Jump to content

Takara

Checked
Page protected with pending changes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused withTakara Holdings.For other uses, seeTakara (disambiguation).

Takara Co., Ltd.
Native name
Chu thức hội xã タカラ
Kabushiki gaisha Takara
Founded1955;69 years ago(1955)
DefunctMarch 1, 2006;18 years ago(2006-03-01)
FateMerged toTomy
SuccessorTakara Tomy
HeadquartersTokyo,Japan
ProductsBowLingual,Choro-Q,Microman,Transformers

Takara Co., Ltd.(Chu thức hội xã タカラ,Kabushiki gaisha Takara)was a Japanesetoycompanyfounded in 1955. In March 2006, the company merged withTomy Company, Ltd.to formTakara Tomy.The Takara motto was“Du びは văn hóa”( "playing is culture" ).

The company focused on traditional toys andboard games.They created theLicca-chandolls, which has been referred to as "Japan'sBarbie"in Western press.[1]Some of the globally known toys and franchises that Takara invented includeTransformersandBeyblade.[2][3]Takara also held the license to localise and distributeHasbroproducts in Japan includingThe Game of Life,Blythe dolls,Magic: The Gathering,Duel Masterstrading card games. Takara was also involved in software, publishing video games based on its toys likeTransformersandChoro Q / Penny Racers,portingSNKNeo Geogames to consoles, and theBattle Arena Toshindenseries.

Products

[edit]

Toys

[edit]
KLM Royal Dutch Airlinesstaff with inflatable Winky Dolls in 1960

In 1960,[4]Takara released the Dakko-Chan (ダッコちゃん)[5]doll which would become a hit in Japan's during that era.[6]The nickname was given because of how it "embraces" a person.[7]Also referred to as Winky Dolls in English, in the 1980s the company was criticized overseas for using it as a mascot due to itsgolliwog-like character and racial undertones.[6]By the end of production in 1988, six million of these dolls were sold.[8]

In 1967, Takara produced the first generation of theLicca-chandoll, which would become very popular in Japan to this day, and which was 21 centimeters tall and had the last name of Kayama, inspired by the musician Yuzo Kayama and actress Yoshiko Kayama.[9]They released theJennydoll in the 1980s.

Licca-chan dolls

In 1975, Takara produced theDiacloneandMicromanMicro Changetoys. In 1984, the toy line was rebranded byHasbroas "Transformers".[10]Takara continued to sell Microman and used it as the basis for theMicronautstoy line. Micronauts were sold internationally by theMego Corporation.Other transforming toys made by Takara includeBrave,Dennō Bōkenki Webdiver,andDaigunder.Both Webdiver and Daigunder toys could interact with TV screens, which proved only but a fad in the early 2000s.

Two Beyblades in a 'Beyblade tournament'

In 1978, Takara developed theChoro-Q,mini pullback cars. Internationally, they have been sold as "Penny Racers". Takara also inventedBattle Beasts,the E-kara karaoke microphone,B-Daman,andBeyblade,a product that has achieved high popularity globally.[11][12]These toys were sold or distributed internationally by Hasbro.

A model from Takara'sWorld Tank Museumline

The Dakko-Chan doll was revived in 2001 in a new colorful form.[6]This one had enough features to connote the original product,[4]but divested the traits which brought criticism (for example, the new doll was not always coloured black).

Software

[edit]
See also:Category:Takara video games

Takara developed and publishedvideo games,the first beingTransformers: Mystery of Convoy.In the 1990s and early 2000s, Takara published video games for franchises and mangas such asChibi Maruko-chan,Armored Trooper VotomsandTokyo Mew Mew.They also madeChoro Qgamessuch asSeek and Destroy.The company ported (adapted) some of theSNKNeo Geobased arcade games for 8 and 16-bit consoles. These included theFatal Furyand theSamurai Shodownseries. They were sold for use with theSega Genesis,theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System,or theFamicom.Takara with its contract developerTamsoftalso produced the influential3Dfighting seriesBattle Arena Toshinden,and other games such asSteamGear Mash.

Takara from 1994-1998 also brought many SNK fighters to theGame Boyin the form of simplified "demakes" calledNettou,starting withFatal Fury 2.[13][14]

DreamMix TV World Fighterswas released in 2003 as a crossover between Takara,Hudson SoftandKonami.From 2003 Takara also owned the video game developer and publisherAtlus.[3]Some Takara properties were licensed to and published by Atlus. In 2006, after the merger withTomy,Takara's former controlling stake in Atlus was sold to Index Holdings,Takara Tomy's major shareholder. Takara-branded product licenses were returned to Takara Tomy's consumer software division; the merged company thereafter also produced the games in theZoidsandNarutoseries.

Life entertainment products

[edit]

Takara has manufactured several unusualgadgetsmarketed as "life entertainment products". An example isBowLingualwhich aimed to translate the sounds of dogs to human language. The BowLingual was named as one of the best inventions of 2002 byTimemagazine.[15]See alsoYumemi Kobo(dream generator).

