What is the Japanese toy market like?
The Japanese toy market is the second largest in the world and very tough. However, the company suffers from what we call an “age trap.” The age trap has two meanings. One is that the market is declining due to the aging population. The other is that in Japan children exit educational toys at a younger age than in other countries. There is no question that LEGO can be used by almost any age group in terms of creativity learning and hand-eye coordination. Although our primary target is kids, our secondary target is parents as well as adult LEGO fans. What are some unique aspects of the Japanese toy market? There are many unique aspects which kids look for. For example, intellectual properties (IPs) in Japan, such as Anpanman, Ultraman and Power Rangers which are globally recognizable, are completely different from other foreign markets. Although there is good crossover between Japan and other countries in some areas, IPs like Spiderman and Batman are not quite as popular here, unlike ot
