NANA Creator Ai Yazawa Collaborates with Yebisu Beer for Limited Edition Cans

A new collaboration has been announced between a historic Japanese brewery and one of the country’s most celebrated manga artists.

Sapporo Breweries has revealed that Ai Yazawa, the creator of the globally popular series NANA, has designed a special limited-edition can for Yebisu Beer.

Yebisu Beer, which was originally established in 1890, has a long tradition of using “Bijin-ga” (beautiful person paintings) in its advertising to convey elegance and luxury.

The brand has previously collaborated with other top manga creators, such as Hirohiko Araki of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fame, to create special artwork to be featured on cans.

For this latest collaboration, Ai Yazawa has created new illustrations centered on the theme of “taking a lighthearted new step forward after shedding one’s armor.”

The artwork depicts a woman in a kimono walking gracefully amidst falling cherry blossoms, a visual metaphor for a protagonist breaking free from a restrictive environment to live authentically.

This collaboration extends beyond just packaging, with a promotional campaign offering exclusive merchandise to lucky winners.

Customers who purchase 6-can packs or 12-can cartons of the special design beer can check the inside of the packaging for a winning notification.

Winners can receive one of two prizes:

Prize A (500 winners):

An original design plate manufactured by Noritake (approx. 20.5 cm x 20.5 cm).

Prize B (3,500 winners):

A set of original design cans (three 350ml cans and three 500ml cans).

The campaign is open to residents of Japan who are 20 years of age or older.

The deadline for entering the lottery is Sunday, May 31, 2026.

In addition to the product launch, physical events featuring exhibitions of the original artwork and the sale of limited goods are planned for Tokyo and Fukuoka.