Toy shows, pop-up stores and theme parks.
Summaries are AI-generated
At the 2025 QDF Toy Show, 52TOYS set up a 'Sunshine Bistro' booth featuring NOOK, CiCiLu, POUKA POUKA, and new IP NINNIC. The event launched CiCiLu 'Shi Guai Zai Ba' figures, NOOK 'OOTD' plush series, and NINNIC 'Pepper Thief' new releases, with many items selling out.
Kotobukiya’s ArcanaDea model series is being adapted into a TV anime, and a super teaser PV was released today. The PV features Kaede Honda reprising her role as Lumitia and includes her narration, while also revealing the character’s design art. Kotobukiya and TV Asahi will also exhibit at Anime Expo in Los Angeles from July 3‑6, 2025, showcasing the upcoming series.
海洋堂宣布，Wonder Festival 2025夏季将于2025年7月27日在幕张MESE举行，门票预售截至7月26日23:59。官方已在特设网站公布展商展位编号及场馆地图，供参观者提前规划路线。本次活动还将推出《新世纪福音战士》30周年特别企划“Eva One Fest”，以及首次“动物造形”主题展区。
Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America launches its third annual Gundam Base Mobile USA Tour on June 27 in Louisville, Kentucky, visiting 12 states with model kits, GUNPLA workshops, and Gundam TCG demos.
Kaiyodo will launch the ‘Ikimono One Fest’ at the Wonder Festival Summer 2025 in Makuhari Messe on July 27, focusing on animal‑themed figures ranging from insects to dinosaurs. The event features over 90 dealers, with special displays, on‑site sales and hands‑on workshops such as a Velociraptor model kit, allowing visitors to view, purchase and create.
From May 30 to June 1, 52TOYS showcased three in-house IPs at the 2025 Toy Heart Expo: NOOK, CiCiLu, and Pouka Pouka. The booth featured CiCiLu vinyl-face plush pendants, large-scale figures, and hand-painted figures, as well as Pouka Pouka blind boxes and a limited vinyl-face plush doll.
The organizer, Kaiyodo, announced that Wonder Festival 2025 Summer will take place on July 27, 2025 from 10:00 to 17:00 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, spanning halls 1‑8. Ticket options include a 7,500 JPY priority pass, 3,500 JPY advance tickets (A‑F zones) and discounted tickets for under‑22 visitors and afternoon entry, on sale from May 30 to July 26. To mitigate heat, the venue will feature first‑aid stations, wind‑shield tents, free cooling items, and a dedicated hall with rest, food, and workshop areas for a more comfortable experience.
52TOYS created a 3-meter Stitch sculpture at Sanlitun Taikoo Li as a highlight of the Chinese premiere of Disney's live-action film Lilo & Stitch. To celebrate the film and the upcoming May 20th, 52TOYS launched the Warm Pink Stitch series and decorated its Sanlitun store with a Stitch theme.
52TOYS held a 'Berry Encounter' pop-up at Beijing Xidan Joy City, featuring Strawberry Bear 'Big Boss' series, Stitch 'Cute & Strange' series, and other products. Gift activities were available during the event.
Kotobukiya announced that its ArcanaDea model series will be adapted into a TV anime airing on TV Asahi on December 21, 2024, and unveiled a new teaser visual featuring the angelic girl Lumitia among the mysterious ‘Dears’ creatures. The visual hints at the relationship between Lumitia and a watching youth. Kotobukiya will also distribute special postcards with exclusive Lumitia ASMR audio and display a large wall‑size visual at AnimeJapan 2025 on March 22‑23.
Takara Tomy Arts and its subsidiary Penny will open the “GACHA MATSURI” gacha store on March 18, 2025 at Kansai International Airport’s Terminal 1. The venue will house 155 gacha machines, a ceiling fireworks projection activated by inserting empty capsules, and staff in happi coats, offering a festival‑style experience that celebrates gacha’s 60‑year anniversary and seeks to boost on‑site sales.
Tamashii Nations opened a limited‑time official store, ‘TAMASHII NATIONS STORE Satellite in OSAKA 2025’, on the 5th floor of Daimaru Umeda in Osaka on March 19, 2025, operating until October 13. The shop offers figures featured in the EXPO2025 Gundam NEXT FUTURE PAVILION, such as the RX‑78F00/E Gundam, the mascot MyakuMyaku movable figure, and various limited‑edition and sustainability‑focused items priced between ¥6,600 and ¥33,000.
