Loved for more than 40 years.
The Importance of Pursuing
Quintessential Toys and Realism

“Even now, we are launching two new car models each month, which go on sale the third Saturday of each month. We continue this development to constantly innovate and bring consumers to our brand for years to come”

These are the words of the TOMICA Product Develpment Team’s Hiroyuki Yamanouchi and the Marketing Team’s Kei Kishida, who are involved in these die cast toys for which Japan is famous. While this solid sales strategy is of course one factor, another appeal of TOMICA is the wide-ranging lineup of cars with which children are familiar, such as light vehicles, minivans, fire trucks and police vehicles, and so on. It takes approximately nine months to develop each car. They say there is the impression that TOMICA = miniature cars, but to make actual cars into products requires customization in a variety of areas.

“For example, the side mirrors. We don’t want to cause any injuries, so there are no protrusions. We make a number of modifications to smooth sharp edges and increase thickness in areas that require durability.

The reason for this is simple. TOMICA are for children as young as three. The customizations that create the unique TOMICA form make them more toy-like in a positive sense. No matter what type of car is developed, this is the unwavering policy that underpins the TOMICA brand.

“Development always involves walking a fine line between products that are realistic while at the same time being safe and durable as toys. This is where we demonstrate our prowess.”

In the design stage, we create prototypes in 0.1 mm increments. There is also a tremendous amount of technical know-how involved, such as making the design sharper by considering how paint will increase the overall thickness. Last year, cumulative sales exceeded 600 million cars. There is no doubt that children in Japan and around the world will continue to love these toys that fit in the palm of their hands.