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Perfume, who entered “cold sleep” (a hiatus) at the end of 2025 on New Year’s Eve, updated their official YouTube channel on the 10th. The video, their first in a month since going into cold sleep, has drawn strong reactions.

Titled “This Year’s Valentine’s Is 3 Minutes and 46 Seconds,” a video was uploaded connecting performances of their signature song “Chocolate Disco.”

🔗: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rBZcFjhKvI

Oricon: the Beginning

The future Dread Masters arrive on Oricon.

2013

Commissions info - Prints* - Merch*

This is an interesting read. It comes as no surprise with great success comes a lot of imitation. Oricon recently interviewed Takayuki Okazaki from the Bandai Legal and Intellectual Property Department who provides really insightful information on how Bandai protects the Tamagotchi brand, and how much they’ve learned over the years.

Bandai has always faced a serious problem with counterfeit products (pirated versions) especially during the first boom in 1996, it was said to be a pretty unimaginable situation. Mr. Takayuki Okazaki of the Legal and Intellectual Property Department looks back on the confusion at that time and lessons learned.

Shortly after the original release back in 1996, counterfeit devices were popping up which impacted brand reputation and sales. Due to the speed of the legal system, there was even a concern that rights protection could not keep up with the speed of the products showing up. Bandai Namco took measures with Unfair Competition Prevention Act to seek a temporary punishment for import injunctions from overseas.

To more seriously get ahead of these measures to protect the Tamagotchi intellectual property, in 1998 a professional team for intellectual property was established.

Takayuki Okazaki mentions that Bandai Namco took very strategic counterfeit measures in 2004 after the release of the Tamagotchi Connection. The Tamagotchi Connection was announced 4 months before the release, and the specific shape was deliberately hidden to ensure the imitations could not be made sooner. Bandai Namco also applied for import injunction, which are court orders halting the importation of specifics goods due to issues with intellectual property infringements at customs in advance. As a result of these measures the distribution of counterfeit goods was significantly suppressed.

Lastly, Takayuki Okazaki reviews how Bandai Namco plans to fight counterfeit products and protecting of intellectual property in the era of arterial intelligence.