Bandai’s Tamashii Nations will hold the ‘Dragon Ball Tamashii Nations Figure Expo’ from Jan 24 to Mar 23, 2025 at the Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo in Akihabara, featuring S.H.Figuarts and FIGURARTS ZERO Dragon Ball figures and a diorama of the new anime ‘Dragon Ball DAIMA’. The event will debut the Tamashii Art ‘Dragon Ball Goku & Dragon’ wall‑mounted piece, slated for an October 2025 release, and offer a free pamphlet and an online raffle for the Super Saiyan 2 Goku figure.
The China Toy Capital Brand Development Conference and HI FUNNY World Toy & Anime Industry Week opened in Dongguan on December 5, gathering guests from 40 countries and regions. The event released the 'Dongguan Toy Industry Management Measures (Trial)' and the 'IP into Dongguan Loan' financial product, and established the Toy & Anime Industry Alliance to promote industrial integration and international cooperation.
POP MART Japan will host a booth at Tokyo Comic Con 2024 from December 6‑8 at Makuhari Messe, featuring a range of exclusive items. Highlights include an Albus Dumbledore figure voiced by Jude Law, a MOLLY × DC Joker blind box, Japan‑first releases of Peach Riot figures and the DIMOO HUNTER PLUS blind box. Purchasers at the booth receive a limited‑edition DIMOO original bag plus a blind box while supplies last.
Takara Tomy Arts and its subsidiary Penny will open a large‑scale gacha specialty store called “Gacha World” inside TOYLO PARK at Ito‑Yokado Ario Kameari in Tokyo’s Katsushika Ward on November 22, 2024. The venue will feature 501 gacha machines and paper‑board installations such as a roller‑coaster, castle and Ferris wheel, creating an immersive amusement‑park‑style experience and marking the group’s first major store using recyclable paper displays.
Bandai held the opening ceremony for Tamashii Nations 2024 on November 14, 2024, announcing that the event will launch on November 15 and featuring exhibition spaces for multiple brands. Guest actor Hideaki Ito expressed his passion for figures and previewed upcoming releases, including the latest Gundam Super Alloy RX‑78F00/E slated for April 2025, as well as new items from Dragon Ball, Ultraman and other series.
Bandai’s Tamashii Nations opened the ‘Gundam SEED Series Exhibition – Searching for a Certain Light’ at its Tokyo store in Akihabara on January 18, 2024, running through March 10. The show features completed figures such as METAL ROBOT魂, ROBOT魂, METAL BUILD and Figuarts mini, original illustrations by Kunio Ohgawara, and fifteen photo‑spot characters. Exclusive Freedom and Justice Gundam METAL ROBOT魂 figures, a special 16‑page book and themed accessories are sold on‑site.
On November 17, 2023, Bandai held the opening ceremony of TAMASHII NATIONS 2023 in Tokyo, where President Hiroshi Sakakibara presented the event’s theme ‘Connecting through figures, expanding passions.’ Guests including actors Eita Ito, Mizuki Yamamoto and comedian Takashi Yoshimura joined, and the show unveiled new S.H.Figuarts figures such as a ‘Gundam SEED FREEDOM’ character, a Saint Seiya Saint Cloth Myth EX piece, and announced the upcoming renewal of the CLUB TAMASHII MEMBERS service.
Bandai will open the ‘S.H.Figuarts 15th GALLERY’ exhibition in Tokyo’s Tamashii Nations Store on February 3, 2023, with Part 1 showcasing the line’s history and Part 2 featuring anime and game figures. During the run, visitors receive exclusive perks and a revival vote launching on the same day, allowing fans to choose which past figure should be re‑released.
Bandai announced on August 9, 2022 that Tamashii Nations 2022 will be held in person from November 18‑20 at the three‑floor Bellesalle Akihabara and the Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo, with a simultaneous online stream. The free‑admission event will showcase new releases from S.H.Figuarts, ROBOT魂 and METAL BUILD, and a pre‑sale of commemorative items will start on August 18. A collaboration with the Idolmaster series is also planned to boost fan engagement.
