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This time, we will introduce new toys for the summer. The location of the coverage was the ‘Toy Business Fair,’ held in Tokyo on April 15 and 16. This event is a trade show where manufacturers present exhibition items to wholesalers and retailers who handle toys.
From the exhibits at that venue, we selected six products suitable for inbound consumption and two for domestic consumers. This time, we are focusing mainly on products for girls and women, reflecting last year’s sales situation （*1）. At first, I aimed at plush toy and keychains attached to bags, which were trending overseas and in high demand worldwide. However, cases of acquiring domestic sales rights for popular overseas products and selling them （*2）became prominent, so we changed to bag charms that include Japanese originality, such as handmade items.
The reason it became trendy overseas to attach plush toy or keychains to bags and backpacks was that they brought small happiness at an affordable price. The selected products are by no means affordably priced, but the happiness derived from their originality and enjoyment with parents and children is higher than that of mass-produced goods. By all means, please feel it.
*1 For boys, sales of toys in other genres were sluggish as new home video game consoles were released. Conversely, for girls, a Heisei-era retro boom occurred, and the act of attaching small plush toys to bags became fashionable overseas and sold well.
*2 Examples include cute-but-ugly plush toys similar to Labubu, and highly flexible silicone doll keychains.
Agatsuma
～The value you get is more than that of ready-made products! three-dimensional keychain creation set～
Agatsuma Co., Ltd. will release a set product in September that allows users to create three-dimensional keychains, targeting teenage girls.
That “Fancy Deco Sanrio Characters Set” (scheduled retail price including tax: 6,600 yen) is a keychain-making set that includes 128 decoration parts and cream adhesive. There are seven base materials, including a photo holder, round and heart-shaped keychain plates, and a hair clip.
This original goods creation set includes sparkling decoration parts and other items that are popular with women. The price is slightly high, but it offers more value than ready-made products, such as being enjoyable for friends or parents and children. This value is provided to everyone who purchases it, regardless of whether they are domestic or overseas.
Beverly
～Full of points that women like! Handmade Keychain Kit～
Beverly Co., Ltd. has launched a pouch-style keychain handmade kit targeting young women.
That “Paw Charm” (including tax, 7,150 yen) comes with a charm sheet featuring character patterns, a chain, beads, gel, and more. You can choose from three types of characters: Sanrio, Sumikko Gurashi, and Kirby of the Stars.
This keychain handmade kit incorporates elements that are currently popular among young women, such as handmade, sparkling, and Oshikatsu. Furthermore, it can be customized, for example by adding photos for use in Oshikatsu. Let’s also share this culture with tourists visiting Japan.
KJC Communications
～Always together with the character! Plate-shaped Keychain Handmade Kit～
KJC Communications Co., Ltd. launched a kit product that allows you to hand-make board-shaped keychains by coloring them, targeting teenage girls.
That ‘Kira-furu Glass Charm Maker Sanrio Characters DX’ (tax-included price 5,500 yen) comes as a set with 12 colored pens and a transparent board with character illustrations. When you color it, it becomes a stained-glass-style keychain.
A perfect product for Oshikatsu girls who always want to be with their characters. The kit also includes illustration cards and removable film sheets, and you can make stickers to put in a smartphone case. Let’s also share this fun with travelers visiting Japan.
Shine
～Brings small happiness! A plush toy that fits into a button～
Shine Co., Ltd. will release in September a plush toy targeted at women of a wide range of ages, featuring a buttonhole into which a button can be inserted.
That ‘Button Mascot’ (including tax, 1,078 yen) features seven different Sanrio characters. Besides fitting it onto a button, there is also a way to use it by threading a safety pin or keychain chain through the label on the back.
This plush toy can be safely used by a wide range of ages, from adults to children who are still not good at fastening buttons. Moreover, it adopts Sanrio characters, which are globally well-known. It is a product that brings small happiness even to travelers visiting Japan.
Takara Tomy
～You can enjoy it in various places! Inexpensive and small Punirunes～
Takara Tomy Co., Ltd. will release a small-sized version of the nurturing toy ‘ Punirunes,’ which comes with a keychain that can be taken outside, targeting women of a wide range of ages, in late June.
That ‘Puni Commu’ (manufacturer’s suggested retail price including tax: 3,300 yen) is a nurturing toy that allows you to actually feel like you are touching the character when you put your fingers into the slot. In the smaller version of the product, you can choose the subject of the nurturing play from four types of Sanrio characters.
This is a nurturing toy that allows you to experience the sensation of petting a character. When releasing affordable small-sized versions, plush toys and sets Hello Kitty-shaped covers will also be released simultaneously. This tactile play can be enjoyed in various places.
Tokyo Mimole
～Banksy appears! A decorative super ball with enhanced transparency～
Tokyo Mimole Co., Ltd. has added new products to its high-transparency super ball series, aimed at anime and art fans and designed mainly for display.
In the new product ‘Shin Super Ball Brandalised,’ we have prepared 16 types of Banksy patterns. These patterns are distributed without duplication into tube cases (reference price for one set including tax: 1,980 yen) and blind boxes (880 yen each including tax) for sale.
This series has been enhanced in content since its release last year. The One Piece series has also increased to 16 designs with the same sales format. The designs adopted have global recognition, so popularity in inbound consumption can also be reliably secured.
Lyric
～Perfect for capturing the Heisei retro demand! Flip phone-style toy camera～
Lyric Co., Ltd. will launch a flip phone-style toy camera this October, targeting women in their teens and twenties.
That ‘Emo Flip’ (available in three body colors, with a planned tax-included price of 7,700 yen) is a toy camera that can take low-resolution photos in the style of cellphone shots from the Heisei era. Although it is priced under 10,000 yen, it is well-equipped with functions such as selfies, video recording, and music playback.
This toy camera comes with a strap, so you can easily take it outside. The body has almost the same specifications as flip phone from the Heisei era, so you can also decorate it with parts and stickers. This toy camera is ideal for playful use, so it can attract young women who love photography.
Bandai
～SNS increases demand! Puffy sticker with a Tamagotchi pattern～
Bandai Co., Ltd. will release the third new product of stickers that are puffy, elastic on the surface, and can be stuck and peeled off, targeting women born in the Heisei era and girls, in May.
That ‘Tamamori sticker Refills’ (all 6 types, each priced at 638 yen including tax) feature Tamagotchi designs. Each contains stickers of various sizes and one sheet of illustration paper that matches the design.
This sticker is a reprint version that gained popularity in 2011. Its appeal captivates not only modern young girls but also women in their twenties who loved it when it was originally released. The demand for this sticker grows significantly when information about it is shared on SNS and other platforms.
The next toy exhibition is the Tokyo Toy Show, scheduled to be held at Tokyo Big Sight from August 29 to 31. The Toy Business Fair is for business use only, but the Toy Show has public days (the 30th and 31st) for consumers. At that venue, you can actually check the products introduced this time.
