LOS ANGELES — For more than a century, TOMY has sold Japanese children toys that spin, dress up, and dispense plastic capsules. Next summer, the company will try to sell the idea behind them: a concept it calls “Asobi,” or the spirit of play. The Japanese toy maker announced it will attend Anime Expo 2026, scheduled for July 2 through July 5.
TOMY plans to bring three of its flagship brands to the Los Angeles convention: BEYBLADE X, the battling top franchise; Licca-chan, a fashion doll line; and Gacha, the capsule-toy vending machine system. The move represents a deliberate push into the U.S. market, one built not just on products but on the cultural philosophy that has driven the company since its founding.
TOMY has been a fixture in Japan’s toy industry for over one hundred years. BEYBLADE alone became a global phenomenon in the early 2000s, spawning tournaments, television shows, and a generation of kids who learned to shout “Let it rip!” in schoolyards. Licca-chan, launched in 1967, is Japan’s answer to Barbie, though the company has never successfully transplanted her popularity to America.
Gacha machines, those ubiquitous coin-operated dispensers found outside convenience stores across Tokyo, have seen a cult following in the West but remain niche. Anime Expo draws roughly 100,000 fans of Japanese pop culture each year.
TOMY’s decision to exhibit there is a bet that those fans will respond to the same “Asobi” that has sustained the company for generations. The company did not specify what form its presence will take — whether demo stations, tournament brackets, or simply booth space. But the announcement positions the expo as the launchpad for a broader American strategy.
The timing matters. Anime Expo 2026 falls during the Fourth of July weekend, a slot that guarantees heavy foot traffic. TOMY is betting that American fans, already primed on Japanese animation and manga, will cross over into toys.
BEYBLADE X, the most recent iteration of the spinning-top franchise, already has a built-in audience from its anime adaptation. Licca-chan and Gacha lack that same media pipeline in the U.S., which makes their inclusion the riskier part of the plan.
TOMY’s statement framed the expo appearance as a way to share its “Asobi” with American fans. The phrasing is deliberate. The company is not just selling plastic tops and dolls.
It is selling a Japanese approach to play — one that emphasizes creativity, competition, and collectibility. Whether that concept translates across the Pacific remains an open question.
The company has tried before. BEYBLADE succeeded in the U.S. in the 2000s largely because of a coordinated media blitz: a TV show, a video game, and tournament circuits. Licca-chan never got that push.
Gacha machines have appeared in American malls but never reached the saturation they have in Japan. Anime Expo offers a controlled environment. The attendees are already enthusiasts.
They know what BEYBLADE is. They recognize Gacha.
Some may even remember Licca-chan from imported magazines or online forums. TOMY does not have to convince them that Japanese toys are fun. It has to convince them that the “Asobi” behind those toys is worth traveling to an expo to experience.
The company has not announced any celebrity appearances, tournament prizes, or exclusive merchandise for the event. Those details may come later.
For now, the announcement itself is the story: a century-old Japanese toy maker is betting its American future on a single weekend in Los Angeles. TOMY’s brands have generated significant attention in Japan. BEYBLADE X, in particular, has revived interest in the franchise among older collectors and new children alike.
Licca-chan remains a staple of Japanese toy aisles, outselling Barbie in the domestic market. Gacha machines are practically a national institution, with capsule toys ranging from cheap keychains to elaborate miniature food sets. Whether any of that matters in the United States is what TOMY will test next July.
The company is not launching a new product line. It is not announcing a television deal or a licensing partnership.
It is simply showing up to a convention and hoping the spirit of play crosses the language barrier.
