KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — Tomica, the Japanese toy car brand, has enjoyed enduring popularity since its launch by TOMY Company, Ltd. in 1970.
Envisioned by TOMY’s second president, Masaya Toyama, Tomica is a line of die-cast miniature vehicles and playsets often described as Japan’s equivalent of Matchbox or Hot Wheels.
The brand is highly sought after by children for play and by adult collectors for its nostalgic appeal, high quality and accurate designs.
Malaysia welcomed its first permanent Tomica Brand Store at Ramlee Mall, Suria KLCC, in December last year, marking the brand’s first outlet in Southeast Asia.
Located within Toys“R”Us, the store is the third Tomica Brand Store to open outside Japan, following Shanghai, which opened in 2024, and Beijing, which opened in September last year. Hong Kong opened its Tomica store last month.
Today marked another milestone with the official opening of the Tomica Factory at Toys“R”Us KLCC, located inside the Tomica Brand Store, making it another first for Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
From selecting four parts, the Tomica miniature car is then sent to the staff who assemble it using a specialised machine before being tested and then packaged. What is the Tomica Factory?
The Tomica Factory is a miniature factory-style assembly experience that allows visitors to build and customise their own die-cast miniature car by hand-picking individual parts.
It features components such as the chassis, body, windscreen and seats, which are assembled and tested on-site before visitors take their finished model home.
Assembling a car usually takes about five minutes or less, from selecting the four parts to moving to the assembly area, where staff use a specialised machine to assist with the process before the car is tested and packaged in a box.
The KLCC outlet is the only permanent Tomica Factory outside Japan.
Tomica Factory opens its doors
The launch began at 11am today and was attended by TOMY Company Ltd senior executive officer and head of brands business Takeuchi Shunsuke.
Also present were TOMY Asia Limited managing director Ochiai Kiyoshi, Litt Tak Sdn Bhd executive director Tan Ee Chian, and Toys“R”Us (Asia) Limited chief executive officer Leo Tsoi.
Malaysia has one of the most passionate Tomica fan communities in the region, with Shunsuke saying the company wanted to bring this interactive experience closer to its supporters.
“We are incredibly excited to introduce the first permanent Tomica Factory outside Japan here in Malaysia,” he said.
“The Tomica Factory allows children and collectors to experience creativity, craftsmanship, and play in a truly memorable way.”
Tan added: “We are honoured that Malaysia was selected as the first international location for a permanent Tomica Factory.
“This marks a ‘double first’ for Malaysia.
“The Tomica Brand Store Kuala Lumpur is the 1st in Southeast Asia, and now we are also the 1st location with a Tomica Factory outside Japan,” he added.
To commemorate the launch, three children aged five and six were invited to experience the Tomica Factory firsthand, highlighting the interactive nature of the process.
The custom Tomica car being tested before being packaged. The Tomica legacy
The Tomica toy line has sold more than one billion units worldwide, a milestone that equates to roughly one Tomica car being sold every 1.8 seconds since the brand’s inception.
Its impact in Japan has been enduring, even inspiring the tokusatsu series Tomica Hero: Rescue Force to promote the toy line. The series aired from 2008 to 2009 and ran for 51 episodes.
More recently, several anime series have also been produced, including the 2017 Tomica Hyper Rescue Drive Head and Tomica Bond Combination Earth Granner.
The Kuala Lumpur store currently carries more than 2,000 models, including three outlet-exclusive special editions: the Lamborghini Urus, Lamborghini Veneno and Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport.
Ochiai added that there are plans to expand Tomica stores in Malaysia, with Johor mentioned as a possible location, although nothing has been confirmed.
The opening of the Tomica Factory in Kuala Lumpur today further reflects the growing presence and appeal of Japanese brands and pop culture in Malaysia.
