Unifast Commercializes "Oshi-ben Box" Born from Industry-Academia Collaboration with Tamagawa University: A Novel Lunch Box Enabling "Lunch with Your Oshi" - Sales Proposals Begin June 15th

Unifast Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sumida-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Atsushi Hashimoto), which handles planning and promotional support for manufacturing goods, will commercialize the "Oshi-ben Box," born from the second industry-academia collaboration project with Tamagawa University's (Location: Machida-shi, Tokyo; President: Kazuhito Obara) Faculty of Arts, Department of Art and Design, Hakata Seminar. Sales proposals will commence on June 15, 2026 (Monday).

The "Oshi-ben Box" is a product developed based on a concept created by Shiho Fujiwara of the Hakata Seminar during the industry-academia collaboration project themed "New-Have (A New Form of "Food")." This concept was selected for the "UF Edison New Age Award (Grand Prize)," and our company's development and design departments have since proceeded with design, prototyping, and mass production considerations for commercialization.

"Oshi-ben Box" Design Sketch

A Novel Lunch Box with a Photo Stand Function to Enjoy "Lunch with Your Oshi"

The most distinctive feature of the "Oshi-ben Box" is its transparent lid. Users can freely insert their favorite photos or illustration cards, creating a special moment as if they are "having lunch with their beloved idol or anime character."

Beyond "oshi" (favorite person/character) related use, it's also possible to insert photos of family members living apart, friends, or pets like dogs and cats. We propose a new lifestyle that colors your daily mealtime with your own personal touch.

Furthermore, the "Oshi-ben Box" isn't just for holding photos. It features a unique structure where the side locks function as a photo stand, allowing you to display your favorite pictures simply by propping up the lid.

During development, we repeatedly tested for self-standing angles and stability, and designed dedicated fixing parts. It can be utilized in various settings, such as on desks at home or in the office.

Amidst the current global situation, including rising naphtha (crude gasoline) prices due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, the food container industry continues to face soaring raw material costs. Major food container manufacturers have successively implemented price revisions. In response to rising container costs and procurement anxieties, bento and deli shops are increasingly encouraging customers to bring their own containers, such as "my containers" like Tupperware. Within this changing environment, the "Oshi-ben Box" is not merely an "oshi-katsu" (supporting your favorite) merchandise but also a reusable lunch box for personal use. We aim to propose a new lifestyle by combining the joy of displaying favorite photos with the practicality of a long-lasting container.

Fusion of Student Ideas and Corporate Manufacturing Expertise

This product was born from the industry-academia collaboration project "New-Have (A New Form of "Food"))" with Tamagawa University. Students re-examined everyday actions such as "eating, drinking, holding, carrying, and storing" and challenged themselves to propose new value. Ms. Shiho Fujiwara's winning concept, "Oshi-ben Box," received high praise for its unique idea of combining "oshi-katsu" with "meals."

Our company has refined the students' ideas into an actual product by incorporating practical perspectives such as material selection, structural design, safety, mass-producibility, and cost. It is a symbolic product that fuses the free ideas of students with the manufacturing knowledge cultivated by our company.

A Product Born from the Culture of the Internal Idea Contest "UF Edison"

Every year, we hold an idea contest called "UF Edison" for all employees. Under the philosophy of "Turning "want to create" into shape," we solicit ideas from employees regardless of department or job type and work on developing products with new value.

In the "4th UF Edison" held in 2025, the "Share Taiyaki for Two" conceived by a new employee won the Grand Prize. This humorous idea, allowing a taiyaki (fish-shaped cake) to be "split in half" while also serving as a cooling pack, was highly praised as a proposal for enjoying "food" from a new perspective.

The "Oshi-ben Box," now commercialized, is also a product in the extension of Unifast's unique idea culture. We nurture both employee and student ideas equally and bring them to the world as actual products – this is the origin of Unifast's manufacturing.

Student, Employee, and Customer Ideas into Future Value

With the philosophy of "Turning "want to create" into shape with the power of ideas," we have brought numerous original products to the market. The "Oshi-ben Box," commercialized this time, is a product realized through the fusion of students' free ideas and our company's manufacturing expertise. Behind this lies the culture of our internal idea contest "UF Edison," which shapes the ideas of each employee.

Moving forward, we will continue to develop products with new value by actively incorporating diverse ideas from employees, students, and customers across different positions and generations.

Sales proposals for the "Oshi-ben Box" will begin on June 15, 2026. We will promote this product to a wide range of fields, including the "oshi-katsu" market, the anime and character industry, the entertainment industry, and the sports industry, expanding the value of new dining experiences unique to this product.

We will also continue to engage in industry-academia collaboration projects, returning the creativity of the younger generation to society and remaining a company that delivers "interesting things that could exist" to the world as actual products.

As a "10 Billion Yen Declaration Company" aiming for 10 billion yen in sales by 2035, we will continue to challenge ourselves to create new markets and value through idea-driven manufacturing.

About Unifast Co., Ltd.

We are a creative manufacturer that shapes original goods, primarily bags, pouches, plush toys, and molded products, from planning to production. With the keywords UNIQUE × FAST, we continuously challenge ourselves to create products that generate new value. Starting in 2024, we have strengthened our new graduate recruitment, hiring more than 5 individuals annually, and in 2025, we were certified as a "10 Billion Yen Declaration Company" by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, stepping into the next growth phase.

Company Name: Unifast Co., Ltd. Representative: Atsushi Hashimoto, President and CEO Location: Ryogoku City Core 12F, 2-10-14 Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo Established: February 13, 1981 Capital: 98,000,000 yen URL: https://www.unifast.co.jp/ Business Description: 1: "One-stop OEM Service" for planning and delivery of corporate original goods and merchandise items. 2: Development of idea products and proprietary brand items related to SDGs and ESG. 3: Sales Promotion (SP) services for corporate promotion support and in-store marketing.