Daimaru Matsuzakaya's in-house VTuber agency debuts a second generation of creators
Daimaru Matsuzakaya's virtual-talent agency EchoVerse is adding two new creators this month, with a sake crowdfunding campaign tying its roster together — an unusual bet on content as a department-store revenue line.
J. Front Retailing's Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores said its in-house virtual-creator agency, EchoVerse, is debuting a second generation of talent this month: an illustrator character called Kiseki Hiiro on October 4 and a video-artist character called Iza Sarabat on October 17, according to a release dated October 1.
The debuts coincide with a crowdfunding campaign for a sake product built around a vocal performance by Hanayori Yoruha, the EchoVerse creator who debuted in September 2025; the two new second-generation creators contributed to the sake's label design, Daimaru Matsuzakaya said, tying the roster together through a physical product rather than video content alone.
A department-store operator running its own agency for virtual performers is an unusual line of business, even among retailers that have spent years looking for revenue beyond the sales floor. The sake campaign shows the intent: the creators are meant to sell physical product, not only draw viewers.