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00:00Good morning. I'm Kotaro Uegaki, character license journalist for FUJI TV.
00:08I'm in Harajuku right now.
00:11What do you think of the Harajuku intersection?
00:14Have you seen it before?
00:16When I visited Kiriland in the first episode of Character with Journal,
00:20this is where the opening started.
00:23It's been almost half a year since then.
00:26Have I and this program grown?
00:30Mr. Uegaki, we're going to interview a store called Thank You Mart.
00:35Yes.
00:36Did you know about it?
00:37I'm sorry. I didn't know because I didn't study.
00:41Actually, the sales of character goods have increased by 130% last year,
00:45and new products are coming out every week.
00:48It's a store called a convenience store for character goods.
00:51I see.
00:52It's 30% better, right?
00:55And new products are coming out every week. That's amazing.
00:59This time, we're going to interview the secret of the popularity of Thank You Mart
01:02and why character goods are coming out every week.
01:05I see.
01:06We're going to do our best to interview a convenience store for character goods in Harajuku.
01:11Let's go.
01:14Harajuku. Harajuku.
01:17The Japanese character business market is 2.6 trillion yen.
01:23In addition, the market has expanded at the global level,
01:27and among the top 10 in the world's IP sales ranking,
01:30five Japanese characters are ranked.
01:34It's an industry where demand is growing in both the world and Japan.
01:41I, Kotaro Uegaki, will cover the current situation of the industry,
01:45which is attracting attention from the world.
01:48Galabiz Journal.
01:51There is Harajuku Station on the slope.
01:55And I can see it.
01:58It says Thank You Mart.
02:00The number 390 is also impressive.
02:04Customers are coming out one after another.
02:08It seems that the customers who were inside have come out.
02:11And there are some customers who are coming in.
02:13It's crowded from the afternoon of the weekday.
02:16I'm sorry to bother you, so I'll leave you alone.
02:19Well, I came down the stairs that connect the first floor and the basement.
02:22Here it is.
02:24It's Thank You Mart.
02:26Excuse me.
02:27Oh!
02:29It's a big, spacious store.
02:31And bright customers are shopping.
02:34There is a yellow frame hanging from the top.
02:38And it says all 390 yen.
02:41I see. Is this 390 yen uniform?
02:45First of all, there was Shizuku-chan right after I entered.
02:49I heard the secret of the birth of Shizuku-chan at the Kuriya store the other day.
02:53And I saw the SNS strategy.
02:56Wow, there are a lot of Shizuku-chan.
02:59And this is the interior.
03:01There is a clock and a lamp.
03:04There is a SpongeBob laundry net.
03:06I feel like it's a material suitable for SpongeBob.
03:10And a lunch box.
03:13There is also a character drawn here.
03:15It's Sesame Street.
03:17Here it is.
03:18It's Sanrio.
03:19There is a cinnamoroll.
03:20And Hello Kitty and Hangyodon.
03:22There seems to be a lot of gold-plated clothes.
03:25It's a compact size that can't be said to be that wide.
03:28There are a lot of goods in this.
03:33I think it's a good example of a convenience store with a lot of goods.
03:40The store is quite busy.
03:42So I would like to interview the customers.
03:46My name is Kotaro Uegaki.
03:48Nice to meet you.
03:50How many times have you been to Thank You Mart?
03:53What?
03:54How many times?
03:56I can't count.
03:57You've been here so many times.
03:59What kind of store is Thank You Mart?
04:02It's a store where you can get cheap and cute things.
04:05Oh, a store where you can get cheap and cute things.
04:08There are a lot of cute character goods.
04:11Even if you are a student and don't have a lot of money,
04:14I think it's good that it's easy to come.
04:18That's right.
04:19Will 390 yen help?
04:20Yes, it really helps.
04:35Thank you for coming.
04:37I'm Matsuzawa, the area manager of Thank You Mart.
04:40I'm Kotaro Uegaki, an announcer and a licensed character journalist.
04:44Nice to meet you.
04:46Thank you for coming.
04:51I'd like to ask you a basic question.
04:54What kind of store is Thank You Mart?
04:58It's a store where you can get cheap and cute things for 390 yen.
05:11This is it.
05:12All 390 yen.
05:14That's right.
05:15And the slogan is Be Smile.
05:18Be Cute.
05:21I'm sorry. Thank you.
05:23I didn't mean that.
05:26I didn't mean that.
05:27I didn't mean that.
05:28I'm sorry.
05:29How is the sales of character goods?
05:32The sales of character goods are pretty good.
05:35From 2023 to 2024, the sales have increased by about 30%.