Bandai Spirits held the ‘ROBOT FIGURES LAUNCH!’ exhibition at TAMASHII NATIONS STORE TOKYO in Chiyoda, Tokyo from July 28 to September 11, 2022, with free admission. The event featured robot figures from the Gundam series, the 40th‑anniversary Macross lineup, the Bandai‑Takaratomy ‘Super Alloy RZ‑041 Liger Zero’ and offered on‑site reservation for exclusive limited‑edition items. Selected products such as the METAL STRUCTURE MSN‑04 Sazabi were priced at ¥189,200 and slated for a December 2022 release.
Bandai streamed the GUNDAM FIGURES LIVE program on March 17, 2022 at 19:00 JST via YouTube, unveiling a new Gundam 00 project in collaboration with METAL BUILD and details of the Gundam SEED figure line. The broadcast featured voice actor Soichiro Hoshi and director Seiji Mizushima, who presented the first 3‑D model of the upcoming METAL BUILD figure. An English‑simultaneous translation was provided, and a free special‑edition video was made available on the Gundam Channel until March 21.
POP MART Japan announced that two pop‑up stores will open in Shibuya – one at PARCO on Friday, Oct 1, and another at MAGNET by SHIBUYA109 on Saturday, Oct 2. On Oct 2 at 10:00 the fifth Japanese ROBO SHOP will start operating in Aeon Mall Kawaguchi, offering a gift of a blind box for every three items purchased and free‑shipping coupons for all shoppers.
Bandai will stream ‘GUNDAM FIGURES LIVE’ on July 28 at 19:30 via its official YouTube channel, showcasing the latest Gundam figures from the METAL BUILD line and other series. The broadcast coincides with the limited‑edition METAL BUILD 10th‑anniversary releases – the Strike Gundam (¥16,000) and Aile Striker (¥8,500) – which open for pre‑order on July 29 at 18:00 on the Tamashii Nations web store, with stock limited.
Bandai’s Tamashii Nations had planned a physical exhibition on May 27, 2021, but due to the extended state of emergency it was shifted online via the special site figu@HOME. The site offers READ&WATCH, JOIN and BUY sections, showcasing eight new S.H.Figuarts items and hosting a home‑photo contest. A live stream on June 2 at 19:30 on YouTube will present the new releases, covering Kamen Rider, Ultraman, Marvel and Godzilla series.
POP MART will hold a POP‑UP shop at Shibuya PARCO in Tokyo from May 14 (Friday) to August 31 (Tuesday). The venue will be open daily from 11:00 to 20:00 and will feature new popular figure releases as well as a one‑year anniversary event for the brand. Opening hours and dates may change depending on the COVID‑19 situation, so please check official channels for updates.
Bandai will hold the ‘TAMASHII Features 2021’ expo from May 28‑30 at the Bellesalle Akihabara venue in Tokyo. The event, themed ‘The Joy of Meeting Figures’, will showcase S.H.Figuarts items celebrating the 50th anniversary of Kamen Rider and the 55th anniversary of Ultraman. Entry is limited to CLUB TAMASHII MEMBERS who win the reservation lottery, and two exclusive figures – the Kamen Rider Zi‑O 50th Anniversary version (¥3,300) and the Kamen Rider W Cyclone Joker (¥6,600) – will be sold on‑site.
POP MART Japan announced that its ROBO SHOP vending machine, already deployed in over 1,300 locations across China, will make its Japan debut on Saturday, April 10 at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in Odaiba. During the opening, shoppers who buy three items can enter a lottery to win limited‑edition LABUBU Maneki‑Neko, SKULLPANDA Shopaholic figures and a non‑sale PUCKY keyring. All buyers also receive a ¥500 discount coupon, and purchases over ¥10,000 earn a ¥1,500 coupon for the online store.
Bandai’s Tamashii Nations Tokyo flagship shop hosted a One Piece 1,000‑chapter celebration exhibit from March 31 to April 22, 2021. The show displayed roughly 150 FIGURE ARTS ZERO figures, tracing the series from the East Blue arc through Wano, and introduced exclusive items such as the ‘Gol D. Roger – Kami‑hi’ extra‑battle figure. All limited‑edition pieces were sold on‑site on a first‑come, first‑served basis.
