Beyblade has shipped more than 560 million units worldwide, and its maker is taking it to Los Angeles. TOMY Company, also known as TAKARATOMY, said on June 22 that it will bring three brands to Anime Expo 2026, which runs July 2 to 5 and bills itself as North America’s largest celebration of Japanese pop culture.
The company says it is the group’s biggest consumer-facing moment in the U.S. so far. TOMY has named “regional expansion” a core medium- to long-term priority and is building out its U.S. business. It cites a projection from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry that the market for Japanese entertainment could grow from several trillion yen today into the tens of trillions, or more than US$100 billion.
“As interest in Japan-born characters and content grows around the world, we want to share that joy with more people everywhere,” said Akio Tomiyama, the company’s president and CEO. He called Los Angeles “the ideal place” for fans to experience the “Asobi,” the spirit of play, that the company has built around for more than a century.
Three brands, three booths
BEYBLADE X returns for its third year at the expo. The brand will hold the BEYBLADE X ANIME EXPO CUP 2026 on Saturday, July 4, along with a live battle against members of the development team visiting from Japan and a free-play area. Entry to the cup does not affect qualification for any other global tournament. The booth is West Hall WH-1600.
Licca-chan makes its Anime Expo debut. The doll has been a Japanese staple since 1967, with about 69 million units sold, and reached the North American market in March 2026. At the booth, TOMY will premiere two products from its Hatsune Miku collaboration, “Licca HATSUNE MIKU” and the “Petit Licca HATSUNE MIKU Collection,” with an exclusive pre-sale of the first, card giveaways and a display of the Licca-chan line.
Gacha, from T-ARTS Company, is in its second year at the show. Merchandise includes capsule toys from more than 80 Gacha machines, the “PERIHAPI!” figure brand and a backpack shaped like a capsule machine. Licca-chan and Gacha share West Hall WH-900.
TOMY was founded in Japan in 1924 and marked its 100th anniversary in 2024. Its other brands include TOMICA and PLARAIL, and it designs TRANSFORMERS toys.
