玉光堂 AEON Mall Tsukuba, the first Japanese franchise store for the popular Korean lifestyle goods brand ARTBOX, opened on Saturday, August 1st, inside AEON Mall Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture. The store is operated by CRAVIA Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Hiroki Fujiwara), which is leading ARTBOX's franchise expansion in Japan.
1. Opening Day
On opening day, customers began lining up outside the store before it opened, and the shop quickly filled with visitors once the doors opened. Shoppers skewed toward Generation Z customers in their teens and 20s along with families, and lines formed at the checkout counters at times, making for a lively start.
Inside, ARTBOX's original character merchandise, along with stationery and lifestyle goods popular in Korea, drew strong interest, and many customers were seen picking up several items at once. Some products reportedly ran low in stock on the very first day, reflecting strong interest in the ARTBOX brand.
As Japan's first store of its kind, it gave many visitors a chance to experience Korean culture and the ARTBOX brand's distinctive style, opening to a stronger turnout than expected.
The interior of ARTBOX 玉光堂 AEON Mall Tsukuba, busy with customers right after opening
ARTBOX character merchandise alongside the stationery and lifestyle goods corner near the store's entrance
2. Store Overview
- Store name: 玉光堂 AEON Mall Tsukuba
- Address: 3F, AEON Mall Tsukuba, 66-1 Inaoka, Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture
- Opening date: Saturday, August 1, 2026
- Products: Korean lifestyle goods, character merchandise, stationery, lifestyle items, and Japan-exclusive and IP collaboration products (to be introduced gradually)
3. Future Outlook
CRAVIA Co., Ltd. positions this first store as the starting point of its real-world platform strategy and plans to open additional locations centered on shopping malls, station-area commercial facilities, and urban retail complexes.
Preparations for a second and third store are already underway, and details will be announced as they are finalized.
The company also plans to strengthen ties between this retail expansion and its group's IP, e-commerce, live commerce, and K-pop-related businesses, aiming to build a next-generation retail model that combines IP, e-commerce, and physical retail.
