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If you’re a fan of anime and manga, you may have come across the word ” Ichiban KUJI “, but what exactly is it?
This is a prize drawing system popular in Japan , run periodically by Bandai Spirits . This system is often used to promote anime, manga, and video game brands . The way it works is quite simple: participants buy a ticket at a fixed price, which usually ranges between 500 and 1000 yen , and in exchange they receive a raffled prize.
Well yes: the peculiarity of Ichiban KUJI is that each purchase is like target practice: the player does not know exactly what item he is buying, and must trust in destiny to receive the desired product. Prizes range from “classic consolation prizes” to small items like mugs, posters, action figures, etc., to more prized pieces like large statues or even musical instruments.
But the real question is: since these are products that are won by lottery, are there ways for fans to purchase them from abroad? Let’s find out together in our guide on Ichiban KUJI!
What is Ichiban Kuji?
As we have seen the term Ichiban Kuji refers to raffle prizes, usually anime and manga themed, organized by Bandai Spirits, a subsidiary of Bandai Namco.
Most of Ichiban KUJI takes place in convenience stores, arcades, toy stores, and shopping malls in Japan.
Participants buy a ticket for a certain amount of money and receive a prize drawn at random from those available. Ticket prices vary depending on the type of game and the prize offered.
The most common prizes will be distributed in large amounts, while the rarer prizes will be distributed in very small amounts. This system allows participants to choose which lottery to participate in, considering the pros and cons and the probability of receiving the rarest prizes.
This is definitely a pretty inexpensive way to get limited edition gadgets and products from your favorite anime series like Demon Slayer, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Monster Hunter, and many more!
For information about current and upcoming lotteries, you can rely on the official Ichiban KUJI website .
How does it work and what can I win?
La forma más fácil de comprar productos KUJI Ichiban en Japón es comprarlos en una de las muchas tiendas de conveniencia (conbini) siempre presentes.
Para comprar uno de estos productos de la rifa en un conbini, busca la valla publicitaria o el estante de premios y toma uno o más boletos de la rifa disponibles, como los que están en un círculo en la foto, y llévalos al cajero.
Once you have taken the ticket, take it to the cashier and make the payment. Participation tickets usually range from 600 to 1000 yen (tax included) depending on the series.
After you’ve paid, the clerk will give you a box full of small tickets to take out your prize. Once you’ve grabbed your ticket, remove the cover to reveal the type of prize won!
Typically, different types of prizes are indicated by a letter of the alphabet, the best prizes are indicated by the letter “A”, and the rest follow in order of rarity. Depending on the lotteries, there may also be special prizes marked with the letter “S” or extra prizes for those who draw the last or penultimate ticket.
Typically the least rare prizes are items such as keychains, glasses, clear folders, notebooks, pins, dishes, wipes, stickers, etc…
The most popular prizes tend to be items such as larger figures, puppets and pillows and other rarer items such as high quality prints and home items. These rewards are generally only available in one copy per store.
As mentioned above, there are also “Last” prizes , which can only be won by purchasing the last remaining ticket . These prizes are often the hardest to win per drawing, so much so that die-hard fans sometimes decide to buy all the remaining tickets to get the ultimate prize!
Finally, in addition to the prizes mentioned above, it may occasionally happen that you also come across Ichiban KUJI “Double Chance” campaigns, that is, events in which you can use your ticket to try to win more prizes, usually through an online system.
Tickets for these events, in fact, have a double serial number printed on them: after collecting your prize at the convenience store, you can use the second number on the “Ichiban KUJI Club” website to participate in a second lottery. The prizes available on the site are usually only fifty, so you have to be very lucky!
Other Types of Lotteries
AMUSEMENT Ichiban KUJI
In addition to the classic Ichiban KUJI lotteries, it is occasionally also possible to participate in special lotteries that are only available in Japanese arcades: the exclusive AMUSEMENT Ichiban KUJI!
The particularity of these lotteries lies in the higher cost of the ticket and the superior quality of the winning items. The entrance ticket costs 5000 yen , a cost that may seem too high at first glance, except that the prize is usually only one type, in different color variations! In most cases, these are high-quality anime figures from the latest series such as: One Piece, Demon Slayer and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, in a very limited number of copies!
Buy from AMUSEMENT Ichiban KUJI
COFFRET Ichiban KUJI
The theme of these giveaways is cosmetics , so as prizes we find eye shadows, face powders, lipsticks, eyeliners and other makeup designs inspired by current anime or manga series!
In the past, we have seen COFFRET Ichiban KUJI products inspired by anime series such as “CARD CAPTOR SAKURA”, “Sailor Moon”, “IDOLiSH7” and “Ojamajo Doremi” (Magical Doremi).
Ichiban Charm
This other series of Ichiban KUJI giveaways is themed around keychains and charms , usually inspired by successful anime series. For example, in the photo below we can see the accessories from the collaboration with CARD CAPTOR SAKURA!
Where can I buy these Products?
Typically, Ichiban KUJI products can be purchased at Japanese convenience stores, also called conbini, such as 7-11, Lawson, Family Mart, MiniStop and the like, anime stores, bookstores, arcades and other stores.
The types of KUJI Ichiban products available in each store may vary from region to region, so be sure to check the official site to ensure you find what you are looking for.
Of course, we can’t all go to Japan just to buy random products, nor are we guaranteed to win exactly the product we want. So, what to do to get the most tempting prizes?
Fortunately, since these are raffled products, many times those who buy them are not satisfied with their prize and therefore second-hand product sites such as Mercari, Rakuma and Yahoo Auctions! They are full of Ichiban Kuji products!
How can I purchase Ichiban Kuji rewards?
1. Buy an Ichiban Kuji ticket directly in Japan
The simplest, but most expensive method is undoubtedly to try your luck by buying them directly during your trip to Japan . As we have seen in the previous paragraphs, the process is quite simple and you can also enjoy the excitement of receiving a raffled prize.
However, while not everyone has the ability to travel that far, it should also be noted that prizes purchased this way are invisible – there’s never any way of knowing what you’ll get!
If you’re looking to purchase a specific product, fear not: there are plenty of Japanese online stores where you can purchase Ichiban KUJI prizes!
2. Buy your Ichiban KUJI prizes on second-hand Japanese sites
What do Japanese people do when they receive an Ichiban KUJI award that they don’t care about? Easy! They resell it on second-hand platforms such as Mercari, Rakuma and Yahoo! Auctions.
Well yes, it is not that difficult to find practically new Ichiban KUJI products on second-hand platforms, even long after the draw has taken place.
But you should be careful when purchasing: some very rare products can increase exponentially in value depending on the popularity of the series they come from!
3. Buy the whole lot at launch
Another possibility is to reserve the entire set of lottery products: this is a lottery that includes all the prizes of a given lottery. They are usually ordered in advance about a month before the lottery launches in real stores.
The price of the lot may vary depending on the seller and the popularity of the series, but usually the prices are around 30,000 ~ 60,000 yen. Of course, many lots remain available to purchase even after the lottery ends!
With ZenMarket you can freely buy Ichiban KUJI products and lots for sale on the main Japanese trading platforms.
We strongly recommend that you read the product description carefully and check the various additional details such as seller reputation, domestic shipping costs, etc. If in doubt, do not hesitate to contact our customer service: we will answer all your questions!
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