Why Ceres Fauna’s Ichiban Kuji Prize Only Exists in Japan

Ichiban Kuji Hololive Vol.5 Mini Art Board Featuring Ceres Fauna

Ceres Fauna and HoloEN Council

This mini art board comes from Ichiban Kuji Hololive Vol.5, a lottery prize series produced by Bandai Spirits under license from COVER Corp., the company behind the Hololive VTuber production. It features Ceres Fauna and is one of ten designs in the set. Ichiban Kuji prizes are not sold directly — they are won through a ticket lottery — so individual pieces like this one enter wider circulation only through Japan’s secondary market.

Hololive is a VTuber production founded by COVER Corp. in 2016. VTubers — short for Virtual YouTubers — are content creators who perform using 2D or 3D digital character models, producing live streams and videos for platforms like YouTube. Hololive runs separate branches for Japanese, English, and Indonesian audiences.

Hololive English debuted in 2020 with a first generation called “Myth,” quickly building a large international audience. A second generation, “Council,” followed in August 2021. Each Council member embodies a cosmic or elemental concept: the universe, civilization, time, chaos, and nature. Ceres Fauna debuted on August 22, 2021, as the Guardian of Nature.

Her character design centers on a forest-spirit aesthetic: long, deep green hair, branch-like antlers covered in leaves, and white flowers. She is accompanied by a companion known as a “Sapling” — a small, apple-shaped creature with a face. Fauna’s streams focus on ASMR, gaming, and relaxed conversation, and her calm delivery has earned a loyal following across both English- and Japanese-speaking communities. One member of Council, Sana (the Guardian of the Universe), concluded her activities in 2022, giving Council-related merchandise a commemorative dimension for fans of the group.

Inside the Ichiban Kuji System

Ichiban Kuji is a lottery prize system operated through Bandai Namco’s licensing business, and it occupies a distinct space in Japanese collectible culture. Unlike gashapon, which use coin-operated capsule machines, or food-attached collectibles, Ichiban Kuji sets up temporary ticket counters at retailers — chiefly convenience store chains like Lawson and 7-Eleven, as well as anime specialty shops and game centers. Each ticket costs around 650 to 700 yen, and prizes are awarded at random.

Prize tiers run from the top “A Prize” down through several lower ranks, with a special “Last One Prize” reserved for whoever pulls the final ticket. Mini art boards typically appear in the middle-to-lower tier range, though the specific tier for this Hololive Vol.5 series has not been confirmed. The format itself — a flat, printed panel designed to be displayed — is practical and familiar for collectors who frame and exhibit character art.

A Prize Accessible Only Through Japan

Because Ichiban Kuji operates solely within Japan’s retail network, fans outside Japan have no direct path to these prizes. Official Hololive merchandise is available through COVER Corp.’s own online shop, but Ichiban Kuji prizes are not sold there — their distribution runs exclusively through the lottery system. This is why individual pieces surface on international platforms: for Hololive English’s large overseas fanbase, concentrated in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, sourcing lottery prizes from Japan is the only available route. Fauna’s particular following among English-speaking audiences makes her character goods especially sought after outside Japan.