Mobile Game IP x Japanese Sake (2022)
Azur Lane x Kikusui Sake Brewery collab
Kikusui Sake Brewery in Mancho, Noshiro City (President Kisaburo Hirasawa) features a beautiful girl character who personifies the light cruiser “Noshiro” that appears in the popular smartphone app game “Azur Lane” on the product package and sake bottle label. Japanese sake is attracting attention. Yostar (Tokyo), which distributes the app game, started accepting reservations on September 17, and the limited edition of 1,000 sold out on the same day. Kikusui Sake Brewery is selling a limited number of 100 additional bottles to customers in response to the popularity that exceeded expectations.
Azur Lane is a shooting RPG where you operate a ship that is anthropomorphized as a beautiful girl. In December 2017, three months after the start of distribution, it achieved top sales on the “AppStore” and “Google Store”, and as of January 2022, the cumulative number of downloads exceeded 9 million.
According to Yostar, “Noshiro” is a beautiful girl character who personifies the old navy’s light cruiser “Noshiro” as a motif. She has the elements of an orthodox beautiful girl, such as her flowing black hair, cool eyes, and slender legs.
The sale of “collaborative products” of sake and beautiful girl characters is planned by the company as part of the 5th anniversary of Azur Lane service. It was printed on the package of five brands of sake with the same name as the character.
“Noshiro” is printed on the box package and bottle label of “Noshiro Hirafu Daiginjo” (720ml) brewed by Kikusui Shuzo. The smile on the face of the cool character “Noshiro” label has become a hot topic among fans.
Executive Managing Director Kiichiro Hirasawa said, “I didn’t know that 1,000 copies would be sold out in one day after accepting reservations on the 17th. This is the first time I’ve seen such a thing. I’m amazed at the power of a popular game.”
It is said that Yostar employees visited Kikusui Sake Brewery, interviewed Managing Director Hirasawa and others, and sampled the company’s various brands with the name “Noshiro.” The interview is featured on Yostar’s website.
Managing Director Hirasawa said, “This is a great opportunity to introduce Kikusui’s sake to people who are different from the usual customers. Hirafu is the finest sake brewed with Yamada Nishiki, the best sake rice in Japan. As many locals as possible drink it. I hope it will be an opportunity to revitalize the region with sake.”
The collaboration product Noshiro Hirafu Daiginjo is 3,500 yen (excluding tax) for a 720ml bottle. Limited to 100 copies, first come first serve. Advance reservations are required, and the contact information is Kikusui Sake Brewery (☎0185–52–2271).
