That "seal book" from the Heisei era, which is nostalgic for Heisei girls, is attracting attention again.
Collecting and pasting/exchanging favorite stickers——that play that Heisei girls were once addicted to is spreading again now in the SNS era.
In the background, in addition to the rise of the Heisei retro boom and nostalgia consumption, there is a change in experience value where the fun of "showing/sharing" on SNS overlaps.
Because it is a smartphone-centered era, the analog touch of "pasting" and "arranging" is attracting attention again as a means of self-expression and healing.
As touched upon in the previous article delving into "Heisei girl" culture, the sensibilities of that time are inherited today in altered forms. This "seal book" boom is also one of the phenomena that is an extension of that!
In this article, we will decode the spread of the "seal book" boom from a marketing perspective, while introducing how companies are incorporating it into promotions.
"Seal books" are no longer just nostalgic items.
Sparked by the nostalgia of the Heisei girl generation, and spreading to Generation Z and even the elementary school generation (Alpha generation),
they are now changing into "play shared across generations."
What is particularly symbolic is its spread on SNS.
On Instagram, the number of posts with "#stickerbook" (シール帳) has exceeded 36,000,
showing excitement on social media as well.
*As of the end of November 2025, based on Instagram hashtag search.
Furthermore, on Threads, the tag "#HousewifeSealBook" is spreading,
and posts summarizing stickers collected in daily life, such as food packaging or bonus stickers, have created a buzz.
What was once just a children's game is becoming a part of adult hobbies and life logs.
What's interesting about this movement is that it doesn't end with "just looking," but is leading to real actions.
・Sticker exchange between children
・Creating a seal book together with parent and child
・Looking for stickers at 100-yen shops
SNS is the trigger, and "seal books" are penetrating into life as actual "actions."
The current seal book boom can be said to be a phenomenon that is being rediscovered not just as "nostalgic" but as a "just-right analog experience."
Seal books in the Heisei era were something with a strong aspect of "play" where you exchanged or collected them with friends.
On the other hand, the position of today's seal books is a bit different.
Instead of just collecting, they have become things for creating one's own worldview.
For example,
"Coordinating color palettes, unifying the atmosphere of the characters, organizing page by page with a specific theme."
This may be closer to the feeling of "editing for yourself" rather than with the premise of showing it to someone.
Exchanging and sharing are merely the step that follows; first and foremost, making a seal book is time to shape one's own sensibilities.
That "creation process" itself is consumed as fun.
From the seal book that was close to "make-believe" in Heisei, to "time to give shape to what I like" in Reiwa.
That may be one perspective to decode the current seal book boom.
What's even more interesting is that the "Heisei Girl" generation is gradually increasing among the parenting generation. Thinking back nostalgically, "I used to do sticker books too,"
Buy stickers for children.
Choose together.
Paste together.
Sticker albums are starting to become a way for parents and children to spend time together.
This trend is not limited to elementary school students.
Recently, even among preschoolers, it has become common to see them placing stickers with their parents or lining them up in notebooks.
For children who have grown accustomed to "sticking" through sticker picture books and sticker workbooks,
it is not rare for them to naturally progress to sticker albums as an extension of that.
New play for children.
A nostalgic experience for parents.
It seems that this overlapping of "experiences across generations"
is further fueling the growth of the sticker book boom.
Just like the re-boom of seal books, there is a movement to pay attention to characters popular during the Heisei era. The reasons why characters born in the Showa and Heisei eras are supported by Generation Z are also introduced in this article.
▼Related Article: Tamagotchi and Monchhichi popular with Gen Z? Reasons for being attracted to Showa/Heisei characters
The seal book boom is starting to be reflected little by little not only in individual play but also in corporate measures.
As the second installment of the "San-x Universe" collaboration, this project, which began in October 2025, rolled out advertisements based on the "sticker album" familiar to children of the Heisei era. Graphic advertisements featuring popular characters such as "Rilakkuma," "Sumikko Gurashi," and "Tarepanda" as stickers collected in an original sticker album appeared on digital signage at "Yaechika (Yaesu Shopping Mall)" in Tokyo Station and on giant boards at Nagoya Station and JR Osaka Station.
In response to the sticker album boom among elementary school students, the December issue of "Ciao" featured 182 stickers as an appendix. It became a hot topic for its lineup that makes trading stickers fun, including not only popular Ciao characters but also nostalgic characters that make Heisei-era girls feel nostalgic, as well as stickers of VTubers currently popular on social media and stickers of big-name idols.
