October 16, 2025
TOKYO – Two major Japanese firms, trading company Marubeni Corp. and leading publisher Shogakukan Inc., will cooperate to develop and sell merchandise related to popular manga published by Shogakukan and their anime adaptations in the United States from January 2026, using the store network of a major U.S. anime merchandise retailer, the companies have announced.
By doing so, Marubeni and Shogakukan are aiming to capture demand from anime fans in the United States and strengthen the earning capacity of their content business by way of intellectual property distribution.
The two companies will soon sign a strategic deal with Hot Topic Inc., a major seller of anime goods in the United States. As the first part of the joint project, Marubeni and Shogakukan will develop apparel products and various collectibles featuring characters from four popular manga series — “Inuyasha,” “Ranma 1/2,” “Soso no Frieren” (“Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End”) and “Uzumaki” — in editions specifically for the U.S. market.
MAG.NET Co., a joint venture established by Marubeni and Shogakukan, will be in charge of developing and distributing the merchandise. The products, as well as English paperback volumes of the four manga series, will be sold at about 280 stores run by Hot Topic across the United States, as well as on the internet. Special new sections where customers can immerse themselves in the world of each manga will be installed at 10 of the stores. The companies hope that it will encourage fans of manga and anime to visit the stores, thereby boosting their sales power.
Japanese Manga and anime enjoy worldwide popularity, yet there are only a few companies with overseas distribution and sales networks for them, which one of the obstacles preventing companies from fully taking advantage of the profitability of their intellectual properties. Marubeni and Shogakukan are planning to extend their commercialization project to more works in bid to expand their operations within the content industry’s huge marketplace.