Cow Brand Soap Kyoshinsha Co., Ltd. will hold "Minna no AWA-YA meets Kobe," a pop-up event where visitors can experience the world of its official online store "Minna no AWA-YA," at KIITO (Design and Creative Center Kobe) from Thursday, November 12 to Wednesday, November 18, 2026. It is the first event in the Kansai region since 2023, and the first in Kobe.
The company says its "Red Box AWA-YA" events, which began in Kyoto in 2018, have also been held in Fukuoka, Yokohama, Shimokitazawa and elsewhere, drawing more than 48,000 visitors in total. When the online store opened in 2025, the name was changed to "Minna no AWA-YA."
A venue where you can "try, buy and take part," with an experience area for the new skincare brand "AKA"
The venue is a sales floor where visitors can try the scents and textures of products, drawing on reviews posted for products at the official online store. An experience area for the new skincare brand "AKA," born in autumn 2026, appears for the first time, where visitors can try its three steps of facial cleansing soap, toner and emulsion.
The company describes "AKA" as ecosystem-minded skincare that focuses on skin-friendly bacteria (*). Its three steps of balancing, replenishing and protecting are designed to wash and moisturize while protecting those bacteria.
There are five participatory, experience-based activities: the photo spot "FIND OLD AKABAKO," where you search for past Red Box packages; the "Foam Hand Pack Experience," to feel the Red Box foam on your skin; the mini-seminar "Cow Brand Soap Laboratory" by researchers; the "Red Box Iroha Karuta" card game for learning trivia; and the "Cow Brand Soap Goods Project," where you can write down your wishes and ideas.
A collaboration with Felissimo and a program touring the city of Kobe
Ahead of the event, starting Tuesday, October 6, the first collaboration items with Felissimo, a mail-order company based in Kobe, will be sold in advance at both companies' official online stores. They include an accessory case that recreates the Red Box soap and a bath towel designed like a bathhouse noren curtain. All collaboration products are also planned to be sold at the November event venue.
From Sunday, November 1 to Monday, November 30, a digital stamp rally touring restaurants and facilities in Kobe will be held. Limited services and collaboration menus will appear, such as a photo spot at the Felissimo Chocolate Museum and "Red Box x Happy Foam Fromage" at PORT TERRACE Creme de Reve.
There is also a collaboration with public bathhouses. The first 2,000 people who take the map distributed at KIITO during the event period and bathe at any of the 27 participating bathhouses in Kobe will receive a Red Box-designed acrylic key holder. The redemption period is from Thursday, November 12 to Thursday, December 31, while supplies last.
"Minna no AWA-YA meets Kobe" event details
- Name: Minna no AWA-YA meets Kobe
- Dates: Thursday, November 12 to Wednesday, November 18, 2026 (closed Monday, November 16)
- Hours: 12:00-20:00 (last entry 19:30)
- Venue: KIITO (Design and Creative Center Kobe)
- Address: 1-4 Onohama-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 651-0082
- Admission: Free
- Reservations: Entry reservations are scheduled to open on Thursday, October 22 through the official LINE account
*Skin resident bacteria, which exist on everyone's skin and are the key to beautiful skin
*Information as of October 6, 2026. Details will be announced on Cow Brand Soap's official social media.
Cow Brand Soap Kyoshinsha was founded in 1909 (Meiji 42) and upholds the corporate philosophy "Gentleness that never changes." "Cow Brand Red Box" is the company's signature soap.
Image: courtesy of Cow Brand Soap Kyoshinsha Co., Ltd.
