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is a Japanese
fashion doll Fashion dolls are dolls primarily designed to be dressed to reflect fashion trends. They are manufactured both as toys for children to play with and as collectibles for adults. The dolls are usually modeled after teen girls or adult women, though ...
launched on July 4, 1967 by
Takara was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. In March 2006, the company merged with Tomy, Tomy Company, Ltd. to form Tomy, Takara Tomy. The Takara motto was("playing is culture"). The company focused on traditional toys and board games. They cr ...
, and created by former
shōjo manga is an editorial category of Manga, Japanese comics targeting an audience of adolescent girls and young adult women. It is, along with Shōnen manga, manga (targeting adolescent boys), Seinen manga, manga (targeting young adult and adult men ...
artist
Miyako Maki is a Japanese manga artist, and one of the earliest female manga artists. During the 1960s, Maki contributed significantly to the development of ''shōjo'' manga (manga for girls), and became one of the most popular ''shōjo'' authors of her ge ...
. Enjoying the same kind of popularity in Japan as the
Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll, Bild Lilli doll which Hand ...
series does in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, Takara had sold over 48 million Licca-chan dolls as of 2002, and over 53 million as of 2007. Takara has provided an extensive background story for the Licca-chan doll, including an age (11), where she attends school, names and occupations for her parents, and her favorite books (''
Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...
'' and ''
A Little Princess ''A Little Princess'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published as a book in 1905. It is an expanded version of the short story "Sara Crewe: or, What Happened at Miss Minchin's", which was serialized in '' St. Nicholas ...
''). Licca-chan also likes ''
Doraemon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. First serialized in 1969, the manga's chapters were collected in 45 volumes published by Shogakukan from 1974 to 1996. The story revolves around an earless robotic ...
''. In 2001, a pregnant adult version of Licca-chan was introduced, which included a postcard the purchaser could send to Takara for a baby doll. The baby came with a key which allowed the doll to be returned to its standard proportions. The release of the doll happened to coincide with the birth of
Aiko is a feminine Japanese given name. is a Japanese surname, also romanized as Aikoh or Aiko. Aiko or Ayko is also a traditional masculine given name in northern Germany and parts of Scandinavia. In Germany, it can also be spelled Aik or Aike a ...
, the daughter of
Crown Prince Naruhito Naruhito (born 23 February 1960) is Emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne following the abdication of his father, Akihito, on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era. He is the 126th monarch, according to the traditional orde ...
and Crown Princess Masako of Japan, a factor which helped boost the sales of the new doll. Since then, other versions of Licca-chan have been introduced, including a new "Departure Licca", released just ahead of the 40th anniversary in 2007. A Licca-chan video game was released for the
Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
in Japan on November 29, 2007. This game was later released in the U.S. on October 14, 2008 as ''Lovely Lisa''.


History

In 1966, Takara planned to enter the dress-up doll market taking advantage of the know-how of the plastic process. The initial plan was for the company to plan a dollhouse which could be carried by children, for dressing dolls of other companies like
Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth Handler, ...
. The size was larger than expected and the plan was reviewed not suitable for Japanese housing circumstances and children's carrying. While planning, a fashion doll, in a setting of elementary school, the height 21 cm to fit in the palm was in favor, adopting characteristics of a cartoon girl. Miyako Maki was put in charge of the illustration of the advertisement at the time of release and the advertisement was named as "supervised by Maki-sensei". The name "Licca-chan" was decided by the general public offering on the July 1967 issue of the monthly girl manga magazine "
Ribon is a monthly Japanese manga magazine published by Shueisha on the third of each month. First issued in August 1955, its rivals are '' Nakayoshi'' and '' Ciao''. It is one of the best-selling manga magazines, having sold over 590million c ...
". Subsequently, the name "Rica" became known as a name that works for both Japanese and foreigners. Two years after the launch in 1969, the dolls were accepted by the Japanese children causing Mattel (makers of the
Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll, Bild Lilli doll which Hand ...
doll) to move its production base to another country, focusing less on sales in Japan. Licca-chan started exceeding Barbie sales and began to reign as the queen of Japanese dress-up dolls. Despite the popularity, Licca-chan dolls suffered a decline in sales in the 1990s due to rival dolls based on anime like
Sailor Moon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's Shōjo manga, ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 60 individual chapters (later reorganized into ...
. In 1996, Licca-chan returned to the top sales of dress-up dolls again. Even now, Licca-chan is highly recognized and it is even used as a synonym for other dolls from different companies. From its high recognition from the Takara era to the current
Takara Tomy (trade name, trading as Takara Tomy in Asia and Tomy elsewhere) is a Japanese toy company. It was established in 1924 by Eiichirō Tomiyama as , became known for creating popular toys like the B-29 friction toy and luck-based game Pop-up Pi ...
, Licca is positioned as a corporate identity character of the manufacturer. As of today, Japan's Licca and America's Barbie are the only two fashion dolls in the world that have lasted more than 25 years and their sales are always in competition.
Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...
teamed up with Takara in the late 90s to release "Street Licca", who was a DJ that carried a Rough Trade record satchel, and mini, doll-sized LPs from the labels' artists. Along with her Ursula 1000, Gants and Spearmint records, she toted a pair of pink Converse running shoes, grey "leather" pants, headphones, layered hoody and a blonde bob haircut. Street Licca was the ultimate "indie rock" doll.


