With over 100,000 followers, the popular Tokyo Togari

—Nice to meet you! First, could you introduce yourself to our readers?

Togari: I like Nirvana, Okamura, David Bowie, AC/DC, and I also really like Seiko-chan.

My favorite movies are Arnold's "Commando," "Jurassic Park," "Star Wars," and "Rain Man." I love Arnold, Tom Cruise, and The Rock because they're strong and cool!

My dream for the future is to become a movie director and make exciting, surprising movies like Spielberg and Kurosawa!

—Your Twitter account (@@togarirecords) now has over 100,000 followers! How do you feel about that?

Togari: I write compositions on Twitter every day, so I'm gradually learning kanji. I'm happy when everyone on Twitter praises me, saying 'You're getting better at kanji!' or tells me 'Reading your compositions cheered me up!'

—On your other account, Togari Channel (@@togarichannel), we can see photos of movies you've directed. Is that right?

Togari: I watched YouTube and saw Kurosawa say, 'The most important thing in filmmaking is the script.' Writing the script is the hardest part, but I love the process of everyone working together during filming, with my dad operating the camera and my mom bringing us bento boxes. It's fun!

—You're now going to be released as a figure by Medicom Toy. How did that come about?

Togari: My dad always said, 'It would be fun if Togari became a figure.' Then, I got an email from a toy company asking, 'Would you like to make a Togari figure?' We were all so excited!

—Have you been interested in figures for a while? Are there any you collect?

Togari: With my allowance, I collect candy toys and gachapon. For small figures, I have animals, fish, Star Wars, and Kinnikuman. For large figures, I received Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chucky as gifts.

With my allowance, I want to collect lots of large Star Wars, Batman, and Bruce Lee figures too!

—What are your thoughts on Medicom Toy?

Togari: They make so many movie figures, and they're all so cool and detailed. I'm curious about how they're made, and I'd love to visit their company someday.

Page02.“Exactly like me”

“Exactly like me”

—First, let's talk about VAG (VINYL ARTIST GACHA). How did you decide on the five color variations?

Togari: At first, my mom asked, 'What color should the pants be?' I looked at other VAG figures online and saw so many interesting colors. So, I wanted to try making not just the pants, but the whole body in various colors. I decided on the pants color, and then my mom and I thought about body colors that would match. We chose cool colors, fun colors, and colors that are exactly like me.

—The pose, sitting down neatly, is also very cute. It makes you want to collect them all.

Togari: For the pose, my dad said, 'I'm going to take some reference photos for making the VAG,' and the pose in the photo is exactly like me.

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VAG (VINYL ARTIST GACHA) SERIES 19
Tokyo Togari

Sculptor: PERFECT-STUDIO. Approx. 60mm tall each. Scheduled for release mid-June 2019. ¥500 each (tax included).
Distributor: Prestige Co., Ltd. www.prestage.co.jp
※Please see here for a list of retailers (http://www.medicomtoy.co.jp/information/vag_shoplist.php).

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—Next, let's talk about the soft vinyl figure. This one is larger than the VAG and has been realized in three dimensions. What kind of requests did you make?

Togari: The person in charge asked, 'Since the VAG is in a sitting pose, for the soft vinyl figure, how about a pose for walking with Pouch-kun?' Pouch-kun is my best friend, so I was happy to have him as a figure with me!

It's big, and Pouch-kun and the shoes are exactly like them. The arms, legs, and head have many movable parts, so it can also be posed as if walking. It's cool!



—What did your father, mother, and grandmother say when they saw it?

Togari: My grandma was surprised, saying, 'Wow, wow, it's just like Togari!' My mom said, 'It's nice, it's cool!' My dad was the most delighted; he displays it on a bookshelf, moves it around a lot, takes pictures, and plays with it.

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Tokyo Togari

Sculptor: PERFECT-STUDIO. Approx. ( )mm tall. Scheduled for release ( ) 2019. ( ) yen (tax included).

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—For readers who will be getting the VAG and soft vinyl figures, do you have any recommended ways to play with them?

Togari: If you post cool pictures on Twitter and Instagram, they'll definitely be popular, so I recommend it to everyone!

—Is there anything you'd like to do with Medicom Toy in the future?

Togari: I'd like them to make a large figure of my older brother Nora too!

—By the way, the web magazine OPENERS provides information on fashion, cars, watches, jewelry, etc. Is there anything among these that interests you, Togari?

Togari: I'd like to know a lot about cool fashion information for pants that fit me perfectly, and about the yellow Porsche 911 that I love.

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