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HIKAKIN unveils ONICHA barley tea and launches new company BEE
Japanese creator HIKAKIN has turned a week of cryptic livestreams into a business announcement. After several days of dark, ocean-sound broadcasts that worried and puzzled viewers, he said on April 3, 2026 that he was not hacked or seriously unwell and asked fans to wait for an April 5 reveal. Two days later, he used that reveal to introduce ONICHA, a new barley tea brand, and reports the same day said he had also set up a new company, BEE Co., to support broader business activity.
What happened
According to Oricon, HIKAKIN addressed the unusual livestream on April 3 after speculation spread online. He said the stream had triggered many theories, but confirmed it was connected to a product announcement scheduled for April 5.
On April 5, HIKAKIN announced ONICHA on his YouTube channel. Oricon also reported that he had established BEE Co. with Kazuki Kamada, known as the founder of UUUM. The report said the two are listed as representative directors and that the company has capital of 10 million yen.
The commercial rollout quickly followed. Seven-Eleven Japan said on April 6 that ONICHA would go on sale nationwide from April 21, 2026. The company said the product is a 600ml bottled barley tea priced at 149.04 yen including tax. It will be sold through Seven-Eleven stores across Japan.
The official ONICHA website presents the drink as an attempt to give barley tea a more playful image through packaging and campaign design. The site says the product comes in three label designs and includes a small fortune feature hidden inside the label.
Why this matters
For foreigners in Japan, this is a useful snapshot of how modern Japanese consumer culture works. A major online personality did not just announce a new video or sponsorship deal. He moved from digital influence into a physical product launch backed by a new company and a nationwide convenience-store distribution plan.
That matters because convenience stores remain one of Japan's fastest routes to broad visibility. It also shows how creator-led brands are being tied to familiar everyday products rather than only limited-edition merchandise. In this case, the product is barley tea, which Seven-Eleven described as a drink people consume in daily life. That makes the launch relevant not only to fans of Japanese internet culture, but also to foreigners trying to understand how entertainment, retail, and branding increasingly overlap in Japan.
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