How long have you been collecting? What are some of your favorite pieces?

MASATO SHONO: "I've been a collector from way back. Even as a kid, I saved the boxes and took really good care of the toys, so before I knew it I was surrounded by toys. I was especially into the Henshin Cyborg and Thunderbirds toys. Recently I've been putting a lot of effort into finding toys from Supercar, which was done by the same distributor, ITC."

As a child in Japan, did you have any idea that Americans and other westerners were enjoying some of the same toys?

MASATO: "I had no idea. I had absolutely no idea that Americans were playing with the same toys and watching shows like Ultraman and Godzilla. It's really something that these shows and toys were able to charm kids who were in totally different countries..."

When did you first decide to start selling toys as a dealer?

MASATO: "I first started about four years ago. I had been traveling around to countryside toy shops looking for toys, and started to think that it'd be quite nice to get a side business started up. But I've been working so hard at the side business, sometimes it's tough to tell which is the side and which is my main business!"

How do you feel about the recent wave of re-issues (such as the Robocon GA-14R, the Jumbo Machines, Takara Microman and Jeeg, and the like?) Is this affecting dealers in a negative way in Japan?

MASATO: "I think it's a positive thing. It's sad for old-toy stores and those who have spent a lot of money acquiring original pieces, but prices have risen too high, and that means that it's the right time for a revival as well. Now a large group of people, instead of just a select handful, are able to get pieces, and I think people who really love toys are celebrating that. Personally, I've got a lot of old pieces myself, and recently it's become more difficult to sell them. This is due to a combination of high prices in the marketplace and the effect of reissues. At any rate, I think we're seeing a plateau effect with regards to prices, and it seems that the Japanese market is getting a lot tighter..."

What was your participation in the "Go Nagai Premiere Toys Catalog"?

MASATO: "My company began planning original toy products last year. Our first product was done in association with Marusan -- American export versions of the Marusan original soft-vinyl figures. We made about ten different types, but because they were originals demand wasn't particularly high.

"Based on this, I decided to make a number of licensed characters myself, but time was necessary to resolve copyright issues and dissolve the partnership with Marusan. At the same time, I had a friend who was working as a writer, and he told me that his publishing company might be doing a book on old toys. So I not only loaned them toys from my shop but also produced a pair of limited toys for their readers, and here I am today!"

What happened with Marusan? Why did you decide to dissolve the partnership?

MASATO: "I think our association with Marusan was great to increase our visibility. From a economic standpoint I couldn't really call it good. The main bottleneck was the fact that these were Marusan original designs. They had been talking about exporting kaiju-eiga (licensed "monster movie") characters to the USA, and had even secured the licenses, but we couldn't reach agreement on the numbers of toys to be manufactured. So it stopped. But I REALLY wanted to make them!"

How difficult was it to make your own toys?

MASATO: "These toys are robots, so I was really worrying about the bilateral symmetry and the amount of 'deformity.' Sculptor Kenta Miyairi really put a lot of effort into that. And because obtaining the copyright accompanied my participation in the book, it was a very easy experience."

Why did you pick these two characters?

MASATO: "I put a lot of thought into the selection of the limited edition toys, and decided on Mazinger Z because it was Go Nagai's main character, and the Minerva X because it had never been done in soft vinyl before. And I felt that a old-fashioned style was more suitable for a book that was cataloging old toys, so I gave it a bit of a retro taste.

"I'm planning on coming out with more completely original toys. I'm actively pursuing partnerships with other companies and look to sell toys not just to the Japanese, but to people all over the world. I'd like to try doing a diecast at some point in the near future as well."

How difficult is it to obtain licenses to make character toys?

MASATO: "I think it really depends on the character. With the exception of making garage kits, if you don't have incredibly strong connections, it's pretty close to impossible to get licenses for things like Tsubaraya characters. Major companies like Bandai have sealed those up for the most part. Plus, you have to get the approval of the character's creator before you even start selling, and that's tough too. I've heard that in some productions they strictly dictate everything even down to the pose of the product. In my particular case, the Dynamic Pro management staff were extremely polite and it was a smooth acquisition."

By the way, what do you think about ToyboxDX?

MASATO: "I think it's great. There's a lot more info on it than on Japanese dealer webpages, so I think even Japanese people can learn a lot from the site. "

Does this kind of American response to Japanese toys surprise you?

MASATO: "It definitely surprises me. I had been aware of the increased numbers of American inquiries at my store recently, but had no idea that things had progressed this far! As for myself, I'm going to do my best to help meet everyone's expectations in the future!"

Is there anything you'd like to say to American collectors?

MASATO: "There's been a lot of interest from America recently, and I think a lot of Americans are coming to Japan specifically for the purpose of finding old Japanese character toys. But most of these items were originally made to appeal only to Japanese sensibilities. Shono Planning is still a small toymaker, but we want to hear what products customers want and fulfill those wishes as much as possible. Please, if you have any opinions or ideas about toys you'd like to see (and not just limited to Japanese characters), by all means drop us a line. (I can read English.)"

Thank you very much!

--M.A.