TokyoScope News: Anpanman's Billions, Battle Royale Returns, Kenzo Retrospective

A round up of recent Japanese pop culture headlines and ephemera

Mar 28, 2025

毎年1500億円超も稼ぐ「アンパンマン」の凄みとは？お客さんは日本の乳幼児ばかりなのに世界トップクラスのキャラクター経済圏を構築 | ゲーム・エンタメ | 東洋経済オンライン

Anpanman may be a superhero for babies, but don’t let the soft, smiling face fool you—he’s the core of a billion-dollar business. Despite catering almost exclusively to infants and toddlers, Anpanman’s brand ecosystem rakes in over ¥150 billion annually. His reach spans TV shows, toys, snacks, books, hygiene products, and more. While most hit characters eventually fade, Anpanman has kept a firm grip on Japan’s youngest audience for over three decades.

This success is no accident. The brand’s dominance stems from smart segmentation and relentless development. Companies like Bandai tailor toys to each developmental stage, and firms like Meiji and Tohato create food products parents can trust. Even digital learning tools like Anpanman-themed PCs and tablets have sold in the millions. The character’s presence is so embedded in early childhood that many Japanese children recognize Anpanman before they even learn to speak.

Created by Takashi Yanase in 1973, Anpanman debuted in a picture book and later evolved into a beloved animated TV series in 1988. Beyond merchandise, he’s expanded into physical spaces. The Anpanman Children’s Museums—now in Yokohama, Nagoya, Kobe, Sendai, and Fukuoka—are massive attractions. Some locations bring in hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, with Yokohama surpassing one million in its first year. These interactive museums offer kids a fully immersive experience, reinforcing their attachment to the character while driving even more revenue.

The museum business alone made over ¥4.3 billion in 2023, showing major growth even post-COVID. According to ACM’s former CEO, the Anpanman market has never dipped below the ¥150 billion mark in nearly 30 years. For a character originally conceived as a soft critique of Western superheroes, Anpanman has become an unmatched commercial force—quietly conquering Japan’s toddler economy one smiling bun at a time.

Battle Royale Returns to Theaters in Japan for a Limited-Time Comeback

Battle Royale: Director's Cut - Films from the South

The movie Battle Royale is making a comeback in theaters across Japan from April 4 to April 17, 2025. Originally released in 2000 and based on Koushun Takami’s novel, the film follows a class of 42 junior high school students who are forced into a brutal survival game where they must fight until only one remains. It’s a shocking, intense story that sparked a lot of buzz back in the day.

映画『バトル・ロワイアル』再上映 - ビートたけし・藤原竜也ら出演、“中学生”の過激なデスゲーム｜写真9

At the time of its release, the film stirred up major controversy for its violent content and became a defining piece in the “death game” genre. The legendary Takeshi Kitano plays the class’s teacher, while a young Tatsuya Fujiwara, Chiaki Kuriyama, and Kou Shibasaki take on student roles. Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the movie has since become a cult classic. For this re-release, theaters will also be giving out special limited-edition goodies—details to come soon!

Isao Takahata Retrospective Opens at Azabudai Hills

The "Isao Takahata Exhibition: The Man Who Made Japanese Animation" is currently being held at Azabudai Hills Gallery in Tokyo. This exhibition celebrates the 90th anniversary of Isao Takahata's birth and explores his remarkable journey as an animation director. With the cooperation of Studio Ghibli, the exhibition features key works from his career, including classics like Grave of the Fireflies, Pom Poko, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, as well as earlier titles from before his Ghibli days.

Visitors can explore various aspects of Takahata's creative process, from conceptual sketches to finished animations. The exhibition also features personal artifacts and insights into his collaborations with other notable figures in the animation industry.

Kenzo Takada Retrospective: Celebrating the Legacy of a Fashion Revolutionary

A major retrospective exhibition titled Kenzo Takada: Burning in Paris, Eternal Revolutionary will be held at the Himeji City Museum of Art in Hyogo from April 12 to July 21, 2025. This exhibition honors the legacy of Kenzo Takada, founder of the fashion brand Kenzo, who was renowned for introducing innovative styles that blended Eastern and Western aesthetics. The showcase will feature approximately 100 ensembles, tracing Takada's journey from his early works, including his award-winning designs from the 1960 Soen Prize, to his later creations inspired by global cultures.

One of the exhibition's highlights is a dress adorned with intricately embroidered floral ribbons, a masterpiece crafted over two decades and unveiled in the 1982–84 autumn/winter collection. Additionally, the Himeji venue will display pieces from Kenzo's men's collections and works by NIGO, who became the brand's artistic director in 2021.

TokyoScope Retro: Apocalypse Now Movie Poster Design by Eiko Ishioka

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