Ichiban Kuji Explained: Japan’s Anime Prize Lottery
Ichiban Kuji is a Japanese prize-draw system behind many sought-after figures. Here’s how it works and why overseas fans care.
If you’ve seen figures labeled “Ichiban Kuji,” you’ve encountered one of Japan’s most distinctive ways of distributing anime merchandise. Rather than a normal retail product, these items come from a paid prize-draw lottery.
How the lottery works
Each draw guarantees a prize — there are no blanks. Prizes are organized into tiers (commonly labeled with letters such as A, B, C and so on), with the top tiers being the larger or more desirable figures. A special “Last One” prize is typically awarded for the final ticket in a set.
Why collectors seek them
Because Ichiban Kuji figures are tied to a limited run of tickets, certain prizes become hard to find after a campaign ends, which is why they circulate widely on the secondhand market and among overseas collectors.
Buying from overseas
Ichiban Kuji is run inside Japan, so overseas fans usually obtain the prizes through proxy or forwarding services, or from resellers, rather than entering the draw directly. See our guide on buying from Japan for how that works.
A note on authenticity
As with any popular collectible, be mindful of counterfeits when buying secondhand. Genuine prizes carry the campaign’s official branding — see our guide on spotting bootlegs.