DNP's AN-IPPON Brand Merges Anime IP with Traditional Crafts, US Sales Start in July

Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) has launched AN-IPPON, a new brand for overseas markets that combines Japanese manga and anime intellectual property (IP) with traditional crafts from across the country. The first three products, designed around the globally popular anime Naruto Shippuden, will go on sale in the United States from July. The collaboration items include Kutani ware small dishes from Ishikawa Prefecture featuring scenes from the anime, Akabeko figurines from the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture modelled on characters from the series, and Yonezawa-woven scarves from Yamagata Prefecture incorporating iconic elements of the franchise.

The products will first be sold at two Tokyo Anime Center stores, DNP's anime merchandise outlets in the US, with plans to expand to more retail locations. A second batch of collaboration products is scheduled for release within fiscal 2026, and the company is considering expanding into European and Asian markets, as well as exploring simultaneous releases in Japan.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, in its Entertainment and Creative Industries Strategy published in June 2025, estimated the global market for content industries including IP-related businesses at approximately 135 trillion yen, while Japan's exports are estimated at about 5.8 trillion yen. Overseas IP collaborations involve complex rights arrangements and export procedures that are difficult for traditional craft producers to handle independently. DNP aims to help expand overseas sales channels for crafts by providing support in these areas. The company plans to work with craft producers from all 47 of Japan's prefectures over the next three years to develop IP collaboration products and cultivate overseas demand.