Chiikawa opens its first official flagship stores in South China in Shenzhen and Guangzhou

Overview

Official flagship stores of Chiikawa, the popular character franchise that grew out of a manga by Japanese illustrator Nagano, opened in Guangzhou on September 24, 2026, and in Shenzhen on September 25, 2026. They are the first official flagship stores in South China. The Shenzhen store is on the second floor of the Coastal City shopping center in Nanshan District, and the Guangzhou store is on the first floor of Teemall in Tianhe District. Opening ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, both stores feature limited designs themed on Lingnan martial arts culture from Guangdong.

Background

Chiikawa depicts the everyday life of the title character and friends Hachiware and Usagi, in stories that are both cheerful and a little sad. The franchise is popular not only in Japan but also among young people in China. In mainland China, the first store opened on Nanjing East Road in Shanghai in September 2025, followed by a second store in Hangzhou in April 2026 and a permanent shop in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, in the same month. A limited-time pop-up store is open in Beijing from September 25 to November 23. With the new Shenzhen and Guangzhou stores, the franchise now has official outlets in South China as well. In recent years, Japanese anime and character franchises have entered major Chinese cities through official stores, pop-ups and themed events, becoming an important part of cultural and consumer exchange between the two countries.

Key Points

• Martial-arts themed designs: Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi appear in kung fu outfits, training with a Wing Chun wooden dummy.
• Guangdong-exclusive goods: Along with kung fu plush hanging ornaments, the stores sell selfie sticks, palm-leaf fans, T-shirts, fridge magnets, keychains and canvas bags.
• First parade in China: From September 20 to October 7, floats carrying the characters in kung fu outfits are touring the streets of Shenzhen and Guangzhou, the franchise's first float parade in China. The Shenzhen route covers eight locations, including Coastal City, Sea World, Window of the World and Futian Port.
• Reservation-based entry: Entry is by reservation through a WeChat mini program, with one reservation per ID document; visitors must show the reservation code and the registered ID at the door. Visits are limited to 30 minutes, purchases of limited items are capped at two per item per person, and a wristband handed out at entry is required to buy them. Foreign visitors are advised to check in advance whether a passport can be used to book and enter.
• Access: The Shenzhen store is about a three- to five-minute walk from Houhai Station on Metro Lines 2 and 11, and the Guangzhou store is directly connected to Tiyu Xilu Station on Metro Lines 1 and 3.
• Social media campaign: From September 25 to October 7, visitors who post on Xiaohongshu (RED) with designated hashtags and join the in-store community receive a randomly selected fan at the entrance, while stocks last.
• Opening day: The three main characters appeared in person at the Shenzhen store on opening day.

Implications for Japan-Shenzhen Exchange

The combination of a Japanese character franchise with Lingnan martial arts, a regional Chinese culture, in limited designs is drawing attention as one form of content localization. Japanese anime, manga and characters are widely loved by young people in China, and opening official stores in a city with strong consumer spending like Shenzhen appears to show the importance of the South China market for Japan's content industry. The Shenzhen parade route also includes Futian Port on the border with Hong Kong, putting the event in front of people traveling between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Familiarity with each other's culture through such characters is also expected to help deepen mutual understanding among young people in both countries. For Japanese people living and working in Shenzhen, seeing familiar Japanese characters blended with Guangdong culture on local streets may also offer a topic of conversation with local residents.

Outlook

The parade is scheduled to continue until October 7. Visitors are advised to check the latest official information on how long reservation-based entry will continue. No plans for further stores in South China have been announced.

From the Association

The Association will continue to follow exchanges between Japan and Shenzhen in culture and content. We will keep working to provide opportunities for broad exchange covering not only the economy but also culture.