Key Facts

• The Apothecary Diaries and Ibaraki Prefecture announced a collaboration on August 1
• A new key visual and special anime movie featuring Maomao and Jinshi have been released
• The collaboration supports Ibaraki’s “IBARAKI is Blossoming” branding project
• A stamp rally featuring SD-style characters will be held across tourist sites
• Participants can collect original stamps and receive exclusive acrylic cards

On August 1, Ibaraki Prefecture announced a new collaboration with the anime The Apothecary Diaries, featuring main characters Maomao and Jinshi. As part of a tourism promotion initiative, a key visual and an original short anime were released, showcasing the charm of Ibaraki through the lens of the anime’s unique world.

Maomao and Jinshi Explore Ibaraki in New Anime Short

A collaboration between The Apothecary Diaries and Ibaraki Prefecture was officially revealed on August 1. The announcement includes the release of a key visual and an original anime short featuring Maomao and Jinshi, the main characters of the series. The short film follows their fictional mission to explore the charms of Ibaraki, forming part of a broader effort to promote the area’s appeal to domestic and international tourists.

The campaign aligns with the prefecture’s new tourism branding initiative under the concept IBARAKI is Blossoming. Ibaraki Prefecture described the collaboration as a perfect match, stating that the anime’s “delicate and elegant world” aligns with the goal of encouraging visitors to discover the many unique and beautiful aspects of the region.

The key visual and anime short are available on a newly launched special tourism branding website, which also highlights Ibaraki’s local attractions.

Stamp Rally with Maomao and Jinshi Begins in Ibaraki

As part of the collaboration, Ibaraki Prefecture will host a tourism campaign that includes a themed stamp rally featuring SD-style illustrations of Maomao and Jinshi. Two separate courses will be available: the Maomao Course and the Jinshi Course, each covering five tourist locations in the region.

Participants can visit designated spots across the prefecture to collect original stamps—twelve in total—featuring newly drawn illustrations of the characters. Collecting stamps allows participants to receive exclusive acrylic cards of Maomao and Jinshi, which are only available through this campaign.

The project aims to give participants a hands-on experience of Ibaraki’s diverse offerings, from natural beauty and flowers to cultural heritage, presented as a “personal bouquet” of discoveries.

More details about the campaign and participation methods will be announced at a later date.

“IBARAKI is Blossoming” and the Next Phase of Tourism

This collaboration is part of the Ibaraki Next Tourism Promotion Project, which follows three years of the Ibaraki Destination Campaign. The project seeks to build on that legacy by differentiating Ibaraki’s tourism content and reinforcing its brand image through new initiatives.

By teaming up with popular anime titles like The Apothecary Diaries, Ibaraki Prefecture aims to engage a wider demographic, including anime fans, and highlight the prefecture’s potential as a travel destination.

The IBARAKI is Blossoming concept represents this renewed vision and is being promoted through collaborative content and immersive tourism campaigns.

Source : ORICON NEWS