Brave group Inc. is proud to announce that its global merchandise business, “Brave stores,” has been nominated for the Retail Award at the Japan Character Awards 2025. Brave stores operate both physical retail locations and a global e-commerce business worldwide. The nomination, announced in April 2025, is hosted by the Character Brand Licensing Association.
The Journey of Brave stores
Brave stores was launched by Brave group Inc. in July 2024 as a global merchandise business dedicated to promoting the international growth of Japan’s content industry. It offers a wide range of official merchandise and licensed products from popular anime and manga, creating sales floors that maximize the appeal of each intellectual property (IP).
In August 2024, Brave stores opened its first permanent domestic location at Haneda Airport Garden. The business has also actively pursued global expansion, opening pop-up and permanent stores in cities such as Shanghai and Bangkok. These efforts in developing outstanding retail experiences utilizing characters and brands have been highly praised, leading to this prestigious nomination.
To deliver Japanese content to a global audience, we will continue to expand our store network and delivery areas. We invite you to look forward to our future developments.
▼More Details
https://media.bravegroup.co.jp/en/ip-platform/6232/
About the Japan Character Awards
The Japan Character Awards is an annual ceremony hosted by the Character Brand Licensing Association (CBLA) and supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. It honors outstanding initiatives that have contributed to the development of the character and brand licensing business. The awards recognize companies and projects for their achievements in areas such as product development, marketing, and retail, selecting initiatives that symbolize the current state of the character industry. The Retail Award, in particular, is presented to retailers who have demonstrated exceptional success and generated significant buzz through their character- and brand-driven retail spaces. Past recipients include KIDDY LAND, UNIQLO, and Tokyo Character Street.
・Japan Character Awards：https://www.charabiz.com/award/index.html
About Brave stores
Brave stores is a global merchandise business launched to promote the international growth of Japan’s content industry. It operates physical retail stores and a global e-commerce business worldwide.
・Special Website: https://bravegroup.co.jp/bravestores/en/
・Official X ：https://x.com/brave_stores/
Background of Business Development
In recent years, while Japan’s content industry has gained worldwide popularity, particularly in Asia, the international trade of counterfeit and pirated products has become a critical issue, reaching an estimated $464 billion in 2019 (equivalent to 2.5% of total world trade).
According to the 2022 Survey on Intellectual Property Activities in Japan, 13.9% of domestic companies reported damages from counterfeiting, yet only about 30% are taking countermeasures. The reasons cited include “difficulty in assessing the full extent of the damage,” “low cost-effectiveness,” “lack of funds and resources,” and “unclear methods for taking concrete action”.
Against this backdrop, the Brave stores initiative plays a crucial role in curbing the distribution of counterfeit and pirated goods and enhancing the credibility of Japanese content. We do this by delivering official merchandise and licensed products—from both our own IP and Japan’s leading anime and manga IPs—directly to customers worldwide through legitimate distribution channels.
Furthermore, our physical stores provide a secure shopping experience where customers can personally inspect products to confirm their quality, as we proactively eliminate defective or damaged items. Unlike cross-border e-commerce, we also offer the convenience of allowing customers to take their purchases home immediately.
About Brave group
To bring the spirit of Japanese adventure into a world wide romance and Strike wonder in 8 billion hearts.
Brave group is an international company with a strong focus on VTuber business with activities centered around the development of IP productions, platforms and solutions.
