Interest
Highest-Selling Toys of 2016 in Japan
posted on by Eric Stimson
The marketing agency GfK Japan released statistics on January 25 on the Japanese toy market's performance in 2016. In general the news was good: toy sales increased 7% over 2015 in each category (boys' toys, girls' toys, basic toys, and games). Girls' toys posted by far the most growth, with a 13% rise. Boys' toys sold far better in the second half of the year than the first half; in 2015, they had experienced a decline in sales.
In terms of which franchise sold best, Soreike! Anpanman (classified as a "basic toy") ruled the roost in 2016; the toy line posted 11% growth over 2015. Second and third place went to the boys' toys Kamen Rider and Beyblade Burst. The doll Licca-chan came in fourth; other popular girls' toys included the doll Mell-chan and the cute creatures franchise Kami-sama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama. About 60% of sales in the game category were of card games like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Duel Masters.
GfK collected its data from electronics stores, general stores, and online stores. The data only covers "true toys," omitting video games, hobby items like models and figures, and general merchandise. Yōkai Watch and Frozen were the toy franchises that dominated 2014; that year, boys' toys grew by 23%, compared to 4% in 2016.
Source: Anime! Anime!: Kazuko Ogita; Images from Soreike! Anpanman Omocha no Hoshi no Nanda to Runda official website, Kamen Rider Drive official website and Beyblade Burst official website
