Sushiro (寿司郎), one of Japan’s largest and most influential kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi chains, teamed up with Chinese childhood staple Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, turning its stores into a bite-sized version of 青青草原 (Green Grassland).
The campaign got to a start with a teaser animation that felt made for fans. There’s wordplay between 狼 (wolf) and 郎 (ro, from Sushiro), queue numbers that look suspiciously misprinted, and a handful of blink-and-you-miss-it in-jokes. It even sneaks in a plug for takeaway.
Visually, the brand made the right call: it sticks to the original animation style. No redesign, no over-polishing. Just straight nostalgia, delivered clean. Like its earlier Chiikawa collaboration, this one rolls out in phases. From April 6, the menu gets a themed refresh – kids’ sets, oversized sushi platters, and a soft, slightly indulgent osmanthus mousse. Orders come with merch that backs the strategy: PVC pouches, stickers, ice cream spoons, acrylic charms. Small items, high collectability.
Spend a little more and the collaboration opens up. Bills over RMB 100 unlock limited-edition character cards, with extra add-ons like branded plates, badges, and blind boxes available to purchase. Notably, this round feels more price-friendly. The barrier is just low enough to keep the access easy and impulse high.
The colab runs offline too. Fourteen stores have been re-skinned into Green Grassland, with themed table mats, ordering screens, and interiors that push the experience beyond the plate. Then there’s the live moment: on April 12, characters dropped into the Guangzhou Yuehui City store for photos, interactions, and instant keepsakes.
It’s familiar territory for Sushiro by now. Take a well-loved IP, layer it across product, space, and collectables, and let nostalgia do the heavy lifting. But this time they’ve shown a real deft hand in how to tie collaboration into more purchases and collectibility.
