A limited-edition collaboration between a Japanese sushi chain and the manga sensation "Chiikawa" that kicked off on New Year's Day has sparked a buying frenzy in Hong Kong, despite a monthslong diplomatic spat between Beijing and Tokyo.
Sushiro conveyor-belt sushi franchise has launched a monthlong crossover campaign in the semiautonomous Chinese region with the popular manga created by Japanese illustrator Nagano, with local media reporting that patrons started lining up as early as 5 a.m. outside some of the restaurants on the first day.
Customers are eligible to buy the limited-edition merchandise featuring the manga's main characters -- Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi -- including plush keychains, sushi plates and phone lanyards, after spending HK$150 ($19).
Some of the products were sold out as the campaign entered its second day, the sushi chain said on social media. Three of the 40 Sushiro branches in the city were also decorated with images of the manga characters.
A dispute occurred after some dine-in customers failed to purchase their desired items as those opting for takeaway meals had quickly secured them, leading to police intervention, according to local media reports.
Graphic designer Franky Fok, 34, arrived at a Sushiro outlet in Causeway Bay as soon as it opened at 10:30 a.m. on Friday to avoid a long wait during lunch hour. He spent HK$129 for a Hachiware keychain and HK$99 for a sushi plate.
"The collaboration brings the characters closer to everyday life, which is why I love this collection especially," said Fok, a regular Sushiro customer. The current Japan-China dispute had "made no impact" on his consumption decisions, he added.
The frenzy came despite Hong Kong authorities halting official exchanges with Tokyo, with the territory following Beijing in applying economic pressure on Japan in response to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks last November on a Taiwan contingency.
Food & Life Companies Ltd., the Japanese-listed parent company of Sushiro, which reported strong earnings results driven by robust performance in overseas markets, has pledged to continue expanding in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, aiming for over 200 outlets in those markets by September this year.
Chiikawa has taken Hong Kong by storm, becoming the second most trending fictional character in 2025 after Labubu, a rabbit-like monster plush toy of Chinese maker Pop Mart, according to search engine Yahoo.
Observers say under the guise of cute characters, Chiikawa's dystopian work vividly depicts the frustration of hard work often going unrewarded, resonating with students and working professionals living in Asia's highly competitive societies.
A monthlong Chiikawa Days exhibition held in Hong Kong last August drew over 100,000 visitors, with the shopping mall hosting the event recording its highest monthly visitor traffic since it opened in 2019.
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