Product development

Licca-chan dolls placed a new value on play. The objective of the doll was "to provide dreams for girls." These dolls taught traditional women’s roles, such as cooking, washing, and cleaning. Many Licca-chan dolls, dresses, playsets, and accessories were sold in sets, as well as separately. Since the doll's inception, there was emphasis within the company go develop toys from a child's perspective. This was the philosophy that Yasuhiro Kojima, a former senior managing director, lived by, and it still remains the founding philosophy of the product development team. In the fictional setting Licca-chan lives in, she was born to a Japanese mother and a French father. Most customers don't know this, and believe she is entirely Japanese. This makes the doll a novel concept in Japan, where mixed-race people are rarer and culturally seen as exotic.


Product specifications

The specifications of the Licca-chan doll has changed over time. The doll is currently on its fourth generation. The first generation was launched in 1967. Licca-chan had brown curly hairs with bangs. Her charm point was the one white star in her eyes. The second generation was launched in 1972. Licca-chan's hair was more reddish brown and her bangs were parted. The stars in her eyes increased to three and she wore magnetic heels. The third generation was launched in 1982. Licca-chan's hair is a lighter brown and it is straight. Her body size is the same as the second generation and her mouth is open instead of closed. The fourth generation Licca-chan was launched in 1987. Licca-chan's hair is close to blond and her eyes were bigger. Her body grew by 1 cm making her height 22 cm. Licca-chan, her family and friends evolved generation by generation to reflect the vogue of the time period. She depicted fashion, careers and family life of that era. Additionally, her parents were also known as an ideal married couple, ideal parents leading to an ideal family life.


Character setting

The character setting has some variations depending on the time and is not constant. One of the key secrets behind Licca-chan's popularity was her unique profile the developers have created. * Real name: Rika Kayama * Birthday: May 3, 1967 * Age: 11 years old (5th grader in Shirakaba Gakuen Elementary School) * Star Sign: Taurus * Height: 142 cm * Weight: 34 kg * Personality: Cheerful but slightly impulsive  * Future Career: Designer * Favorite color: White and pink * Favorite flower: Red rose * Hobby: Singing, playing the piano, window shopping and baking * Blood Type: O


Licca's family

* Father: Pierre Kayama (French musician, age 36, birthday: August 8)  * Mother: Orie Kayama (Japanese designer, age 33, birthday: July 7), (opened her first fashion boutique “Jueru” in 1969) * Older Sister: Rie (flight attendant - character product who existed from 1972 to 1974 but it is not listed on the current official website) * Younger twin sisters: Miki and Maki Kayama (age 4, birthday: June 12, 1974) * Younger triplets: Miku, Kako, and Gen Kayama (age 1, birthday: March 3, 1987) * Grandpa: Albert (family name, nationality unknown; paternal grandfather), Hiroshi Kayama (Japanese, maternal grandfather) * Grandma: Milene Miramond (French, age: 63, birthday: September 15), Yoko Kayama (Japanese, maternal grandmother, age: 56, birthday: October 10) * Cousin: Charles * Pets: Pee-chan (parakeet), Lemon (dog), Pudding (dog), Lime (dog)


Media

* Licca-chan is a playable character in the 1996
fighting game The fighting game video game genre, genre involves combat between multiple characters, often (but not limited to) one-on-one battles. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappling, counter- ...
'' Battle Arena Nitoshinden'' and the 2003 fighting game ''
DreamMix TV World Fighters is a 2003 crossover fighting video game developed by Bitstep and published by Hudson for the GameCube and PlayStation 2. Exclusively released in Japan on December 18, 2003, the game features characters from Hudson and Konami video game series ...
'', released by
Hudson Soft was a Japanese video game company known for releasing numerous titles across video game consoles, home computers, and mobile phones. Headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo, it also maintained an office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. F ...
for the
GameCube The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...
and
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
in Japan. * Licca-chan makes an appearance in the
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
series ''Kiben Gakuha, Yotsuya Senpai no Kaidan''.


See also

* ''
Super Doll Licca-chan is a Japanese anime television series based on the Licca-chan fashion doll, which ran on TV Tokyo in 1998–1999. Kodansha also serialized a manga based on the anime series in its monthly manga magazine ''Nakayoshi''. The story follows an o ...
'' (
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
television series) *
Jenny Jenny may refer to: * Jenny (given name), a popular feminine name and list of real and fictional people * Jenny (surname), a family name Animals * Jenny (donkey), a female donkey * Jenny (elephant), a female elephant in the German Army in Worl ...
*
Asian fashion doll Asian fashion dolls are fashion dolls that are made by Asian manufacturers or primarily targeted to an Asian market. Some have received international attention, such as with Momoko Doll, and in 2005 the first annual Dollstyle convention was held ...


References


External links

*
Licca-chan page at Takara-Tomy
*

*{{in lang, en}

(listing many different types of Licca-chan dolls) Fashion dolls Japanese fashion Japanese popular culture Products introduced in 1967 Takara Tomy franchises