05:41That's amazing.
05:43Yes.
05:44Why is the sales so good?
05:48I think there are a lot of limited goods that you can only get here.
05:53We also have a lot of hand-drawn goods.
05:57And I think the characteristic of this store is that it's all 390 yen.
06:02What are you particular about here?
06:04The founder said that it's 390 yen, so young people can buy a lot of cute things.
06:11I'd like to offer it to customers at a price of 390 yen, which is the name of Thank You Mart.
06:21It means thank you because it's Thank You Mart, right?
06:24Did you notice?
06:25I noticed a little.
06:28Is the 390 yen uniformity always like this?
06:31Actually, until December of last year, we were dealing with some products that were over 390 yen.
06:40I see.
06:41It's easy for you to get it at a discount of 390 yen.
06:48I see.
06:49In January of this year, we recorded the highest sales in the past month.
06:55Congratulations.
06:58I think there are a lot of character goods.
07:01Is there a genre that is the most popular among them?
07:04It's eco-bag.
07:06Is it eco-bag?
07:07Here it is.
07:10Please show me the eco-bag sales area.
07:13Here it is.
07:14Here it is.
07:16I see.
07:18There are two sizes.
07:19There is Hello Kitty.
07:20There is Kitty, too.
07:23I see.
07:24Is eco-bag the most popular as a genre?
07:27Yes, it is.
07:28Since handbags have become popular, many people are looking for it.
07:34It costs 5 yen.
07:37It costs 5 yen.
07:38So if you buy this eco-bag, you can buy the same thing 78 times.
07:45Yes.
07:46It's fast.
07:47It's fast, isn't it?
07:48I'm sorry.
07:49I always think like this.
07:51That's right.
07:54I see.
07:56I'm curious about where to put the most popular products.
08:00Do you have any ideas?
08:01Many people want to use eco-bags right away when they go shopping.
08:10So I set up an eco-bag sales area next to the waiting line.
08:15I'm planning to show it to the customers who are waiting.
08:20Is that so?
08:21Yes.
08:22Is that so?
08:27It's hard to open.
08:30Oh, there is an eco-bag here.
08:32Is that so?
08:33Yes, that's right.
08:34I see.
08:36That's right.
08:38Is it easy to collaborate with characters?
08:42Yes.
08:43It's hard to sell because it's not sold.
08:46But it's good to buy at this price range.
08:51Are there any different products that can be sold depending on the age?
08:54Yes.
08:55For children, there are many lunch-type goods.
09:00There are many people who want to buy lunch boxes.
09:04For teenagers, there are many people who want to buy mirrors and bangs clips.
09:14For adults who are getting older, the washing machine is a popular item.
09:23I see.
09:25I think there are many other stores that sell the same price.
09:29Is there any strength of Thank You Mart?
09:32What is the strength of Thank You Mart?
09:36Every week, the original character products are released.
09:42That's amazing.
09:45Yes.
09:46Can you do that?
09:48I'm doing my best.
09:51I see.
09:53When there are many characters, we sell about 200 items.
10:00I see.
10:01Is there any product that impressed you?
10:05Heisei Retro.
10:08Heisei Retro.
10:10Can you choose one?
10:12Love&Berry, which was released two weeks ago.
10:18Love&Berry.
10:19It's over there.
10:21Can you show me?
10:22Yes.
10:24It's right at the entrance.
10:26It's right at the entrance.
10:27That's right.
10:28You can see it right away.
10:32That's amazing.
10:33I feel like my eyes are pink.
10:37That's right.
10:38That's amazing.
10:39This is a card motif purse case.
10:43It's popular.
10:44I think it's a little strange.
10:47It's not a character, it's an introduction of clothes.
10:51That's right.
10:52It's an introduction of clothes cards.
10:55It's an introduction of clothes cards.
10:57There is also a selection of popular items.
11:00There is a selection of popular items.
11:02There are two types.
11:03One type is completely fashion.
11:06The other type is a character.
11:10What are the criteria for choosing Heisei Retro characters?
11:14It's important to know how popular it was at the time.
11:20It's the target of admiration.
11:22It's the target of admiration.
11:24I think that's the biggest thing.
11:27Is that so?
11:28Yes.
11:29Is there anything you want to buy?
11:31I came to see this series.
11:33That's right.
11:34It's called Angel Blue, and it's pretty popular now.
11:38Angel Blue.
11:39Is this the latest character?
11:42It's not the latest.
11:45It's like a revival.
11:46It was popular when I was in elementary school, but now it's becoming popular with Heisei characters.
