Itoen, TENGA, Pentel…Why do companies that at first glance have nothing to do with anime exhibit at anime events? I asked at “AFA SG 2024”

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Southeast Asia’s largest pop culture event “Anime Festival Asia Singapore 2024” (hereinafter referred to as AFA SG 2024) will be held for three days from November 29th to December 1st, 2024 at the “Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Center” in Singapore. It was done.

“AFA SG 2024” is full of attractive content, including talk shows by anime production staff and voice actors, live performances by VTubers and anime song artists, and booths of anime production companies and doujin goods.
Additionally, at this event, there were booths from companies that at first glance seem unrelated to anime, such as soft drink maker ITO EN and TENGA Co., Ltd., which sells self-pleasure items. We spoke to several companies about their reasons for choosing to exhibit.

■We want overseas creators to use Japanese stationery! Pentel Co., Ltd.

Pentel, a stationery manufacturer, has been exhibiting a booth at AFA for about 10 years in order to raise its profile as a “stationery” company that produces Japanese manga and anime.
This year, a photo booth will be set up to promote the “MATTEHOP,” a pen that allows you to write beautifully on photos. A project was held in which participants who took photos were asked to doodle on their own photos. In addition, we have set up a wall where you can draw freely, and we offer the experience of making your own badges, all in hopes of encouraging overseas anime fans and creators to use Pentel’s stationery. There were “hands-on” exhibits.

TENGA Co., Ltd., whose mission is to “make sexuality public and transform it into something everyone can enjoy,” has already expanded its products to 73 countries around the world. The company actively exhibits at domestic and international events with an awareness of bringing Japanese culture with it.
TENGA has a good affinity with anime fans, and has also collaborated with Japanese manga artists and anime characters. In addition to self-pleasure items such as TENGA and iroha, there were also collaboration T-shirts with Man○Gataro and Mazinger Z, and TENGA’s official buddy robot “TENGA Robo”, which was a collaboration with Getter Robo.

Many items from “TXA-TENGA by Artist-”, a project in which TENGA works with artists to create products such as apparel and miscellaneous goods, will be available, and the booth will be like an apparel shop. It seems that they are preparing various collaborations with Vtubers and anime works in 2025, so I look forward to it.

In Japan, most TENGA sales areas are separated by R18 curtains, but at AFA SG 2024, the booth will be open like any other. It was impressive to see so many visitors, both male and female, casually shopping.

■Japanese tea is not sweet! Itoen

ITO EN exhibited at AFA SG for the third time with the hope that visitors could experience the world-renowned “anime = Japan” and the Japanese culture of “tea.”
“Oi Ocha” was sold on a “Buy One Get One” basis, with the aim of having the conspicuous green packaging quietly remain in the memories of the event.

Diabetes is a social issue in Singapore, where many drinks, including tea, contain sugar. Therefore, starting in 2023, the Singapore government will introduce “NUTRI-GRADE”, which displays sugar content on a scale of A to D. Although there is no requirement to label beverages with A, which indicates sugar-free, and B, which indicates low sugar, Oi Ocha’s packaging deliberately carries an “A” label. The aim is to encourage Singaporeans, who have become more health-conscious with the introduction of “NUTRI-GRADE,” to include “Oi Ocha” as an option when choosing unsweetened tea.

ITO EN has been ramping up its operations in Singapore since 2012, and the number of products sold at AFA SG has approximately doubled every year, and Oi Ocha has steadily spread to the people of Singapore. I can see what you are doing.

At AFA SG 2024, Japanese companies are using a variety of approaches to promote anime culture and provide participants with an attractive experience. Pentel is deepening interactions with creators through stationery, TENGA is attracting attention for its collaboration that changes attitudes towards sexuality, and Ito En is promoting unsweetened tea as a part of Japanese culture to Singaporeans.
By having these companies participate in anime events that may seem unrelated at first glance, it can be said that “AFA SG” goes beyond mere entertainment and becomes a place to spread the appeal of Japanese culture and products to many people.