Robots

[edit]

In 2005, Takara produced Walkie Bits, a colorful, multi-function miniature robotic turtle. it was namedTimemagazine's best invention in a robot category.[16]

Mischelleanous

[edit]
Q-Car Qi

In the 1980s, Takara as an OEM also soldSord M5home computers.

In 2002, Takara developed and released a real-life, road legal small electric car based on itsChoro-Qtoys through its new motor subsidiary.[17]However due to low sales these cars were soon axed.

Company history

[edit]

Founded in 1955 by Yasuta Sato,[1]the company adopted the name Takara in 1960. The company waslistedon theTokyo Stock Exchangein 1984.[18]

Despite the big success ofBeybladein 1999, Takara was struggling financially. In July 2000,Konamibought a 22.2%controlling stakein the company.[19]In 2003, Takara purchasedAtlusand transferred all its video gaming properties to it.[19]Konami sold its share to Index Corporation in April 2005 and Takara became asubsidiaryof Index.[19]

On 13 May 2005, Takara andTomyannounced their merger, with Tomy being the surviving company.[20]It became effective on 1 March 2006. In English, the official name of the merged company is "TOMY Co. Ltd." while in Japan the legal company name is "K. K. Takara-Tomy" (Chu thức hội xã タカラトミー;TYO:7867). In deciding upon the merged company's new name, "Takara" was used for its internationalbrand recognitionand "Tomy" was used because it was a trusted brand of infant and preschool products in Japan. While Japanese commercial law allows wide latitude in translating Japanese corporate names into official English names, the merged company took the unusual step of adopting "TOMY Company, Ltd." as its official English, while using "K.K. Takara-Tomy" in Japan.

References

[edit]
  1. ^abNEWS, KYODO.""King of Toys "and creator of the Japanese Barbie dies".Kyodo News+.Retrieved2024-08-30.
  2. ^Donohoo, Timothy Blake (2024-07-17)."Takara Celebrates 40 Years of Transformers With Nostalgic 'Our Origin' Anniversary Release".CBR.Retrieved2024-08-29.
  3. ^ab"Takara Acquires Atlus".www.gamedeveloper.com.Retrieved2024-08-29.
  4. ^abhttps://www.takaratomy.co.jp/product_release/pdf_takara/01/p010315_1.pdf
  5. ^"Japan: Dakkochan Delirium".TIME. 1960-08-29. Archived fromthe originalon October 15, 2009.Retrieved2015-08-22.
  6. ^abcStaff, Digital Journal (2001-01-25)."Japanese Toymaker Comes Under Fire For A" Racist "Doll".Digital Journal.Retrieved2024-08-29.
  7. ^TIME (1960-08-29)."JAPAN: Dakkochan Delirium".TIME.Retrieved2024-08-30.
  8. ^"Chiêu hòa に đại ブームした｢ダッコちゃん”, thật は chính thức danh xưng ではない ".Chu khan nữ tính PRIME(in Japanese). 2024-08-30.Retrieved2024-08-30.
  9. ^Okazaki, Manami (2017-07-08)."Living doll: Licca-chan's legacy lives on".The Japan Times Online.ISSN0447-5763.Retrieved2019-09-11.
  10. ^Jovanovic, Marko (2024-08-29)."Transformers Gets Animated Video Project by Studio TRIGGER".Anime Corner.Retrieved2024-08-30.
  11. ^Low, Samantha (2024-04-12)."Beyblade's 25th Anniversary: How a Japanese Top Is Still Popular Today".Tokyo Weekender(in Japanese).Retrieved2024-08-30.
  12. ^https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/archives/cool/01-04-06/beyblades.html
  13. ^Life, Nintendo (2021-12-24)."How Takara Brought SNK's Arcade Fighters To The Humble Game Boy".Nintendo Life.Retrieved2024-08-30.
  14. ^"Nettou (Franchise)".Giant Bomb.Retrieved2024-08-30.
  15. ^"Best Inventions of 2002".TIME. Archived fromthe originalon November 12, 2002.Retrieved2015-08-22.
  16. ^Department (2005-11-13)."Best Inventions 2005: Bot Crazy - TIME".Content.time.com.Retrieved2015-08-22.
  17. ^"Japanese Toy Manufacturer Takara Releases Single-Seat Electric Car..."Getty Images.2011-03-25.Retrieved2024-08-30.
  18. ^https://www.takaratomy.co.jp/ir/financial/pdf/annual/11_annual_06.pdf
  19. ^abc"Konami Sells Stake In Takara".www.gamedeveloper.com.April 25, 2005.Retrieved2024-08-29.
  20. ^Author, No (2005-05-14)."Takara, Tomy agree to merge in 2006".The Japan Times.Retrieved2024-08-30.{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help)
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Takara&oldid=1243820292"