Matsuya Foods to Hold "Kobito Zukan" 20th Anniversary Collaboration Across 3 Brands — First-Ever Participation by Sushimatsu

Matsuya Foods announced that, starting at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, it will hold a collaboration campaign across its three brands — Matsuya, Matsunoya, and Sushimatsu — with the children’s book series “Kobito Zukan” (written by Toshitaka Nabata, published by Rockrin-sha). “Kobito Zukan” marks its 20th anniversary this year since its debut in 2006, with cumulative sales surpassing 3.2 million copies.

The overall campaign will run from Tuesday, March 31, 2026 to Tuesday, June 30, 2026, making it a long-running collaboration spanning roughly three months.

Eligible Menu Items and Gift Details

With every order of one eligible Kid’s Meal item, customers will receive one collaboration-exclusive “Original Kobito Towel” (one of six designs, given at random).

Brand	Eligible Menu Item
Matsuya	Kid’s Beef Bowl Waku Waku Set
Matsuya	Kid’s Curry and Rice Waku Waku Set
Matsunoya	Kid’s Plate
Matsunoya	Kid’s Pancake Plate
Sushimatsu	Kid’s Nigiri Set
Sushimatsu	[For Older Kids] Kid’s 5-Piece Nigiri Set with Choice of Drink
Sushimatsu	Kid’s Nigiri Bento (Takeout Only)

The goods will be distributed from 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 through 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, while supplies last. Once supplies run out, the giveaway will switch to “Matsuya Original Papercraft” at Matsuya, the “standard-period gift” at Matsunoya, and “Gacha Coins” only at Sushimatsu.

A second round of the campaign is planned to begin on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

Social Media Follow & Repost Campaign

Separate from the in-store goods, a follow-and-repost campaign will also run simultaneously on Matsuya’s official X account.

Item	Details
Period	10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 – 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 12, 2026
Prizes	Extra-large Kakuremomojiri plush toy
	5,000 Matsuya Points

Eligible Stores and Notes

The campaign covers Matsuya, Matsunoya, and Sushimatsu locations nationwide. However, the following are excluded:

• My Curry Shokudo (specialty stores)
• Sushimatsu’s Kamata No. 1, Omiya, Nishiogikubo, and Nerima locations

Note also that the campaign starts at 11:00 a.m. at Sushimatsu, one hour later than at Matsuya and Matsunoya. Orders placed through Matsuya’s online bento reservation service and the official Matsuya app are also eligible.

The Evolution of Matsuya Foods’ Character Collaborations

In recent years, Matsuya Foods has been ramping up collaborations with characters aimed at children. With this “Kobito Zukan” tie-up, the notable change is that the collaboration now extends across three brands, including Sushimatsu for the first time.

Period	Collaboration Partner	Brands
July 2022 – March 2023	Sumikko Gurashi	Matsuya Foods
June 2023	Kamen Rider Geats / Pretty Cure	Matsuya
May – November 2024	PAW Patrol (3 rounds)	Matsuya
March – May 2025	Paddington (2 rounds)	Matsuya
June – August 2025	PAW Patrol Returns (2 rounds)	Matsuya
September – November 2025	Miitsuketa! (2 rounds)	Matsuya
October 2025	Dozle Company	Matsuya
December 2025 – February 2026	Chiikawa (2 rounds)	Matsuya, Matsunoya
March – June 2026	Kobito Zukan	Matsuya, Matsunoya, Sushimatsu

The preceding Chiikawa collaboration (from December 2025) had only just expanded to a two-brand setup with the addition of Matsunoya, but just one month later, Sushimatsu has joined as well, expanding the collaboration to three brands. The frequency of these collaborations has also increased — since 2024, some collaboration has been running almost continuously — suggesting that promoting Kid’s Meal items is a key focus area for Matsuya Foods.