A Mystery-Solving Journey with Maomao and Jinshi from "The Apothecary Diaries" in Nara Prefecture, Including the World Heritage-Registered Asuka-Fujiwara Area: Fans Say the Kintetsu Collab Looks "Fun"

From Saturday, October 10 to Sunday, January 24, 2027, Kintetsu Railway and Kintetsu Retailing will host a special collaboration event with "The Apothecary Diaries The Movie: Bouhi no Hihou." The event is titled "'The Apothecary Diaries The Movie: Bouhi no Hihou' x Kintetsu: Maomao and Jinshi's Mystery Journey to the Manyo." Anticipation is already building on social media, with fans saying things like, "Looks so fun!" and "Let's go on a trip!"

The anime "The Apothecary Diaries" is based on the light novel of the same name by Hyuganatsu. It is a massive hit that has also received two separate manga adaptations. The series gained immense popularity and became a major talking point thanks to the mystery-solving by Maomao, who ends up working as a "food taster" in the rear palace, as well as her comical interactions with Jinshi. The TV anime has aired up to its second season, with the third season scheduled for a split two-cour broadcast starting in October 2026 and April 2027. Additionally, the franchise's first-ever feature film, "The Apothecary Diaries The Movie: Bouhi no Hihou," is slated for release on December 11, 2026.

This project is a "Digital Quiz Rally" set in Nara Prefecture, a region overflowing with historical and cultural charm, featuring locations like the newly World Heritage-registered Asuka-Fujiwara area, Yamatokoriyama, and Yoshino. Participants will travel to checkpoints set up at famous sites across the region, answering quiz questions alongside Maomao and Jinshi. By visiting these checkpoints and answering the questions correctly, participants earn "digital stamps" and will receive original merchandise based on the number of stamps collected.

In conjunction with this event, "original character voice content" will be available for fans to listen to on the train while traveling to their destinations. This feature allows fans to enjoy exclusive conversations between Maomao and Jinshi that can't be heard anywhere else. Furthermore, trains wrapped with "The Apothecary Diaries" characters are scheduled to operate primarily on the Minami-Osaka and Yoshino Lines.

Additionally, Kintetsu Retailing will roll out various collaboration initiatives, including the sale of a collab menu at "CAFFE CIAO PRESSO" and original collab merchandise at stores inside Kintetsu stations.

Following this announcement, social media has been flooded with reactions from fans eager to embark on this wide-ranging mystery-solving journey. Along with comments like "Let's go on a trip!" and "Looks so fun!", fans have been saying things like, "Looked at the map and it's a huge area lol," "An Apothecary x Kintetsu collab is an absolute win for me, I'm a sucker for quizzes and stamps," and "Wow, Nara! I want to go. The event period is pretty long, so hopefully I can find the time to make it."

(C)2026 劇場版「薬屋のひとりごと」製作委員会 (C)日向夏・イマジカインフォス