"Breaking the Conventional Wisdom of Chinmi" Hotaru no Hikari Launches Dual-Brand Strategy. Towards a New Market of Department Stores × Character IP

【Press Release】“Redefining the Conventional Wisdom of Chinmi”

“Hotaru no Hikari” × “Hotahika” Dual-Brand Strategy Launched Towards a Hybrid Expansion of Department Stores × Next-Generation Casual

SORA Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo / Representative Director: Masaki Nakagawa) has officially launched a dual-brand strategy for its premium chinmi brand “Hotaru no Hikari” and its second brand “Hotahika.”

Accompanying this expansion, new sales floors and brand experiences will commence at the following key locations:

Nagano Tokyu Department Store

Aobadai Tokyu Department Store

Hotaru no Hikari Futako Tamagawa Store (partial renovation of sales floor, introduction of Hotahika)

Hotaru no Hikari Wooden Store

Hotaru no Hikari Futako Tamagawa Store Hotaru no Hikari Aobadai Store

Business Background | From “Otsumami” to “Experiential Value”

The traditional chinmi market has remained in the position of being an “accompaniment to alcohol.” However, our company is setting a new value axis there.

“A dining experience completed by combining with alcohol, coffee, and lifestyle”

Based on this philosophy, we are reconstructing it not merely as food, but as an **“experiential product” that includes sensibility, design, and pairing.**

Brand Strategy | Two Clearly Separated Value Axes ● Hotaru no Hikari

A premium brand primarily based in department stores

Concept: “The CHANEL of the chinmi industry”

Design that fuses Japanese POP with a sense of luxury

Pairing design with beer, wine, spirits, and coffee

“A brand that exports Japan’s delicate aesthetic sense to the world”

Hotaru no Hikari PhotoHappy Birthday Photo

Hotaru no Hikari PhotoHotaru no Hikari Photo GOLF

● Hotahika

A second brand targeting a new market of “less than department store, more than convenience store”

Highly entertaining design centered on character IP

Cross-category development of sweets × chinmi × alcohol × coffee

Creating a new food culture with “cute × delicious × playfulness”

Hotahika Happy Birthday Hotahika Otaku’s Fanfare

Hotahika Gokigen Uruwashu~ Hotahika Rock Star

Futako Tamagawa Store | Evolution to a “Hybrid Sales Floor”

At the Hotaru no Hikari Futako Tamagawa Store, a part of the sales floor has been renovated, and the Hotahika brand has been introduced.

This allows for the deployment of:

Premium line (Hotaru no Hikari)

Casual & IP line (Hotahika)

In the same space, evolving into a **“two-tiered sales floor” that expands the customer’s purchasing experience.**

Hotahika Kaminari-sama Tribe No.59 Mo-mo-Mo

Future Developments

Through this dual-brand strategy, we will accelerate:

Maximization of brand value in the department store sector

Expansion into the mass market (distribution, IP development)

Full-scale entry into the Asian market

Hotaru no Hikari & Hotahika & IP

Representative Comment (Masaki Nakagawa)

“Chinmi should be freer. And it should be more stylish.

Hotaru no Hikari embodies ‘aesthetic sense,’ And Hotahika embodies ‘playfulness.’

By combining these two, We will create a new food culture.”

Hotaru no Hikari Futako Tamagawa Store

Hotahika IPHotahika IPHotahika IPHotahika IPHotahika IPHotahika IP

Company Overview

SORA Co., Ltd. Location: Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo Business Activities: Food brand development and sales, planning and production

Inquiries regarding this matter

SORA Co., Ltd. Mail: [email protected] Keywords: