution, the company sold 4 titles, held a pop-up store to mark the first anniversary of the business, and launched official social media accounts. - FY2025-H1AdvancedAnnual report
「The horror-content brand “Shochiku Obakeya Honpo” produced the original map “Ju-en” on the game platform “Fortnite” and planned and produced real-world events in April and May. In the event business, the company held an orchestral concert in June to mark the 15th anniversary of the popular game “Hakuoki,” and in July held “Roman Katsuben Cinema: The Film “Where Is the Springtime Dream?”” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Marunouchi Piccadilly, attracting considerable attention.」
The company expanded its character and event business through an original map on Fortnite, real-world events, a concert marking a game’s 15th anniversary, and an event marking a theater’s centennial. - FY2025-Q1AdvancedAnnual report
「In the event and online game distribution businesses, the company offered the creative map “Ju-en the Cursed Park” on the game platform “Fortnite” and held the real-world event “Ju-en Produced by Shochiku Obakeya Honpo” at Seibu-en Amusement Park. The company also newly entered the game business, promoting and selling “Backpack Battles” as its publishing partner in Japan.」
In addition to its existing event and online distribution offerings, the company provided content on Fortnite and pursued publishing in a new game business. - FY2024AdvancedAnnual report
「In the event and online distribution businesses, the company held Cho Kabuki 2023 “Otogi Zoshi Koi Sugata-e” at Makuhari Messe in April, and its simultaneous livestream recorded the highest viewership to date.」
In addition to recording the highest viewership to date for a simultaneous Cho Kabuki livestream, the company expanded into overnight horror events, regional events, and ARIA orchestral concerts with live viewings and distribution. - FY2024-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「In the event and online distribution businesses, the company held Cho Kabuki 2023 “Otogi Zoshi Koi Sugata-e” at Makuhari Messe in April, and its simultaneous livestream recorded the highest viewership to date. The horror-content series “Shochiku Obakeya Honpo” held the overnight horror event “Inferno Lodge” at a campsite in Gifu Prefecture in May, followed by horror events in Miyazaki Prefecture from July and Aichi Prefecture in August, which proved popular. “ARIA The SINFONIA,” the first orchestral concert based on the anime series “ARIA,” was held with both a live performance and live viewings and distribution on a three-screen system, attracting strong attendance and viewership.」
The same initiatives previously reported have been reiterated for Cho Kabuki, overnight and touring regional horror events, and the first orchestral concert in the ARIA series. - FY2024-Q2AdvancedAnnual report
「In the event and online distribution businesses, the company held Cho Kabuki 2023 “Otogi Zoshi Koi Sugata-e” at Makuhari Messe in April, and its simultaneous livestream recorded the highest viewership to date. The horror-content series “Shochiku Obakeya Honpo” held the overnight horror event “Inferno Lodge” at a campsite in Gifu Prefecture in May, followed by horror events in Miyazaki Prefecture from July and Aichi Prefecture in August, which proved popular. “ARIA The SINFONIA,” the first orchestral concert based on the anime series “ARIA,” was held with both a live performance and live viewings and distribution on a three-screen system, attracting strong attendance and viewership.」
The company expanded its event and distribution offerings through simultaneous livestreaming of Cho Kabuki, overnight and touring regional horror events, and the first orchestral concert based on an anime work, together with three-screen screenings and distribution. - FY2024-Q1AdvancedAnnual report
「For its events and online streaming business, the Group held the Chō-Kabuki 2023 performance “Otogi Zōshi Koi Sugata-e” at Makuhari Messe in April, which was well received.」
As part of its character- and event-related offerings, the company held a new Cho Kabuki 2023 production in April, which was well received. - FY2023AdvancedAnnual report
「In the event and online distribution businesses, the company held a hybrid performance of the new Cho Kabuki production “Eien Hana Homare no Isao” at Makuhari Messe in April, combining an in-person performance with a simultaneous livestream.」
The company expanded its offerings to hybrid performances combining in-person shows with simultaneous livestreams, archived distribution with English subtitles, and experiential exhibition attractions. - FY2022AdvancedAnnual report
「In the event and online distribution businesses, the company also livestreamed “Cho Kabuki 2021: Otogi Zoshi Koi Sugata-e,” held at Makuhari Messe in April. At Kumamoto Piccadilly, the company screened “Cho Kabuki: Konjaku Kyoen Senbonzakura 2020 Natsu,” the first work shown using the next-generation “three-screen projection system,” which was well received.」
The company expanded its event, distribution and product offerings through simultaneous livestreaming of the in-person Cho Kabuki event, screenings using a three-screen projection system, and distribution of sequels and new installments of experiential mystery games. - FY2022-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「Program and character products contributed to earnings, centered on works including “Honey Lemon Soda,” “Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway,” “Rurouni Kenshin: The Final / The Beginning,” “ARIA The CREPUSCOLO” and “ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5×20 FILM “Record of Memories”.”」
In addition to existing products, products related to new works, including “ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5×20 FILM “Record of Memories”,” contributed to earnings. Revenue from other businesses increased 240.9% year on year. - FY2022-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「Program and character products contributed to earnings, centered on works including “Honey Lemon Soda,” “Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway,” “Rurouni Kenshin: The Final / The Beginning” and “ARIA The CREPUSCOLO.”」
