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Japan Toy Manufacturers
A complete guide to 17 historic and current Japanese toy manufacturers. Japan played a defining role in toy-making history — explore each company's founding, toys, and legacy.
17 manufacturers listed.
Alps Shoji Ltd.
Alps was one of Japan's premier producers of battery-operated and clockwork tin toys for the American market. Much of the output w…
Aoshin Toy (AS)
Aoshin produced colorful battery-operated and friction tin toys for the American export market in the 1950s and 1960s. Their tin p…
Bandai
One of Japan's most powerful entertainment companies, Bandai began with tin toys and grew into a global giant through anime and to…
Haji (Mansei Toy Company)
Haji produced colorful lithographed tin friction and battery-operated toy vehicles primarily for the American export market in the…
Ichiko
Ichiko was a major Japanese producer of friction and battery-operated tin toy cars and trucks. Their large tinplate models of Amer…
Ichimura Toy (TM)
Ichimura produced friction and battery-operated tin toy vehicles for the export market in the 1950s and 1960s. Their tin cars and …
Kuramochi & Co.
Kuramochi produced battery-operated tin toys and robots for the export market. Their 'CK' trademark — not the 'KO' mark, which bel…
Linemar (Marx Japan)
Linemar was Louis Marx & Company's Japanese subsidiary, producing battery-operated and friction tin toys for the American export m…
Marusan
Marusan produced a wide range of tin toys and character figures for the Japanese and export markets. Their tin cars are collected …
MT (Masudaya Toys)
Masudaya (Modern Toys) is legendary among tin toy collectors for producing some of the most imaginative battery-operated tin toys …
Nikko (Nikko Radio Controlled)
Nikko became one of the world's most popular producers of radio-controlled toy vehicles, producing RC cars, trucks, boats, and hel…
Nomura (TN Toy)
Nomura Toy (TN) produced a wide range of battery-operated tin toys for the export market, including cars, space ships, and robots …
Occupied Japan (various manufacturers)
The 'Occupied Japan' mark designates toys and goods exported from Japan during the Allied Occupation (1945–1952). Items bearing th…
SH (Horikawa Toys)
Horikawa (Showa) produced colorful battery-operated tin robots and space toys that are among the most beloved examples of the genr…
Taiyo Kogyo
Taiyo Kogyo was a prolific Japanese producer of battery-operated tin toys and later radio-controlled plastic vehicles. Their batte…
Y / Yonezawa (STS/Yone)
Yonezawa produced exquisite battery-operated and friction tin toys primarily for the American export market in the 1950s and 1960s…
Yoshiya (KO Kogyo)
Yoshiya (KO) produced battery-operated tin robots and space toys that are among the most colorful and creative of the postwar Japa…