TOKYO -- Japanese trading house Itochu aims to build an over 40 billion yen ($270 million) market in China and elsewhere based on Opanchu Usagi, a character hatched by a social media user that has become popular in Japan.
Itochu announced Monday that it had obtained the licensing rights for Opanchu Usagi for Asian markets other than Japan and South Korea. The character, whose name translates as "Panty Rabbit," was created by an artist who goes by Kawaisouni. It became a hit in Japan through manga content published on social media platform X.