Along with "sticker albums," attention is currently focused on puffy special stickers such as Bonbon Drop Stickers and water-filled stickers.
Plump 3D feel, glossy surface, unique feel when pressed with fingers.
Furthermore, water-filled stickers that contain liquid or glitter inside are also characterized by changing appearance every time they are tilted.
These stickers were familiar at stationery stores in the Heisei era, but their cuteness as a texture and material you can touch has been re-evaluated, and there are cases where they are sold out in stores and online.
In posts about making seal books,
these 3D and special-type stickers are featured a lot and are gathering support.
◆Idea 1: "Sticker perks" that make you want to collect them
Deploying measures to distribute collaborations with popular characters or original stickers triggered by purchases/store visits.
By turning them into a series or store-limited designs, they also lead to motives for repeat visits.
◆Idea 2: Now is the time for "stickers" as novelties
Now that the seal book boom and Bonbon Drop Sticker boom are here, "stickers" also match as a trend item for novelties. In particular, 3D/special material stickers have a texture that makes you want to touch them, making them easier to remember as an experience than paper ones.
◆Idea 3: Utilize a "sticker-like" graphic design
Incorporating sticker-specific ways of showing, such as white borders, rounded corners, and overlapping layouts, into POP, poster, and signage designs is also accepted by the target layer as an expression that utilizes a sense of trend. Even in flat formats, "sticker-like feel" can be expressed, making it easier to bring out friendliness.
In this way, it could be interesting to use the "sticker album" boom as a hint for sales promotion ideas.
Seal books, which have been enjoyed as play for Heisei girls, are not an existence that can be talked about only with nostalgia, but are naturally starting to connect with today's sensibilities and lifestyles.
Collecting, pasting, and arranging.
Being able to enjoy it at your own pace, not just to show others.
That freedom seems to overlap comfortably with the atmosphere of today.
Looking at this trend from a distance as a part of Heisei girl culture and Heisei retro consumption, we might be able to see new perspectives on store creation and promotion ideas.
The "sticker album" boom is a trend that is spreading as multiple contexts overlap,
such as children's play, nostalgia for adults, and communication between parents and children.
In such phenomena, capturing it from the perspective of "what kind of experience is being enjoyed in what form," rather than just separating by target age or attribute, becomes a hint for creating promotions.
At BEEATS, we support the planning of store creation, experience design, and promotions while decoding such cultural changes.
We hope that we can help you utilize the "seal book" boom as one such hint in a way that suits your brand and product.
▼Please also check out the various corporate case studies introduced on the BEEATS website!
▼Please see this article for more details about "Heisei girls"!
"What are Heisei girls? The retro-cute worldview that Gen Z is addicted to"
▼"Heisei Retro" is explained in this article!
"Why Heisei retro is popular with Gen Z ~ Hints for utilizing emo-cute experiences in promotions"
Q1. Why is there a "sticker album" boom again now?
A1. This is because the fun of sharing on SNS has overlapped with the rise of the Heisei retro boom and nostalgia consumption. Because it is a smartphone-centered era, the analog touch of "pasting" and "arranging" is being re-evaluated as a means of self-expression and healing, gaining popularity regardless of generation.
Q2. How is the Reiwa "seal book" different from the one in the Heisei era?
A2. Whereas in the Heisei era, it had a strong aspect of "play" such as exchanging and collecting with friends, in Reiwa, it has become a means of "expression" for creating one's own worldview. There is a tendency to enjoy the "creation process" itself of giving shape to one's own sensibilities, such as by deciding themes and organizing.
Q3. To what generation is the "seal book" boom spreading?
A3. It is spreading widely, centering on the parent generation who were Heisei girls, to Generation Z, elementary school students, and preschool children. It has become established as an adult hobby, with "#HousewifeSealBook" becoming a hot topic on SNS, and it is changing into an experience shared across generations from parent to child.
Q4. What are the recently popular "Bonbon Drop Stickers"?
A4. These are special stickers characterized by their plump 3D feel and glossy surface. Their unique feel when pressed with fingers and water-filled stickers that contain liquid or glitter inside are re-evaluated for the cuteness of the texture and material you can touch, and they are gaining high support, such as being sold out one after another.
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