Bandai has scored a hit with this toy that allows kids to make sushi at home.

Toys that allow children to try their hands at making real food – from chocolate snacks and ice cream to bread and sushi rolls – have achieved remarkable success in Japan. By the end of 2008, toy manufacturer Bandai had sold 150,000 units of its sushi roll set for kids, “Norimaki Makki”, launched the previous summer.

On the marketing side, this and other products were developed out of a clever strategic cooperation between companies from various sectors. Toy manufacturers, food distributors and supermarkets have worked together not only on product development, but also creating sales promotion campaigns for example online and in stores as the products drive sales of both the toys themselves and the required ingredients. The success of the sushi roll set in particular is remarkable not only for the fact that this is the first time that a toy that utilizes no cute cartoon characters has turned into a major hit among young girls. It is also a manifestation of a broader trend of Japanese parents looking for ways spend more quality time with their children.

This shift has been widely cited as one of the key factors driving the success of Nintendo’s Wii game console. However, food toys offer parents several more benefits. Whereas with the Wii, parents are likely to take a beating at the hands of their kids, activities like making sushi rolls put mothers in the driver seat and allow them to teach their daughters practical cooking skills as well as lessons about the value of food.

With the current economic situation likely to continue well into 2009, the market is likely to see more products that offer consumers multiple benefits and at the same time help manufacturers drive sales. For the toy sector, it is interesting to note that products released so far have been exclusively targeted at mothers and daughters, so manufacturers are not doubt looking at similar toys for fathers and sons.

Swedish fashion chain H&M has scored a hit with young consumers in Japan.

Japanese marketers have identified a new target segment – the so-called “yutori” generation. Born roughly between 1987 and 1990, members of this generation are now becoming working members of society, and are harder to pin down than one might imagine. They were the first generation to enter schooling after sweeping education reforms that reduced the study week from six days to five, and the number of subject reduced. The new system was called “yutori (loose) education” at the time, as it
essentially gave students more time to play with friends and develop their own interests.

A recent Nikkei survey of the yutori generation came up with some interesting statistics. The yutori generation prefer spending free time alone, or with friends of the same sex, rather than going on dates. Compared to the previous generation, they tend to watch TV less and read more, and rather than the convenience of shopping online, prefer the experience of going to shops and taking time to make a purchase.

Segments such as travel, automobiles, and beer are not doing well with this market segment as this generation is simply not that interested in traveling abroad, owning a car or drinking alcohol. However, there were a number of products that scored hits in 2008.

Products that appeal to a sense of playfulness are popular with the yutori generation.

Toymaker Bandai released a bubble bath that resembles 10,000 yen bills that dissolve in the bath, a product probably aimed at older generations seeking to relive the glory days of the bubble economy.
Surprisingly, it caught on with a much younger generation, and follow up products include cosmetic sheets for removing excess facial oil resembling 10,000 yen notes, and a body shampoo in a beer bottle that spurts out when opened, all giving a feeling of playful extravagance, while on a tight budget.

Other popular products revolve around self-improvement and study, such as a notebook based on the study habits of Tokyo university students, and items for organizing papers and study materials in a stylish way.

Learn more:
Other Bandai products
Bandai official homepage
Beer Shampoo product page (Japanese)

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