By KAEDE SANO/ Staff Writer
January 6, 2025 at 08:00 JST
Takara Tomy Planet at the Ito-Yokado Ario Kameari store in Tokyo (Provided by Tomy Co.)
Toy manufacturer Tomy Co. set up its first permanent amusement facility in Tokyo, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in a world of toys from Takara and Tomy brands.
Takara Tomy Planet opened in Ito-Yokado Co.’s Ario Kameari store in Tokyo’s Katsushika Ward on Nov. 22.
Ito-Yokado asked Tomy, headquartered in the same ward, to move in. This is the first permanent entertainment facility bearing the toy company’s name.
Takara Tomy Planet provides eight types of attractions featuring the company’s popular products, including Tomica, Plarail, Pop-Up Pirate and Licca.
Visitors can enjoy toys that are integrated with digital technology. They can also use a sword to stab a “barrel” displayed on a screen to help “Blackbeard” in a time-limited challenge.
Licca-chan’s outfit can be colored for a fashion show on the screen.
Litpla Inc., which has been establishing next-generation theme parks using digital technologies, such as projection mapping, came up with the plan for Takara Tomy Planet.
Ito-Yokado has been operating three amusement shopping sites in its toy sections in Kanagawa Prefecture since 2021. They all incorporate digital technologies developed by Litpla.
When Ito-Yokado was considering creating a new toy section at its store in Katsushika Ward, it asked Tomy to collaborate.
“I hope many fans visit the facility and enjoy unprecedented experiences playing with each brand’s toy that has a long history combined with digital technologies,” Shunsuke Takeuchi, Tomy’s executive officer, said at a news conference on Nov. 20.
Comedy duo Lotti appeared at the news conference as special guests and played some of the features at Takara Tomy Planet.
“We don’t need to bring or plan anything, but we can still enjoy this place for hours. Parents and kids can purely enjoy this facility together,” one of the comedians said.
The fee to enter Takara Tomy Planet for 30 minutes on weekdays is 800 yen ($5.33) and 1,000 yen on weekends and holidays. There is also one-day pass.
Additionally, visitors must register to enter Takara Tomy Planet by paying an annual fee of 600 yen per family.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
A peek through the music industry’s curtain at the producers who harnessed social media to help their idols go global.
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
