The Apothecary Diaries teams up with Tsumura for a herbal candy campaign

The Apothecary Diaries (薬屋のひとりごと) is teaming up with Tsumura’s Japanese herbal throat-candy range for a new campaign tied to the upcoming film The Apothecary Diaries the Movie: The Mystery of the Bridal Princess. The promotion starts in Japan on 2 November, with 1,500 winners set to receive limited-edition goods.¹²

Fans who buy an eligible product can enter through the campaign website by uploading a photograph of their receipt. The prizes include a diorama acrylic stand as the A prize, a ¥300 QUO Card as the B prize and a clear file as the C prize. Everyone who completes an entry will also receive one of three original smartphone wallpapers at random.¹

The eligible products are Tsumura’s Japanese Herbal Power Throat Candy, Tsumura’s Delicious Japanese Herbal Plus Strengthening Throat Candy and Tsumura’s Delicious Japanese Herbal Plus Throat Candy. The latter is being sold while existing market stock lasts, while purchases from the official Tsumura online shop also qualify for the campaign.¹

The tie-in leans into the shared language of The Apothecary Diaries and Tsumura’s products. The series follows Maomao, a palace apothecary who uses her knowledge of medicine and poisons to solve difficult mysteries. The campaign’s newly drawn key visual places Maomao and Jinshi alongside the products, with the artwork also incorporating ingredients such as platycodon root, liquorice and yuzu.¹²

The campaign runs from 2 November 2026 at 10am until 31 January 2027 at 5pm in Japan. Entrants buying from a physical shop need to upload a receipt photograph; online-shop customers can use their delivery note instead. The organisers also say that the newly drawn illustration may appear through other channels during the campaign period.¹

This is a product promotion rather than a new anime announcement, but it is a neat example of how the franchise’s central idea — practical knowledge applied to unusual problems — can carry into a food partnership. The visual is doing most of the work here: Maomao’s herbal expertise gives Tsumura a more natural connection to the series than a generic character-branded snack would have had.

Our opinion

The campaign’s strongest choice is its specific connection to Maomao rather than simply placing the cast on packaging. The herbs, yuzu and apothecary setting give the collaboration a recognisable identity, while the prize line-up makes it a straightforward promotion for Japanese fans. International viewers should note that the entry rules, eligible products and receipt requirements are tied to Japan, so this is news about the partnership rather than a broadly available global giveaway.