Ichikippurin’s new event, “King of Ichikippurin-1 Grand Prix,” has been confirmed. The final will be held on 5 December at Puk Puppet Theatre, with Takahiro Ogata (尾形貴弘), Ryotaro Kan (菅良太郎) and Kazuma Ikeda (池田一真) serving as judges and Sasuke (佐助) as MC. Tickets are ¥3,900 in advance and ¥4,400 on the day, with all seats reserved. Following last year’s character popularity poll, around 100 characters are expected to enter this year, and the first round is scheduled to begin on 1 November.
Last year, Ichikippurin held a solo live show at Shibuya Yoshimoto Manzai Theatre to mark 20 years in the profession. He will now hold a new event, “King of Ichikippurin-1 Grand Prix.” A large number of characters will enter the competition and compete for the title of strongest character.
The final will be held on Saturday, 5 December 2026, with doors opening at 18:30 and the performance starting at 19:00. The venue is Puk Puppet Theatre (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo). Guest judges will be Takahiro Ogata (尾形貴弘) of Panther, Ryotaro Kan (菅良太郎) of Panther and Kazuma Ikeda (池田一真) of Shizuru. Sasuke (佐助) will serve as MC.
All seats are reserved, with tickets priced at ¥3,900 in advance and ¥4,400 on the day. Children aged 5 and over require a ticket, while children aged 4 and under may generally watch from a guardian’s lap. The first round is scheduled to be held from 1 November at the Mysterious Theatre on Underground Floor 100, according to the announcement.
Around 100 characters are expected to enter. Updates are awaited on those advancing to the final, the guest judges and additional information.