Toys And Games in Japan
Euromonitor International's Toys And Games in Japan report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the traditional toys and games and the video games market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market- be they new product developments, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.
Get immediate access to strategic market analysis when you buy reports online
Tables: 33 | Publication date: Oct 2006
Why buy this report
- Get insight into trends in market performance
- Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change
- Identify market and brand leaders and understand the competitive environment
Executive summary
2006 Japanese toys and games industry faces setbacks
Industry setbacks, which reduced the overall value sales of Japanese toys and games in the review period, included changing consumer preferences, increased competitiveness that led to aggressive price discounts, and market saturation on account of the declining birth rate. In 2006, overall value sales declined by 4% from 2001.. The economic setbacks experienced by Japan led to more consumers being reluctant to spend on more expensive toys.
Miniature and collectible toys showed positive performance
Despite the weak performance of the Japanese toys and games sector in 2006, when their overall sales declined by 0.9%, sales of the activity/construction, model vehicles and soft/plush toys sub-sectors all experienced positive growth. This reflected the change in market preferences, especially among adults, towards collectible toys and games. As the Japanese are increasingly favouring miniature and collectible toys, manufacturers have made this an avenue for growth.
Traditional games under pressure from the video games sector
Value sales of toys and games remain heavily biased towards traditional toys and games, which accounted for 58.8% of the market's overall value in 2006. This share is under constant pressure, however, from the video games sector, which continues to attract increasing demand. The positive demand growth for miniature and collectible toys may serve, however, as cushions to minimise this pressure during the forecast period.
Video games sector struggling to perform in 2006
Despite the advent of many modern game consoles within the review period, such as the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, the value sales of the video games sector continued to experience an overall decline. Reduced sales of previous releases of video games products failed to sustain enthusiastic demand from the market. As a result, the value sales of the video games sector declined by a total of 6.3% during the review period. Japanese consumers continued to shift their attention towards newer and better versions of video games and to abandon their less attractive, earlier versions.
Outlook for toys and games industry may remain bleak
The conditions that restricted the overall growth of Japan's toys and games industry are likely to continue. These include the falling birth rate, changing market priorities, the lower prices of traditional toys, and manufacturers' desire to increase sales by implementing discount packages. These measures are expected to reduce overall value sales by a total of 2.7% between 2006 and 2011. Manufacturers' ability to withstand these setbacks will depend largely on their ability to adapt consciously to the changing preferences of the domestic market. The leading market players from the review period are expected to be thriving by 2011, as a result of the collaborations and mergers that will characterise this competitive market during the forecast period.
Table of contents
TOYS AND GAMES IN JAPAN : MARKET INSIGHT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2006 Japanese toys and games industry faces setbacks
Miniature and collectible toys showed positive performance
Traditional games under pressure from the video games sector
Video games sector struggling to perform in 2006
Outlook for toys and games industry may remain bleak
KEY TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS
Nostalgic toys to hit the stores
Miniature toys for big opportunities
Online games: the new trend for video games
From consumer-drain to brain-training
MARKET DATA
Table 1 Retail Sales of Toys and Games by Sector: Value 2001-2006
Table 2 Retail Sales of Toys and Games by Sector: % Value Growth 2001-2006
Table 3 Retail Sales of Toys and Games by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2001-2006
Table 4 Toys and Games Company Shares by Value 2002-2005
Table 5 Forecast Retail Sales of Toys and Games by Sector: Value 2006-2011
Table 6 Forecast Retail Sales of Toys and Games by Sector: % Value Growth 2006-2011
DEFINITIONS
Toys and games
LOCAL COMPANY PROFILES - JAPAN
CAPCOM CO LTD - TOYS AND GAMES - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 1 Capcom Co Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 2 Capcom Co Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 3 Capcom Co Ltd: Competitive Position 2005
EPOCH CO LTD - TOYS AND GAMES - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 4 Epoch Co Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 5 Epoch Co Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 6 Epoch Co Ltd: Competitive Position 2005
KAWADA CO LTD - TOYS AND GAMES - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 7 Kawada Co Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 8 Kawada Co Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 9 Kawada Co Ltd: Competitive Position 2005
NAMCO LTD - TOYS AND GAMES - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 10 Namco Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 11 Namco Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 12 Namco Ltd: Competitive Position 2005
SQUARE ENIX CO LTD - TOYS AND GAMES - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 13 Square Enix Co Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 14 Square Enix Co Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 15 Square Enix Co Ltd: Competitive Position 2005
TRADITIONAL TOYS AND GAMES IN JAPAN
HEADLINES
TRENDS
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
PROSPECTS
SECTOR DATA
Table 7 Retail Sales of Traditional Toys and Games by Subsector: Value 2001-2006
Table 8 Retail Sales of Traditional Toys and Games by Subsector: % Value Growth 2001-2006
Table 9 Retail Sales of Traditional Toys and Games by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2001-2006
Table 10 Traditional Toys and Games Company Shares by Value 2002-2005
Table 11 Forecast Retail Sales of Traditional Toys and Games by Subsector: Value 2006-2011
Table 12 Forecast Retail Sales of Traditional Toys and Games by Subsector: % Value Growth 2006-2011
VIDEO GAMES IN JAPAN
HEADLINES
TRENDS
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
PROSPECTS
SECTOR DATA
Table 13 Retail Sales of Video Games by Subsector: Value 2001-2006
Table 14 Retail Sales of Video Games by Subsector: % Value Growth 2001-2006
Table 15 Retail Sales of Video Games by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2001-2006
Table 16 Video Games Company Shares by Value 2002-2005
Table 17 Forecast Retail Sales of Video Games by Subsector: Value 2006-2011
Table 18 Forecast Retail Sales of Video Games by Subsector: % Value Growth 2006-2011