60 Million Downloads! Celebrating Mushroom Day with Funghi Gardening Kit
The ‘Nameko Market Tokyo Main Store’ was not just a place for selling merchandise; it also served as a community hub for fans to meet in person, making it an important touchpoint for the organization. The closure of the store posed a risk, as it reduced opportunities to promote the appeal of Nameko and limited the activities of the “Real Nameko” costume, which acted as an intermediary connecting Nameko and its fans.
Therefore, for the second crowdfunding initiative, we set the goal of creating a space where the Real Nameko can thrive, conceptualizing merchandise around the idea of being with the Real Nameko. With the entire team in agreement and confident, we achieved our target of 3 million yen within just one hour of the campaign’s start.
“We’d love to have another big hit title.”
The second crowdfunding project, which began with some uncertainty, not only succeeded but also allowed for the creation of a new initiative: “A place for Real Nameko to shine.” This, says Ban, was a significant achievement. Looking forward, he intends to keep the focus on game development while fostering both online and offline connections with fans.
“Our main goal is to develop the next big hit to follow Funghi Gardening Kit and Nameko no Su. We also want to expand aggressively in overseas app markets to grow our user base.”
Online, they’ve been streaming on YouTube Live since 2020, providing Nameko updates and hosting live phone-in sessions to interact directly with fans every other week. The online shop Nameko-ya, launched in 2021, offers made-to-order original goods.
“For offline events, the main focus has been on closed events as part of crowdfunding rewards. Personally, though, I’d like to explore ways to broaden our reach.
At the 10th-anniversary, we held pop-up stores in five locations nationwide, and meeting customers from all over again reminded us of how loved Nameko still is. It also strengthened our resolve to take the Nameko project seriously. Bit by bit, we hope to create more opportunities for fans to meet Nameko in person.”
Click here for the official “Funghi Cultivation Kit” website
Interview and text： Motoko Abekawa
Motoko Abegawa works as a freelance writer mainly on the web. She is also involved in the production of books and corporate PR magazines. She does not specialize in any particular field, but covers a wide range of topics that intrigue her, including history, comedy, health, beauty, travel, gourmet food, and nursing care.
PHOTO： Kenji Kawato
