Toys and Games in Japan

June 2025
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Overview:

Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Toys and Games industry in Japan with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.

Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.

Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to the following key categories, where applicable:

  • Traditional Toys and Games
  • Video Games

If you're in the Toys and Games industry in Japan, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.

The Toys and Games in Japan report includes:

  • Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
  • Detailed segmentation of international and local products
  • Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
  • Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
  • Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country

This report answers:

  • What is the market size of Toys and Games in Japan?
  • Which are the leading brands in Toys and Games in Japan?
  • How are products distributed in Toys and Games in Japan?
  • How is the rise of e-commerce impacting the retail landscape and traditional outlets?
  • What are the key safety regulations to observe in Japan?
  • How has retail disruption following COVID-19 and national lockdown impacted sales?
  • Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
  • Is it more important to appeal to children or adults?

Toys and Games in Japan

Even inflation cannot stop growth for traditional toys and games, due to spending by kidults
Chart 1 Key Trends 2024
Traditional toys and games shows growth, while video games declines
One Piece Card Game benefits from the kidult trend and popularity of the related comic
Chart 2 One Piece Card Game Sales Surge in 2024, Fuelled by Nostalgia and Anime Tie-ins
Chart 3 Analyst Insight
Palworld's success on Steam faces controversy due to similarity with Pokémon
Chart 4 Palworld Becomes a Breakout Hit on Steam in 2024
Video games will continue to lead toys and games, despite anticipation of modest growth
Pokémon Trading Card Game app launch expected to also boost sales of its physical game
Switch 2 launch in 2025 anticipated to perform well
Gundam likely to drive growth in traditional toys and games, but mobile games may face headwinds in video games
PlayStation loses its lead to Nintendo amid the changing preferences of gamers
China-based games developers' marketing tactics drive success for mobile games
IP partnerships impact brand rankings, with Sumikkogurashi PC performing well
Chart 5 Sumikkogurashi PC Remains Top Seller in Japan in 2024
Retail e-commerce is the leading sales channel and exhibits strong growth
Offline retail continues to have its place, particularly for sales of traditional toys and games
Toymakers prioritise direct-to-consumer for closer consumer contact
Chart 6 Real GDP Growth and Inflation 2019-2029
Chart 7 PEST Analysis in Japan 2024
Chart 8 Key Insights on Consumers in Japan 2024
Chart 9 Consumer Landscape in Japan 2024

COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER

Summary 1 Research Sources

Traditional Toys and Games in Japan

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Franchises such as Beyblade and Pokémon drive growth among kidults
Chart 10 Key Trends 2024
Beyblade X and card games drive growth in traditional toys and games
Sales of One Piece Card Game surge thanks to enduring popularity of the franchise
Chart 11 One Piece Card Game Emerged as a Top-Selling Brand in 2024
Chart 12 Analyst Insight
Capsule toy vending machine stores continue to expand
Chart 13 C-Pla Shibuya Opens Expanded Store with 600 New Capsule Machines in 2024
Games and puzzles set to remain the largest category, and see modest growth
Traditional toys and games will remain important; Gundam series to impact sales
The need to refresh established brands to sustain sales
Beyblade X launch drives greater concentration in action figures and accessories
BANDAI NAMCO expands plush sales with Sunrise Inc acquisition
Disney Lorcana card games demonstrate strong performance with dual appeal
Sumikkogurashi IP drives sales with live-streaming function for younger consumers
Chart 14 Sumikkogurashi PC: Live-Streaming Feature Boosts Sales in 2024
Retail e-commerce gains share from offline channels in traditional toys and games
Traditional toys and games stores still serve an important purpose
Manufacturers embrace direct-to-consumer sales via their own e-commerce sites

Video Games in Japan

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Growth for video games software unable to offset decline for video games hardware
Chart 15 Key Trends 2024
The decline of video games amid economic concerns
Palworld success sparks intellectual property debate and Nintendo lawsuit
Chart 16 Pocketpair’s Palworld Becomes One of the Best-Selling Indie Games of All Time
Chart 17 Analyst Insight
Video games software to lead growth over the forecast period
Sustainability set to gain further traction
Continuing to leverage IPs to engage consumers
Mobile games may face headwinds
Switch 2 release likely to boost sales for Nintendo
Gaming headsets likely to be limited to core users
PlayStation loses its leadership to Nintendo, while fragmentation increases
Joy Nice Games and First Fun drive sales with advertisements and influencers
Dragon Quest III HD-2D success driven by kidult nostalgia
Chart 18 Kidult Appeal Drives Dragon Quest III HD-2D Success in 2024
Established franchises dominate mobile games through brand recognition and partnerships
Chart 19 Monster Strike Dominates Japan’s Mobile Market with Strategic Anime Collaborations
Nintendo to release Switch successor with enhanced social features
Retail e-commerce outshines offline retail in video games due to video games software
Consumers still turn to physical stores for video games hardware

COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER

Download table of contents
The following categories and subcategories are included:

Toys and Games

    • Action Figures and Accessories
    • Arts and Crafts
    • Baby and Infant
    • Construction
    • Dolls and Accessories
    • Dress-Up and Role Play
    • Games and Puzzles
    • Model Vehicles
    • Outdoor and Sports
    • Plush
    • Pre-School
    • Remote Control Toys
    • Ride-On Vehicles
    • Scientific/Educational
    • Other Traditional Toys and Games
      • Hand-Held Consoles
      • Static Consoles
      • Gaming Headsets
        • Computer Games (Physical)
        • Console Games (Physical)
        • Computer Games (Digital)
        • Console Games (Digital)
        • Online Games and Subscriptions
        • Mobile Games
          • Console Games (Physical)
          • Console Games (Digital)
          • Computer Games (Physical)
          • Computer Games (Digital)
        • Online Games and Subscriptions
        • Mobile Games
          • Computer Games (Game Sales)
          • Console Games (Game Sales)
          • Online Games and Subscriptions (Game Sales)
          • Mobile Games (Game Sales)
          • Computer Games (In-Game Purchases)
          • Console Games (In-Game Purchases)
          • Online Games and Subscriptions (In-Game Purchases)
          • Mobile Games (In-Game Purchases)

Toys and Games

This is the aggregation of traditional toys and games and video games.

See all of our definitions
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This report originates from Passport, our Toys and Games research and analysis database.

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