Style & Design | ON: DESIGN May 26, 2019
New brands to delight design fans
by Mio Yamada
From cat beds to toy DJ decks and sleek furniture, plenty of stylish goods are emerging from Japan's new brand lines.
National Mar 6, 2019
Tokyo Skytree celebrates 60th anniversary of iconic fashion doll Barbie's debut
by Masumi Koizumi
An event marking the 60th year since the debut of iconic fashion doll Barbie kicked off at Tokyo Skytree on Wednesday, showcasing the doll's history and diversity. The event, named Barbie Loves Tokyo Skytree Runway, will run through May 6. At the tower's Tembo Galleria, a ...
Style & Design Feb 12, 2019
Plastic fantastic: Examining the obsession over Japan's soft vinyl toys
by Dan Orlowitz
It's a cold afternoon in mid-January and, inside a factory operated by Maruyama Toys in a quiet residential area in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward, Cory Privitera is making sofubi (soft vinyl toys). In a cramped workspace surrounded by machinery and long sinks, the 33-year-old begins by ...
Business / Corporate Jul 24, 2018
Toymaker Bandai Co. says it will enter China's growing baby toy market next March by offering a range of products featuring characters from a popular Japanese picture book series. While the Chinese baby toy market has been expanding following the abolition of its one-child policy, ...
Business / Corporate Jul 2, 2018
Toymakers in Japan are strengthening measures against counterfeit products being sold overseas, especially in China. The proportion of domestic toymakers' sales made overseas has been growing, due to the shrinking domestic market amid the declining birthrate. Firms are concerned that overlooking the sale of counterfeit ...
Business Jun 27, 2018
An inspirational new version of Barbie will encourage young girls to embark on careers in engineering and the sciences, the iconic doll's manufacturer Mattel said on Tuesday. Barbie, who first hit the shelves in 1959, prides herself on trying out jobs where women aren't strongly ...
Art May 13, 2018
Twenty-five years in the company of Maywa Denki
by Mio Yamada
Maywa Denki, Japan's "parallel-world electric company" celebrates quarter of a century of wacky art performances, peculiar gadgets and lots of humor.
National May 10, 2018
Toy exhibition featuring plastic Gundam models opens in Shizuoka with an eye on drawing younger fans
A major toy exhibition featuring new plastic models of anime robot Gundam and other characters opened Thursday in the city of Shizuoka, with vendors in attendance looking to attract new generations of fans. Some 80 companies are taking part in the annual Shizuoka Hobby Show. ...
National Apr 20, 2018
120 children needed treatment after accidentally swallowing magnetic balls: consumer center
Japan's consumer center said Thursday about 120 children were treated at medical institutions over the past seven years after swallowing tiny magnetic balls, and urged parents to keep such products away from children. The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan said it knows of 124 ...
Business / Corporate Apr 12, 2018
Toys R Us in talks to sell majority stake in Asia unit, including Japan business
by Alex Martin
Beleaguered retail chain Toys R Us Inc. is negotiating to sell its 85 percent stake in its Asian business, including the Japan operations. A spokeswoman at Toys R Us Japan headquarters in Kawasaki confirmed Thursday that Toys R Us Asia Ltd., its parent, is in ...
Business / Corporate Feb 27, 2018
New Zoids toy line will launch for the first time in 12 years
by Kazuaki Nagata
Tomy Co. said Tuesday it is gearing up to release its first new lineup of "mecha"-themed animal toys known as Zoids in 12 years. The firm said it plans to market the plastic models through the classic Japanese media-mix formula of anime, manga and video ...