2018: MEDICOM TOY's Numerous International Event Appearances

—During our last conversation about "MEDICOM TOY EXHIBITION '18," you hinted at participation in large-scale cultural events in America and China starting this fall. We'd love to hear more about that.

AkashiThe initial spark came when we participated for the first time in an event called "JUMBLE PARIS" held in Paris, France, this January. True to its name, JUMBLE is a joint exhibition that brings together and showcases a diverse range of products centered around a specific theme. We had a fantastic opportunity to introduce MEDICOM TOY products to a great number of fashion industry professionals. Encouraged by this positive reception, at the June "JUMBLE PARIS," we launched an experimental fashion project by Hideyuki Tanaka and Kumiko Iijima"Noodle.".

As I mentioned before, various cultural events are currently booming worldwide, and we've been receiving more invitations to participate. The requests range from "Please create exclusive items for sale at the venue" to "Can we collaborate with you?"

For example, on October 6-7 (local time), we participated in"Hypefest"in New York, USA.

This was the first major event organized by"Hypebeast", which started in Hong Kong in 2005 and has become one of the most influential men's fashion media sites globally.

The event garnered significant attention, featuring participation from buzzworthy brands like Girls Don’t Cry and sacai from Japan, the unveiling of THUNDERBOLT PROJECT through a collaboration between Hiroshi Fujiwara and "Pokémon," and a wall art exhibition of "AKIRA" by Katsuhiro Otomo and collage artist Kosuke Kawamura.

What's interesting about "Hypebeast" is their uncompromising stance; they only feature what they genuinely believe in. They're also not afraid to write critically. Because the curators themselves have such a high level of fashion sensibility, being featured here is a significant status symbol. In that sense, it's a top-tier website among web magazines.

With that background, "Hypefest" attracted edgy brands from all over the world. We produced a triple-name BE@RBRICK with NEIGHBORHOOD and Pharrell Williams' Billionaire Boys Club. We are honored to have been invited by "Hypebeast," who have favorably covered Medicom Toy products in the past.

Secondly, on November 3-4 (local time), in Long Beach, California, was"ComplexCon".

Launched in 2016 with Pharrell Williams and Takashi Murakami as curators, it's described as a "groundbreaking festival & exhibition that connects pop culture, music, art, food, style, sports, innovation, activism, and education." Last year, it attracted 35,000 visitors over two days, and the performance by Pharrell's group N.E.R.D., their first in three years, was a major highlight.

Our participation in "ComplexCon" began with a request to create an original design BE@RBRICK for VIP ticket holders this year. Being on the West Coast, it has a slightly different focus than "Hypefest" on the East Coast, which I found interesting. While collaborations on apparel and sneakers are typically the focus each year, MEDICOM TOY also produced "BE@RBRICK" in collaboration with "BAIT," "Billionaire Boys Club," and "X-LARGE," as well as "J BALVIN."

—What other events are coming up?

AkashiFrom November 8 to February 10 next year (local time), we will participate in the Mickey Mouse 90th anniversary event in New York,"Mickey: The True Original Exhibition."

The curator is DRx Romanelli, with whom we've collaborated on BE@RBRICKs, so I expect it to be a uniquely interesting exhibition.

Then, from December 7-9 (local time), in Shanghai, China, there's"INNERSECT."

We've received numerous invitations from the Asian market over the years, so many that we've had to rely on local distributors for toy-related events in Asia, as we couldn't possibly manage them all. However, "INNERSECT" is curated by Edison Chen. Our relationship with him goes back a long way, and because it's an offer from someone I trust, we are currently preparing for it.

Page 02.We want to bring "MEDICOM TOY EXHIBITION '18" to DesignerCon

We want to bring "MEDICOM TOY EXHIBITION '18" to DesignerCon

AkashiFinally, there's an event happening soon that I'd love for our "OPENERS" readers to attend if they have the chance: "DesignerCon" (hereafter referred to as "D-Con"), held in Anaheim, California, from November 16-18."DesignerCon" (hereafter referred to as "D-Con").

