TOKYO, Aug 29 (News On Japan) –
The Tokyo Toy Show opened in Tokyo on August 28, with about 210 firms from Japan and abroad exhibiting roughly 35,000 merchandise. Japan’s toy market reached 1 trillion yen for the primary time in fiscal 2023 and continues to broaden regardless of the declining birthrate.
Companies and trade officers level to 2 most important drivers: the rise of the ‘kidult’ phase—adults who get pleasure from toys with a childlike enthusiasm—and sturdy inbound demand from abroad guests buying in Japan.
Manufacturers are accelerating growth of adult-oriented strains, together with premium replicas and collectibles. A meticulously reproduced time-train mannequin impressed by a well-known movie sequence was proven with a listing value of 59,400 yen, underscoring a method that targets higher-spending grownup consumers. Classic manufacturers are additionally refreshing long-running hits; features that evoke Nineties and 2000s nostalgia are returning, akin to device-to-device communication in virtual-pet video games after roughly twenty years.
Adult-focused variations of long-standing characters are lifting outcomes. A product line geared toward grown-up followers of Licca-chan, launched final yr, pushed complete Licca-chan gross sales to 6 occasions the earlier yr. Many consumers pose and {photograph} the figures and share photos on social media, turning styling and show into a part of the play sample. Analog-style devices are trending as effectively, together with on the spot cameras set to shoot in black and white for a retro, simplified look.
Blind-bag collectibles stay a staple of repeat purchases. The Sylvanian Families Baby Collection, offered in opaque packets that conceal the precise determine inside, sells a couple of million models a yr. The shock ingredient, together with reasonably priced value factors, encourages a number of buys and faucets into nostalgia, which some customers describe as a type of self-care in unsure occasions.
Inbound demand is including momentum. Overseas guests are buying toys in Japan in growing numbers, in accordance with exhibitors, whereas firms see alternatives to succeed in international clients by home retail and on-line channels. The worldwide footprint on the present flooring is rising as effectively: of 92 abroad exhibitors this yr, round 80% are from China, marking a report presence by Chinese firms.
Looking forward, makers anticipate higher use of AI and different digital applied sciences in each merchandise and advertising and marketing. As social media elevates visually participating niches and attitudes shift towards ‘adults can play too,’ the market is broadening past kids, reinforcing a pattern that has carried Japan’s toy trade to the 1 trillion yen threshold.
Source: TBS