The company has continued to state that sales of programs and character products related to its works contributed to earnings. - FY2022-Q1Product sales contributed to earnings; the event business struggledAnnual report
「Sales of program and character merchandise, led by “Rurouni Kenshin: The Final” and “ARIA The CREPUSCOLO,” among others, contributed to earnings. The Shochiku Kabukiya Honpo and events businesses produced difficult results due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the state of emergency.」
Character product sales contributed to earnings, centered on specific works, while kabuki-related stores and the event business were adversely affected by infectious diseases and the state of emergency, resulting in poor performance. - FY2021AdvancedAnnual report
「“Cho Kabuki: Natsu Matsuri-ban Konjaku Kyoen Senbonzakura,” which the company livestreamed without an audience in August, recorded more than 230,000 views. In February, the company also adapted the experiential mystery game “Murder Mystery Theater: The Price of Acting” into video as entirely new immersive content and livestreamed it without an audience, receiving a favorable response.」
The company expanded its products, events and distribution offerings through strengthened online sales, kabuki-anime collaboration events, audience-free livestreams and video adaptations of immersive content. - FY2021-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「At Minamiza, the company recorded a video of Super Kabuki II “New Oguri” without an audience in March and distributed it free of charge on a video-sharing website, where it was well received. The special October screening of “Takizawa Kabuki ZERO 2020 The Movie” sold out on the day of release, achieving strong results. In November, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” × “Kyoto Minamiza Kabuki no Yakata,” an event representing the first collaboration between the TV anime “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” and kabuki, attracted considerable attention.」
The company expanded its character- and event-related offerings through audience-free video distribution, special film screenings and the first collaboration event between a TV anime and kabuki. - FY2020AdvancedAnnual report
「In the event business, the company held a haunted-house event at Tokyo Tower for the fifth consecutive year. Combining a conventional haunted house with the latest technologies, including VR, the company developed it as new content that was well received by customers in Japan and overseas.」
The Tokyo Tower haunted-house event was held for the fifth consecutive year and developed as new content combining the latest technologies, including VR. “Kabuki Nyantaro” was also used extensively in licensing and other businesses. - FY2020-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「As initiatives outside film productions, the company developed collaboration merchandise for the “Rugby World Cup 2019 Japan” and Kabuki, as well as merchandise related to Super Kabuki II “Shinpan Oguri,” with strong results.」
The business expanded its event and character-related offerings, newly launching products created in collaboration with the Rugby World Cup and products related to “New Oguri.” - FY2020-Q2AdvancedAnnual report
「As initiatives outside film productions, the company actively developed Kabuki collaboration merchandise with “Tom and Jerry” and new “Cho Kabuki” merchandise, with strong results.」
Kabuki collaboration merchandise and new “Cho Kabuki” merchandise were developed. Licensing activities for “Kabuki Nyantaro” with other companies were also expanded actively. - FY2019-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「In the “Kabuki Nyantaro” character project, Kabuki Nyantaro appeared in “KAWAII KABUKI ~The Momotaro of the Hello Kitty Troupe~,” a collaboration between Kabuki and musical theater that began performances at Sanrio Puroland in March, and became popular. Related merchandise and licensing were also actively developed.」
“Kabuki Nyantaro” appeared in a collaborative production with Sanrio, and licensing was expanded actively in addition to related merchandise. The scope of the character and event business is expanding. - FY2019-Q2AdvancedAnnual report
「In the “Kabuki Nyantaro” character project, Kabuki Nyantaro appeared in “KAWAII KABUKI ~The Momotaro of the Hello Kitty Troupe~,” a collaboration between Kabuki and musical theater that began performances at Sanrio Puroland in March, and became popular. Related merchandise was also actively developed.」
With “Kabuki Nyantaro” at its core, the character appeared in a collaborative production with Sanrio and related merchandise was actively developed, making the expansion of the character and event business concrete. - FY2018-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「Character merchandise, including anime titles such as “Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Reflection,” “Mobile Suit Gundam THE ORIGIN,” and “Kuroko’s Basketball: LAST GAME,” as well as Kabuki-related goods such as “Kabuki Nyantaro,” jointly developed with Sanrio, was well received. In September, a new Shochiku Kabukiya Honpo store opened in Kamakura Komachi.」
The rollout of the new Kabuki-related character merchandise “Kabuki Nyantaro” and the opening of the Kamakura Komachi store are noted, making the expansion of character development and sales outlets concrete. - FY2017First statedAnnual report
「In the program and character merchandise business, we will work to develop new characters and expand sales outlets and event operations.」
In addition to the strong performance of existing products, the company identified new character development and the expansion of sales outlets and event operations as future initiatives.