Tokyo Toy Show 2001

Mission : information gathering and smarming up to manufacturing and wholesale representatives at the 2001 Tokyo Toy Show

Date : March 22, 2001

Personnel : Karaoke-man, Mr X, Mojojojo, Risa-chan and MJ

"Packs"

"Check"

"Comfortable shoes"

"Check"

"Cameras"

"Check"

"Water"

"Check"

"OK troops MOVE OUT!"

And with that Risa-chan, Karaoke-man, Mojojojo and I (MJ) piled into Mr X's car and started on the long trek to Tokyo Big Site for the 2001 Tokyo Toy Show. Mr X claimed to drive like Speed Racer, but even Speed would have had problems getting through the mire that is Tokyo midday traffic. At the 15 minute mark I realized that I had made my first mistake in this mission - as the tallest person in the group I should not have sat in the back in the middle. After practicing an advanced yoga position for about 45 mins, we were directed into a car park by about 9 old men waving glowing sticks (we found out later that this was not part of the exhibition). Scrambling out of the car we all took a deep breath (except for me who was dragging on a ciggie) and stormed the place.

Our first target was the Takara area. The front of it was lit up brighter than the Ginza on a Friday night, with their funky graphic light display. Once inside we were confronted by the display of the famous Licca-chan doll series (the Japanese Barbie so to speak). They presented the entire collection from the original style to the latest ganguro girl version. It was a trip down memory lane for Risa-chan - who even confessed to owning the Licca-chan supermarket, complete with movable conveyor belt register. I was amazed that not one of the versions even looked remotely Japanese - but there you have the evidence of Western culture domination. After fighting off the offer to have our hair done Licca-chan style, we followed Mojojojo to the table where there was lots of beeping flashing stuff and discovered the theme to Takara's range this year - the "key" concept. In order to make most of the toys work - you need to put the "key" (oddly shaped piece of plastic) into the "lock" (which generally is a hole in a complimentary shape and a cover to keep the "key" in place, while you play with the toy). When you remove the "key" the toy doesn't work. At first I thought that this was rather quirky, but on further investigation could see that it was a potential recipe for disaster - with parents desperately running around to find "keys" while kids scream that their toy doesn't work anymore.

This theme continued into the new Parappa the Rappa range - except the "key" has a bit more of a funky application - it contains a chip which when you insert it into a toy it plays a 30 second loop of music and makes the toy move. We were particularly captivated by the disc-spinning turntable version - er for no other reason than it was pretty cute (as opposed to the club scene version where the two characters move around like something out of The Exorcist). Then it occurred to Risa-chan and I that we had lost half of the troops! Pushing past the milk drinking bunnies (and pausing only briefly to check out the new range of Hello Kitty kitchen appliances) we caught up with Karaoke-man at the Nanchatte Beer Server display. Nanchatte = not, so technically this is called the "Not Beer Server". You attach a can to it and the gas in the beer forces it through the tap. Well it was hot in the exhibition hall and I got to try it out and then they gave me a can of Takara beer. I was happy.

We strolled past the several versions of e-kara (microphone/karaoke machine) and Dance Dance Revolution, outside into the reconnaissance area. Mr X was there - recovering from stage one of the mission. It was then that I cracked open my freebie can of low-calorie, non-alcoholic Takara Toy Company beer. It was a mere 5 milliseconds later that I was spitting out my mouthful of low-calorie, non-alcoholic Takara Toy Company beer - really I should have known better. Someone commented on whether this kind of toy was appropriate for children, but after one can of low-calorie, non-alcoholic Takara Toy Company beer I am sure that any child would be put off drinking for life.

Back to Report Archive

Page 2

click on piccies to make bigger!

Map of the exhibition centre
(no wonder it took 5 hours...)

Vampire Hunter D Figure

Stacks of Love Hina Figures

The supa-cool Vash the Stampede

Afro-Ken Mania!!!

Toei Animation -
hiding behind huge inflatable Pirate Ship
from One Piece!
(We never did find the stall...)

Berserk figures - with huge threatening monster
(now I understand why their swords are so big)