11:54Is it Heisei Retro?
11:56That's right.
11:57I see.
11:58When I was a kid, I couldn't buy it because it was expensive, but now I can buy it because I'm an adult.
12:07I see.
12:09By the way, how was Matsuda?
12:13It was the same for me.
12:15I didn't buy everything I wanted to buy.
12:19The only thing I was patient with was Tamagotchi.
12:25Is that so?
12:26Do you have it in your store?
12:27It's here.
12:28I see.
12:30That's great.
12:32You didn't buy Tamagotchi because there was Tamagotchi here, did you?
12:37No, I didn't.
12:39That's great.
12:41Why is Heisei Retro coming out now?
12:45I think nostalgia is the biggest reason.
12:49It's easy to use even for adults.
12:52I think that's why it's so popular.
13:01I'd like to ask you about the history of your store.
13:07Can I ask you about the history of Thank You Mart?
13:10Yes.
13:11Then I'd like you to talk to our president.
13:14Really?
13:15Yes.
13:16Thank you very much.
13:33I'd like to ask you about the history of Thank You Mart.
13:37Where did the store start?
13:39The first store opened in Osaka in 2002.
13:45That's where it started.
13:47It was the first store in Osaka.
13:49Yes.
13:50I see.
13:51At first, it was a store that sold old clothes and American footwear.
13:58I see.
13:59Old clothes and American footwear.
14:01It's quite different from now.
14:03It's not like that at all now.
14:04That's right.
14:05That's true.
14:07Here's a picture of the store.
14:10Wow.
14:11It's true.
14:12It's quite different from now.
14:14It's called The Old Clothes Store.
14:16That's true.
14:17There are a lot of shiny old clothes and accessories.
14:21That's right.
14:22The price is 390 yen.
14:24That's right.
14:25From this time on, it's all 390 yen.
14:29How did you get to where you are now?
14:32The store started in Osaka.
14:34It was a cheap store.
14:37That's how it started.
14:39I see.
14:40I wasn't satisfied with just buying new clothes.
14:44Yes.
14:45I decided to make something that I could be satisfied with.
14:50I made an original T-shirt.
14:52That's how we got more and more original products.
14:56I see.
14:58When did you start adding character goods?
15:01It was 10 years ago.
15:04It was 2015.
15:06I see.
15:08Here it is.
15:10Here it is.
15:12Do you know Haribo?
15:14Yes, I know Haribo.
15:16It's a character from Gumi.
15:18It was the first time we released a character item.
15:21At that time, foreign characters and sweets were popular.
15:28I wanted to collaborate with them.
15:32So, I made accessories.
15:35I made a lot of accessories.
15:37I see.
15:39I added a little flavor.
15:41I wanted to make a character.
15:43I see.
15:44It changes quickly.
15:46I made a character out of old clothes.
15:48Do you have any impressive character goods?
15:51This is a collaboration between a student and a university.
15:59I see.
16:01This is the product I made.
16:04Here it is.
16:06Is this it?
16:08It's a student showcase with a hidden face.
16:11It's true.
16:13A cat is printed here to hide the picture.
16:17I added a cat.
16:19In the opinion of the student, the student ID card is a little expensive.
16:24It's a student ID card, so it's not easy to get it.
16:28I agree.
16:29This is a limited edition.
16:32This was just released.
16:35This is also out of stock.
16:37I see.
16:39In fact, the most popular product is also from that exhibition.
16:46I see.
16:47What is it?
16:48Here it is.
16:51Can you show me?
16:53This is it.
16:55This is a hair iron.
16:57It's true.
16:58It says it's a hair iron with a code.
17:00Hair irons are usually bigger.
17:02I heard that you need to curl your bangs a little more easily.
17:09This is the most popular product among our products.
17:11It sold 1.1 million copies.
17:141.1 million copies.
17:16That's a lot of money.
17:19Is there anything that surprised you with 390 yen?
17:22Hair irons.
17:24Hair irons.
17:26When I go on a trip, I take it with me when I go shopping.
17:32I see.
17:33How much do you spend on hair irons in other stores?
17:36I spend more than 10,000 yen.
17:42You can make hair irons with only 390 yen.
17:46It's actually quite difficult.
17:49I know.
17:50To be honest, it's not that profitable.
17:54But in order to meet the needs of our customers, especially young people,
17:58it's only 390 yen.
18:01How do students get involved in product development?
18:05How do students get involved in product development?
18:09Each team is given a proposal for a new product.
18:15We also get a lot of help from the university students.
18:19They do a lot of research and survey.
18:22The younger students are also part of the network.
