{"rewrite":{"id":"r_fe0ec00203b6973e48a558d0","clusterId":"c_fd22deb7278f6ed430e8560b","slug":"takaratomy-ceo-akio-tomiyama-on-asobi-and-licca-chan-at-anime-expo","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"TAKARATOMY CEO Akio Tomiyama on Asobi and Licca-chan at Anime Expo","summary":"TAKARATOMY President and CEO Akio Tomiyama discussed the company's Anime Expo exhibition, which featured BEYBLADE X, Licca-chan, and Gacha. He explained that the guiding concept behind all their products is \"Asobi,\" the spirit of play. Tomiyama highlighted plans to bring Licca-chan's Japanese \"kawaii\" culture to North America, including collaborations with Hatsune Miku and adult-oriented designs.","whyItMatters":"The interview shows TAKARATOMY is actively pushing Licca-chan into the North American market by leaning on Asobi as a unifying brand philosophy across children's toys and adult collector lines.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eAkio Tomiyama, president and CEO of TAKARATOMY, sat down with Anime News Network after Anime Expo to talk about the company\u0026#39;s biggest show presence yet. The booth spanned BEYBLADE X, Licca-chan, and Gacha, letting attendees handle the toys instead of viewing them behind glass.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTomiyama pointed to Asobi, the Japanese spirit of play, as the thread running through everything TAKARATOMY makes, from kids\u0026#39; products to high-end adult collectibles. On Licca-chan, he said the brand aims to carry Japanese \u0026#34;kawaii\u0026#34; culture to North America, with collaborations like the Hatsune Miku line and dolls designed to appeal to older fans.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Akio Tomiyama positions Licca-chan as a bridge for kawaii culture to North America. The adult-oriented designs, including a Hatsune Miku collaboration, signal a deliberate departure from the doll's child-focused image.","twitterPost":"Licca-chan's North American push pairs kawaii culture with adult-oriented designs and a Hatsune Miku collaboration, a shift from the doll's traditional child audience.","threadsPost":"Akio Tomiyama frames TAKARATOMY's entire lineup around Asobi, the spirit of play. Licca-chan's North American expansion is the concrete test of that idea, with adult-oriented designs and a Hatsune Miku collaboration aimed at an audience beyond children.","newsletterBlurb":"TAKARATOMY's CEO explains how Asobi shapes everything the company makes, and why Licca-chan is coming for North American doll fans with Hatsune Miku collaborations and adult-oriented designs.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2026/all-the-news-and-reviews-from-anime-expo/there-no-age-limit-to-asobi-an-interview-with-takaratomy-ceo-and-president-akio-tomiyama/.240615\",\"title\":\"There's No Age Limit to Asobi - An Interview with TAKARATOMY CEO \\u0026 President Akio Tomiyama\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4713,"outputTokens":623,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1787935068,"createdAt":"2026-08-28T16:32:31.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-28T16:36:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-28T16:32:31.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_fd22deb7278f6ed430e8560b","canonicalTitle":"There's No Age Limit to Asobi - An Interview with TAKARATOMY CEO \u0026 President Akio Tomiyama","representativeArticleId":"a_309d07e94b649e5a04ddc680","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":3,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Akio Tomiyama\"],\"type\":\"other\",\"domain\":\"industry\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-28T13:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-28T13:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-28T16:36:45.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2026/all-the-news-and-reviews-from-anime-expo/there-no-age-limit-to-asobi-an-interview-with-takaratomy-ceo-and-president-akio-tomiyama/.240615","title":"There's No Age Limit to Asobi - An Interview with TAKARATOMY CEO \u0026 President Akio Tomiyama"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Akio Tomiyama"],"type":"other","domain":"industry","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}