How Mine Fujiko Ended Up in a Banpresto Arcade Prize

Lupin III Fujiko Mine Figure Keychain by Banpresto

A Franchise Built Across Decades of Manga and Anime

Lupin III began as a manga by Monkey Punch — the pen name of Kazuhiko Kato — serialized from 1967 in Weekly Manga Action. The story follows Arsene Lupin III, grandson of the legendary French gentleman thief, alongside a crew of memorable companions. The property grew into one of Japan’s longest-running anime franchises: a first TV series aired from 1971 to 1972, a second ran for 155 episodes between 1977 and 1980, and a third followed in 1984 and 1985, with theatrical films, TV specials, and new series continuing well beyond that. Animation was produced by TMS Entertainment (formerly Tokyo Movie Shinsha) for Nippon TV, and the copyright line on this keychain — crediting Monkey Punch, TMS, and NTV — places it firmly in that TV anime tradition.

Mine Fujiko is one of the franchise’s defining characters: a skilled spy and thief who functions as both love interest and unpredictable rival to Lupin. Her portrayal shifts depending on the director and era, but her combination of intelligence, boldness, and style has made her an iconic presence through every iteration. On this keychain she appears in a white long-sleeved dress with red frills, a brown belt with a silver buckle, and white knee-high boots with a red trim line — her left arm raised and fist clenched in a characteristically dynamic pose. Which specific series or episode the costume references cannot be confirmed from the item alone.

Banpresto and the World of Japanese Arcade Prizes

Banpresto, founded in 1986 as a Bandai subsidiary, was one of the primary manufacturers of figures for Japan’s arcade crane game market — the machines widely known as UFO catchers. Prize items, or purizuhin, occupy a distinct category: they were never sold through ordinary retail channels. Players could only obtain them by winning from machines in large game centers operated by companies like Sega and Taito. Banpresto was especially active in this space during the late 1990s and early 2000s, steadily releasing figure lines across a wide range of anime properties.

This Fujiko keychain is part of a series of six, a format typical of Banpresto prize lines, which commonly covered the main cast of a franchise in a single release run. The tag identifies it as “TV ver.,” indicating the design draws from the TV anime rather than a film or OVA adaptation. Based on the tag design and figure style, the item is estimated to date from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, though the exact release year has not been confirmed through production records. Banpresto was eventually absorbed into Bandai in 2006, though the brand name continued to be used for the prize division.

Why International Fans Seek Out Lupin III Merchandise

Lupin III has an unusually broad international footprint for a Japanese anime property. It reached European audiences early — Italy aired the series decades ago, building a long-standing fanbase there — and has maintained global recognition through home video releases, revivals, and continued production. Mine Fujiko, as one of the series’ central characters, carries her own dedicated following among fans of the franchise worldwide.

For collectors outside Japan, arcade prize items represent a particular gap. Because they were distributed exclusively through Japanese game centers, they were never available for direct purchase abroad, and obtaining one meant either being in Japan or sourcing it from someone who was. The series-of-six format also appeals to collectors who aim to complete a full lineup, though the remaining five figures in this specific set have not been documented in the research for this listing.