D-Con began in 2006 as Vinyl Toy Network and is now in its 13th year as an art event. Its scale has grown year by year, with over 700 companies and more than 300 artists scheduled to participate this year. MEDICOM TOY will be participating as an official partner. This is our most extensive involvement among all the events we've discussed so far.

What convinced us to become an official partner was the passion of the two "D-Con" organizers. They came all the way to our Tokyo headquarters specifically to meet with us.

Their initial request was to bring "MEDICOM TOY EXHIBITION '18" to "D-Con" exactly as it was. They wanted to see our archives. When I asked why, they explained that while major toy manufacturers like Hasbro and Mattel announce new products at the New York Toy Fair every year, the full scope of MEDICOM TOY's work is not visible to Americans. I jokingly compared it to Willy Wonka's secret chocolate factory, but they insisted that they wanted to show Americans what Medicom Toy is all about.

They mentioned that since the rise of online shopping, the physical retail market has rapidly declined. For instance, the long-established toy store FAO Schwarz closed, and Toys "R" Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Simultaneously, numerous independent artists and manufacturers have emerged, and many people want to discover their work online. Amidst this evolving landscape, their offer stemmed from a desire to create an event where customers could actually see and purchase such toys.

However, replicating the scale of "MEDICOM TOY EXHIBITION '18" in America would require significant time and money. When I asked if they were sure, they assured me they would cover all costs, so we decided to proceed. While it won't be the exact same scale as the Omotesando exhibition, this will be our largest event participation to date, including domestic events.

I often discuss with my staff how people rarely go window shopping anymore. They don't just wander into a store and buy something. I wondered if it was just me, being male, but I feel like women are increasingly leaning that way too.

For example, at "Tokyo Girls Collection," you can see something and immediately purchase it on your smartphone. It's a very effective system. Perhaps it's because there's so much information overload these days, but people tend to either plan purchases for specific release dates or buy immediately out of fear of missing out. The middle ground seems to be disappearing, and people are less inclined to open their wallets. In that sense, "D-Con" particularly seems to capture the current zeitgeist.

At the same time, I hope "D-Con" will serve as a platform to introduce Japanese artists whom MEDICOM TOY trusts. Currently, the recognition of Asian artists in the North American market isn't as high compared to, for example, the Italian artisttokidoki, for instance. Feeling that gap, I intend to bring Japanese artists whose work I admire and showcase and sell their creations there.

—So, Japanese artists recommended by MEDICOM TOY will gather in Anaheim to be presented to the North American market?

AkashiWhen we told people about "D-Con," many were delighted and said, "We'll prepare something new for it!" I'm glad to hear that. While we don't know what kind of synergy our involvement in "D-Con" will create until we actually do it, I hope it will be an opportunity for American toy fans to be amazed by the wealth of talented artists in Japan. There's also talk of continuing this beyond this year, so I'm hopeful that we might be able to create a new content platform with "D-Con" going forward.

Incidentally, one of the most memorable collaborations where everyone seemed happy was the events featuring Kuki-san of Wild Bomb, which started with "Chō Kuki-land" at Laforet Harajuku last November and have since been held across the country.

—Your first collaboration with Kuki-san was in January 2015, producing the original soft vinyl figure "Jinrui" as a limited item for Super Festival Vol. 67, wasn't it?

AkashiThat was nearly four years ago. That project also came about through a rather peculiar connection. I hope there will be an opportunity to hear about it directly from him someday. We were able to create some very interesting synergy by collaborating on event-exclusive merchandise for "Chō Kuki-land," and he's now a fashion icon as popular as Naomi Watanabe. I suspect "D-Con" might have a similar impact.

—We look forward to the success of the event and the new developments that will emerge from it.

AkashiPlease look forward to it. This year, MEDICOM TOY is participating as an official partner at "D-Con." In our booth, we'll be selling various one-off items, limited editions, and pre-release items from different soft vinyl artists. We'll also have collaboration items at special live performances within the venue and at other booths, so please come and visit!

DesignerCon Event Details

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