Rare Nagano Carnations Meet Idol Drama
The collaboration pairs JA Saku Asama, an agricultural cooperative covering seven municipalities in Nagano's eastern highlands, with the anime's "47 Prefectures" nationwide project. That project, running since 2025, rolls out original character illustrations themed to each of Japan's prefectures, with Nagano's design featuring Ai alongside carnations.
According to a PR TIMES release from JA Saku Asama, the collab aims to boost Japan's shrinking domestic flower market by connecting younger consumers with locally grown blooms. The cooperative's farms sit at 500 to 1,300 meters above sea level, where cool highland summers produce carnations that are difficult to cultivate elsewhere in the country.
Three Character Arrangements
The first wave includes three products, all using carnations grown in the Saku Asama region:
Ai, Red Carnation features a rare red variety that's especially climate-sensitive and hard to produce. The arrangement is paired with Ai's Nagano-themed promotional illustration.
B-Komachi Mini Bouquet (3 Colors) matches each idol group member's image color: pink for Ruby, white for Kana Arima, and yellow for MEMcho.
Akane Kurokawa Mini Bouquet, Purple uses carnations specially dyed by local flower farmers to achieve Akane's signature soft purple.
Pricing starts at approximately ¥2,000 before tax, with exact amounts varying by product as material costs fluctuate.
The 47 Prefectures Project
The flower gifts are part of the "Japan Nationwide Project: Children of All 47 Prefectures," a promotional campaign that pairs Oshi no Ko characters with regional goods, local events, and prefecture-specific illustrated merchandise. The project has already produced collaborations with local sweets and festival appearances across the country, including tie-ins with the Aomori Nebuta Festival and the Sendai Tanabata Festival.
Oshi no Ko, the anime adaptation of Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari's manga with over 25 million copies in circulation worldwide, wrapped its third season in March 2026. A fourth and final season has been announced but has no confirmed air date yet.
Looking Ahead
The first wave of flower gifts goes on sale July 19–20 at KARUIZAWA FLOWER MARKET 2026 "Flower Stage" in limited quantities. After the event, seasonal releases will rotate through JA Saku Asama retail locations including the Healthy Terrace Saku Minami roadside station and the Midori no Hiroba Karuizawa direct sales shop.
For international fans visiting Nagano this summer, the Karuizawa event is accessible by bullet train from Tokyo in about an hour. The gifts are physical flower arrangements, so online or overseas shipping has not been announced. Crunchyroll streams the Oshi no Ko anime internationally, and the source manga is published in English by Yen Press.