TOKYO - Japan's long-selling popular dress-up doll Licca-chan has reentered the U.S. market for the first time in around 40 years, with the renewed push riding on adult demand for Japanese culture and character goods.
In toymaker Tomy Co.'s previous foray into the United States in the 1980s, the doll was sold under the name "Lisa" and marketed for children, but it was subsequently pulled from shelves after it failed to take hold.
Licca-chan returned to the United States in March and, as of August, is on sale in as many as 300 stores, mainly variety shops and anime-related goods retailers.
The company plans to expand to Canada around fall and widen distribution to about 1,000 stores by the end of the year.
This time, "kidults" -- a portmanteau combining "kids" and "adults" to describe grown-ups who retain a childlike spirit -- are the target consumers.
The lineup includes 17 variations, including Licca-chan in a kimono or school uniform, as well as collaborations with the creators of the popular virtual singer Hatsune Miku. The suggested retail price is set between $20 and $30, roughly in line with Japan.
The doll's "selling points are the fine details and Japanese feel. In the United States as well, people have remarked that the details are incredibly elaborate," said Yuka Ohashi, head of overseas strategy for the Licca-chan business unit.
Introduced in 1967 in Japan, the iconic doll comes in the form of an 11-year-old, fifth-grade schoolgirl named Licca Kayama, fondly called "Licca-chan," a suffix in Japanese denoting endearment usually to a baby or young girl.
The doll's features have changed with the times, such as its height, with the fourth version created in 1987 currently being sold in the United States.
Tomy said the established culture of playing with Barbie and other dolls in the United States contributed to its decision to reenter the U.S. market.
The company is aiming to have overseas sales account for 50 percent of its total sales in the future. In the last fiscal year ending March, the share stood at around 30 percent.
