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.
Tables: 35 | Publication date: Oct 2008
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- Get insight into trends in market performance
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Executive summary
Toys and games market slumps
Increasing market competition, characterised by declining unit prices brought about by the entry of cheaper products from other Asian countries, contributed to the negative performance of the overall toys and games market during the review period. The market became much more saturated, which made the competition even tighter. The entry of new market players and the slower replacement rates of toys and games will lead to a further reduction in growth over the forecast period.
Players suffer from falling birth rate and ageing of population
Japan is characterised by an ageing population and a falling birth rate, both of which are contributing to the volatility of the market in toys and games. This posed a challenge to the market leaders, who followed through their domestic sales with international releases in order to maintain their sales margins. The falling birth rate has had a negative impact on the overall performance of the market, which is characterised by the poor performance of the infant, pre-school and outdoor games subsectors. At the same time, the older population seems to have little interest in this market sector and has switched its attention to other leisure activities and hobbies.
Universal-use toys to target children with different abilities
Japanese toy manufacturers understand the importance of expanding market share and have found means of promoting the use of their toys in the country. To this end, they have promoted “universal-use toys” that enable deaf and blind children to play with traditional toys with ease. These toys are called seimou-kyoku Gangu and use the toys’ body contouring to facilitate play. As a first step, the Toys Association of Japan is overseeing the initial production of these toys and has monitored the success of this initiative since the beginning of 2008. Given the overall slump in the traditional toys and games sector, the introduction of universal-use toys to include children with different abilities may help to boost its performance.
Product launches from popular animes
Japanese consumers’ attraction to animes (cartoon characters) is mirrored in their preferences for toys and games. Manufacturers and retailers have responded by collaborating to introduce products based on popular television animes that have attracted the viewers’ attention. Competition among the key players therefore depends on their use of well-known cartoon characters from film, television and printed matter. For example, Bandai Namco has seen increased demand for its Tamagotchi lines for both traditional and game consoles, while younger Japanese consumers favoured have favoured action figures and game consoles featuring characters from Power Rangers and Ben 10. In 2007, Konami successfully increased its sales of card games and toys by acquiring the rights to use characters from popular comic books and children’s TV programmes.
Depressing future for toys and games in 2013
Since the current market conditions are expected to prevail over the projected period, the overall value performance of toys and games in Japan will underperform relative to the review period. Increased competition arising from the maturity of the market and a series of aggressive product launches for toys and games of all types will lead to declining unit prices, and eventually to a decline in the market’s overall performance. According to trade sources, the rate of replacement of traditional toys by next-generation home-use game consoles is also expected to be much more lethargic by 2013.
Table of contents
TOYS AND GAMES IN JAPAN : MARKET INSIGHT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Toys and games market slumps
Players suffer from falling birth rate and ageing of population
Universal-use toys to target children with different abilities
Product launches from popular animes
Depressing future for toys and games in 2013
KEY TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS
Birth rates continue to drop
Leisure and entertainment favour video games
Future impact
Interconnectivity hits toys and games
Mergers prevail in toys and games market
MARKET DATA
Table 1 Sales of Toys and Games by Sector: Value 2003-2008
Table 2 Sales of Toys and Games by Sector: % Value Growth 2003-2008
Table 3 Sales of Toys and Games by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2003-2008
Table 4 Toys and Games Company Shares by Value 2004-2007
Table 5 Forecast Sales of Toys and Games by Sector: Value 2008-2013
Table 6 Forecast Sales of Toys and Games by Sector: % Value Growth 2008-2013
DEFINITIONS
Summary 1 Research Sources
LOCAL COMPANY PROFILES - JAPAN
KONAMI CORP - TOYS AND GAMES - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 2 Konami Corporation: Key Facts
Summary 3 Konami Corporation: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 4 Konami Corporation: Competitive Position 2007
NAMCO BANDAI HOLDINGS INC - TOYS AND GAMES - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 5 Namco Bandai Holdings Inc: Key Facts
Summary 6 Namco Bandai Holdings Inc: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 7 Namco Bandai Holdings Inc: Competitive Position 2007
NINTENDO CO LTD - TOYS AND GAMES - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 8 Nintendo Co Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 9 Nintendo Co Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
Summary 10 Nintendo Co Ltd: Production Statistics 2007
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 11 Nintendo Co Ltd: Competitive Position 2007
SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS INC - TOYS AND GAMES - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 12 Sega Sammy Holdings Inc: Key Facts
Summary 13 Sega Sammy Holdings Inc: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 14 Sega Sammy Holdings Inc: Competitive Position 2007
SQUARE ENIX CO LTD - TOYS AND GAMES - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 15 Square Enix Co Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 16 Square Enix Co Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 17 Square Enix Co Ltd: Competitive Position 2007
TRADITIONAL TOYS AND GAMES IN JAPAN
HEADLINES
TRENDS
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
PROSPECTS
SECTOR DATA
Table 7 Sales of Traditional Toys and Games by Subsector: Value 2003-2008
Table 8 Sales of Traditional Toys and Games by Subsector: % Value Growth 2003-2008
Table 9 Sales of Traditional Toys and Games by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2003-2008
Table 10 Traditional Toys and Games Company Shares by Value 2004-2007
Table 11 Forecast Sales of Traditional Toys and Games by Subsector: Value 2008-2013
Table 12 Forecast Sales of Traditional Toys and Games by Subsector: % Value Growth 2008-2013
VIDEO GAMES IN JAPAN
HEADLINES
TRENDS
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
PROSPECTS
SECTOR DATA
Table 13 Sales of Video Games by Subsector: Value 2003-2008
Table 14 Sales of Video Games by Subsector: % Value Growth 2003-2008
Table 15 Sales of Video Games by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2003-2008
Table 16 Video Games Company Shares by Value 2004-2007
Table 17 Forecast Sales of Video Games by Subsector: Value 2008-2013
Table 18 Forecast Sales of Video Games by Subsector: % Value Growth 2008-2013