Nitto Kocha Announces New Collaboration with Popular Game "Touken Ranbu-ONLINE-", Generating Buzz on Social Media

Nitto Kocha has announced new collaboration products with the popular game "Touken Ranbu-ONLINE-", creating a significant buzz on social media. This latest collaboration features three Touken Danshi (sword warriors): Shokudaikiri Mitsutada, Ookurikara, and Kashagari, each offered as a set including tea bags and an original tumbler. Fans have flooded social media with excited comments such as, "Is it that time of year again for TouRabu and Nitto Kocha collaboration?", "I have no choice but to buy them all!", and "Thank you, Nitto Kocha, for the pre-orders!".

Sales will begin early on December 9th (Tuesday) at Aeon stores in the Honshu and Shikoku regions, with online purchases becoming available from December 10th (Wednesday). In the past, various collaboration items featuring other Touken Danshi have been released, including a clear bottle for Nikkou Ichimonji, a canister can for Fukuchan (Taiko Sasamune), and a double-wall glass for Tsurumaru Kunenaga, all of which have consistently garnered strong support from fans. Many fans have also expressed interest in combining new items with previous ones, with comments like, "Does this mean I can put tea leaves in the Fukuchan canister can released three years ago and drink from Mitsutada's tumbler?!"

Meanwhile, some regions, particularly Kyushu and Hokkaido, have voiced dissatisfaction over limited in-store sales opportunities, with comments such as, "Why are Kyushu and Hokkaido always excluded when it's just Honshu and Shikoku?" Expectations are high for a future expansion of sales regions. The affordable price point and practicality of these new collaboration products are likely to encourage many fans to make a purchase.

Beyond the "Touken Ranbu" collaboration, Nitto Kocha is also currently running a "Reward Milk Tea Campaign" with popular artist ROIROM. This campaign, which offers ROIROM original merchandise, signed polaroids, and QUO Card Pay to those who apply with eligible product receipts, is also attracting considerable attention. Nitto Kocha continues to capture the hearts of consumers through diverse marketing approaches.

The Context

"Touken Ranbu -ONLINE-" is a highly popular Japanese online collectible card game developed by Nitroplus and DMM Games. Players take on the role of a Saniwa sage who summons Touken Danshi, personifications of historical Japanese swords, to protect history. The game has a large fanbase, particularly among women, and has expanded into various media including anime, musicals, stage plays, and films, making merchandise collaborations highly sought after. Nitto Kocha is a well-established Japanese tea brand in Japan, known for its wide range of black teas and milk teas. Their recurring collaborations with "Touken Ranbu" are highly anticipated by fans, often featuring specific characters (Touken Danshi) on packaging and merchandise like tumblers and canisters. Aeon is one of Japan's largest retail chains, frequently serving as a key distribution channel for such collaborations. ROIROM is a popular Japanese illustrator/artist known for their distinctive art style, often collaborating with various brands. QUO Card Pay is a widely used digital gift card service in Japan.