TOMY has been making toys in Japan for more than a hundred years. The company built its name on things you spin, things you dress, and things you collect. Now it is bringing three of those things to Los Angeles next summer.
The Japanese toy maker confirmed it will attend Anime Expo 2026, which runs from July 2 to July 5. TOMY plans to showcase BEYBLADE X, Licca-chan, and Gacha at the convention.
The move is part of a broader push to reach fans in the United States. BEYBLADE X is the latest version of the spinning-top battle toy that became a global phenomenon in the early 2000s. Licca-chan is a fashion doll line that has been a staple in Japan for decades — think of her as the Japanese equivalent of Barbie, though she has her own distinct history and look.
Gacha refers to the capsule-toy machines that dispense small plastic trinkets, a fixture of Japanese convenience stores and arcades. These are not new products.
They are established brands with deep roots in Japanese pop culture. What is new is TOMY’s decision to bring them all under one roof at a U.S. convention. The company says it wants to share its “Asobi” — a Japanese word that translates roughly to the spirit of play — with American audiences.
Anime Expo is the largest anime convention in North America. It draws tens of thousands of fans each year to the Los Angeles Convention Center. The crowd skews young, digital-native, and hungry for authentic Japanese content.
That makes it a logical place for TOMY to test how far its brands can travel. TOMY has been a quiet force in the U.S. toy market for years.
BEYBLADE sold millions of units in America during its peak. But the company has mostly operated through licensing deals and distribution partnerships. This direct-to-fan approach at a convention signals a shift.
Instead of letting retailers or TV shows carry its message, TOMY is putting its own people in a booth and letting fans touch the toys. The strategy makes sense given the state of the toy industry.
Physical retail is shrinking. Kids spend more time on screens. But conventions like Anime Expo are growing, and they attract exactly the kind of enthusiast who will line up for a limited-edition BEYBLADE or a rare Licca-chan doll.
TOMY is betting that the physical experience of play still matters — especially if you can frame it as part of a larger cultural experience. Licca-chan is a particularly interesting choice for a U.S. push. The doll has been around since 1967.
She is younger than Barbie, but she has a different identity — she is depicted as a normal Japanese girl rather than a glamorous figure. That distinction might resonate with American collectors who are tired of the same few brands dominating the shelves.
Gacha is another smart play. The capsule-toy craze has already taken hold in the U.S., with dedicated stores popping up in major cities. TOMY owns the Gacha brand outright.
Bringing it to Anime Expo gives the company a chance to sell the experience directly, not just the product. The company has not said whether the Anime Expo appearance will lead to permanent U.S. stores or expanded retail distribution.
For now, it is a test. A four-day convention in July is a low-risk way to gauge interest. But the stakes are real.
TOMY is competing against Bandai Namco, Hasbro, and a dozen other toy giants that are also chasing the anime crowd. The difference is that TOMY has been making these exact products for decades. BEYBLADE X is not a reboot of a forgotten franchise.
It is a continuation of something that never really stopped selling in Japan. The question is whether American fans are ready to treat it with the same seriousness.
Anime Expo 2026 will offer an early answer. If the lines are long and the merchandise sells out, TOMY will have proof that its century-old spirit of play still works in a new country. If not, the company will go back to what it knows.
Either way, it is showing up.