18:26So, we get a lot of advice from middle and high school students.
18:31I see.
18:33There is a network that starts with students.
18:36I'd like to ask the person who develops character goods.
18:42Is there anyone you know?
18:45Yes.
18:46I'm from Osaka.
18:48I'm a young leader in product development.
18:52Really?
18:53Do you usually live in Osaka?
18:54Yes, I do.
18:55I'm here today for a special purpose.
18:57Really?
18:58To Harajuku?
18:59Yes.
19:05I'm Kotaro Uedaki.
19:06I'm a TV announcer and a licensed character journalist.
19:09I'm Masuoka from L-Sonic.
19:11Nice to meet you.
19:12Nice to meet you, too.
19:14Thank you, Mart.
19:16I heard that your company is really good at product development.
19:23How do you design goods?
19:26First, we decide on a character to collaborate with.
19:30Then, each member discusses with the designer about the character.
19:38I see.
19:40Is there a time when you're in trouble?
19:42Yes.
19:43It's hard to come up with a new product every week.
19:45We run out of ideas.
19:47When we actually start making things,
19:49it doesn't go the way we want.
19:51The color and the atmosphere don't go well.
19:53It's hard to do it over and over again.
19:56That's right.
19:57Our program is broadcast every week.
20:00I think it's hard to come up with a new product every week.
20:06I think so, too.
20:08I think it's harder for you.
20:10No, no.
20:11I think it's hard for you, too.
20:13Is it fun to come up with a new product every week?
20:17Yes.
20:18We don't have many ideas.
20:20We don't have many requests.
20:23Basically, we can express what we want to do.
20:26That's why it's fun.
20:28I see.
20:29Is there an item that is easy to use?
20:31Yes.
20:32It's a big cut product in the shape of a character we collaborate with.
20:36Also, it's easy to use products that fit the world view of the character.
20:42Is the world view of the character important?
20:44Yes, it is.
20:45It's important.
20:46Is there a product that was impressive in collaboration with the character?
20:53Tamagotchi is a very impressive character.
20:56Tamagotchi?
20:57Yes, Tamagotchi.
20:58There was Tamagotchi.
21:00Can I ask you a question?
21:02Yes.
21:03There are more and more customers in the store.
21:06It's the first time for us to focus on Heisei Retro.
21:13That's right.
21:16Tamagotchi was released in 2023.
21:19This year, Tamagotchi will be released again.
21:23I see.
21:25Tamagotchi is very popular.
21:27Tamagotchi has received a lot of response.
21:30So, the number of characters in Heisei Retro has increased.
21:34I see.
21:36How do you accept the price of 390 yen for product development?
21:43I think it's easier to develop without 390 yen.
21:47I'm happy with the customers, but it's only 390 yen.
21:50So, I'll do my best to develop with 390 yen.
21:54Is there a product that is more impressive than 390 yen?
21:59I don't know if I can say that it's impressive.
22:02It's a tote bag.
22:04I'm working hard on it.
22:06I see.
22:07Can I see the tote bag?
22:09Yes, of course.
22:14There are a lot of tote bags.
22:17This is it.
22:18That's right.
22:20There are a lot of characters on it.
22:22That's right.
22:24It's a tote bag that I'm confident in.
22:26I see.
22:27Can I touch it?
22:28Of course.
22:29Excuse me.
22:30It's a solid material.
22:33That's right.
22:34It's thick, too.
22:36It looks durable.
22:37Yes.
22:38This material is originally quite expensive.
22:41It's only 390 yen, but it's not too cheap.
22:44I bought about 10 of them.
22:47That's how I got this tote bag.
22:50What do you usually do when you develop goods?
22:55Trends are important.
22:58So, I do research on SNS.
23:01I see.
23:02Depending on the character, you can tell which one is more popular.
23:08I see.
23:09By the way, can you tell me how to tell which one is more popular?
23:12It's easy to tell which character is more popular.
23:17I also check Instagram for the latest trends.
23:21I see.
23:22What else do you look at besides SNS?
23:26I especially look at anime.
23:28Anime?
23:29I try to watch about 10 My Cool.
23:3310 My Cool?
23:34Yes.
23:35That's quite an anime nerd.
23:39I spend all my commute time watching anime.
23:43I see.
23:44You spend your research time.
23:46Yes.
23:47I'm looking forward to seeing more of your products.
23:57How was it today?
23:58It was my first time doing a Thank You Mart interview.
24:03I could tell that the customers were very welcoming and thought it was very convenient.
24:11I was able to visit a shop that has a great way of developing products and understands the trend of the times.