I ask just because I have a couple of "Japanese" toys from Marusan that say "Made in China" on them. These were not "cheap" figures.

Is this a new development?

How common is it?

Does it make any difference in the quality, or does that depend too?

It doesn't really bother me, but it piqued my curiosity.

Thanks!

almost all japanese toys are made in japan, a few are made in china, but not many. The japanese have a very volatile relationship with china to say the least.

I believ Bandai and Takara farm out all their toy production if not most to China. They use a weird rubbery vinyl.

Most other companies such as Marmit, and M-1 and Surely Secret base (besides the larger King skullbrains) have the old masters produce for them.
Alot of the same guys that worked for Bullmark,and other old companies I believe.
Vinyl casting is becoming a dying art from what I have heard. This is what makes Japan vinyl so more special.

I don't mind getting a Chinese made toy, especially if it makes it more affordable.

I would love to see a film on how it's all done in Japan.

Anyone wanna make a movie?

That would be a really cool documentary film...

True, I was thinking the same thing. Even an article on S7 would be pretty cool, but a documentary, that would be

I remember M-1 sent the mold of the '62 King Goji to China for production, and the next thing you know knock offs started popping up all over. They were from the same mold and used the same vinyl, so the paint was the only way to tell the difference.

the good stuff is made in japan.

If a toy is designed, sculpted, prototyped, etc., in Japan, but then sent to China to actually make the bodies and perhaps assemble them, and THEN is sent back to Japan to be painted, packaged and sold, does the toy say made in Japan, or made in China?

What is the criteria (if there is any) for a toy to have "Japan" printed on the bottom, rather than China?

I think where the actual vinyl toy is manufactured is what would determine that wouldn't it. The SB and other fight toy stuff that has made in Japan on the bottom is actually made in Japan by the smaller scale vinyl manufacturers.

Medicom does all their stuff in CHina though...

'real' Japan toys are made in Japan. physically in Japan. with Japanese made molds and with Japanese dudes pouring j quality vinyl into those molds.

supposedly..the place that makes them is actually a place that primarily makes fishing lures.

they make the toys on the night shift.

supposedley

I am proud that Ika-Gilas is 100% made in japan.

A friend of mind said he would take to one of the old school masters who paint the toys later, I just to make a time and go. I will make sure to take some pictures and ask some questions for sure.

oh to work that graveyard shift...

That's a good supossedly story. I chose to believe it.