Takara

Takara-TomyTakara Co., Ltd. is a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. Takara merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 with the new company making the unusual decision to adopt two different legal corporate names. In English the legal name of the company is simply TOMY Co. Ltd. while in Japanese the legal company name is the combined name, K.K. Takara-Tomy (株式会社タカラトミー ) TYO: 7867 .

Takara is perhaps best known as the company behind the transforming toys which became Transformers, after Hasbro proposed combining Takara's Diaclone and Micro Change toylines in 1984 to create the Transformers. Takara is also the originator of the hit toy lines Battle Beasts (BeastFormers in Japan), e-kara karaoke microphone, Battle B-Daman and Beyblade, all of which Hasbro also sold or distributed internationally. Takara continues to sell Microman, the basis for the hit toy line Micronauts, sold internationally by now defunct Mego beginning in the 70s and Choro-Q a mini pullback car, which has been running since 1978 and is marketed outside Japan as Penny Racer.

Both Takara and pre-merger Tomy have had strong relationships with Hasbro, which has distributed Takara's hit products such as Transformers, Beyblade, e-Kara and Battle B-Daman and Tomy's Zoids brands internationally. Although the merged company has stated that the Transformers business with Hasbro and the OEM business in general is not as profitable as direct distribution, the relationship with Hasbro on Transformers is low risk since Hasbro assumes the inventory risk internationally. This long-term relationship will certainly continue, as both Takara and Tomy have also long held the licenses to localize and distribute many Hasbro products in Japan, including The Game of Life, Blythe dolls, and Magic: The Gathering and Duel Masters trading card games by Takara and Monopoly, Furby, Super Soaker and Play-Doh by Tomy. Hasbro has also previously distributed Tomy's Pokemon toys in the US, though eventually started selling their own versions.(wikipedia)

This page will list both Takara toys and Hasbro toys that have been jointly produced by Takara.


Review: Microman Biomachine: Xeku with MachineMirror

It's not an expensive toy. It's not big... Who cares? It still rocks!


New Binaltech available for pre-order at Angolz.com

New Binaltech is available for pre-order at Angolz.com


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Takara MP05 Megatron restock is available now at ANGOLZ.COM. Only $ 79 US.

Takara MP05 Megatron restock is available now at ANGOLZ.COM for only $ 79 US.


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Review: Sports Label Megatron feat. Nike FREE 7.0

This is the companion piece to the Convoy feat. Nike FREE 7.0 sneaker. This one isn’t any better. In fact, it’s basically the same toy with a different head and paint job.


Review: Sports Label Convoy feat. Nike Free 7.0

I can only imagine the marketing meeting that went on for these....


Review: Power Force Spectron

In its US incarnation, Spectron is part of the Power Force line and is manufactured by Zima out of Hong Kong. The toy is manufactured under license from Takara. The toys actually came from a Japanese Tokuatsu show called Cyber Police Cybercop (電脳警察サイバーコップ). This show ran from 1988 - 1989 and was produced by Toho. The toy's original name is "Cyber Bit Series - Mercury Bit (サイバービット シリーズ マーキュリービット)"


Review: Dougram Collection Series Mackerel H404S (Soltic)

I first fell in love with the Mackerel design when I was a little kid. I remember building Robotech model kits from Revell in 1984 on my summer vacation up at Lake Winnepausaukee. While my parents would sit around the cabin and talk, I would be building model kits on the porch.


CDX toy news bulletin 8/29/2007

Thr return of the Tentacle Monsters, plus Perfect Change Gaiking, tons of Kaiju and a new Aoshima Diecast


CDX toy news bulletin 7/25/2007

Who would win in a fight - Lemmy or God?


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CDX toy news bulletin 7/13/2007

New Microman, Macross, Gatchaman, Gurren Lagann and Raideen! Updated with bonus Tofu Chogokin!


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