New Brand "Studio Sota" is Launched! Interview with Kouji Ando, Representative Director of SO-TA Corporation, on the enthusiasm and aims of the company's fresh start! Original items will be raffled off!

Capsule toys are now recognized both in Japan and abroad as a leading hobby in Japan. In this context, SO-TA Corporation, which has released items in collaboration with various creators, has announced the establishment of a new brand, Studio Sota.

SO-TA Inc. is a hobby manufacturer that develops products centered on capsule toys and box toys, and has released many items with a Japanese taste and works by creators full of individuality. The company's appeal has been repeatedly reported in Akiba Research Institute's popular "Wacky Kaiyama's Latest Gacha Exploration" series, and now comes the news that it has launched a new brand, "Studio Sota.

We asked the president of SO-TA, Koji Ando, about the history and vision of SO-TA, as well as his intention and enthusiasm for establishing "Studio Sota.

The Road of In-house Development Taken by a Backwater

───First of all, please tell us what kind of company SO-TA Inc. is.

Ando: We think of ourselves as a toy company. We are a company that produces a variety of products across the three categories of capsule toys, amusement prizes, and hobbies. Our basic policy is to produce products with a high level of detail, to produce what we want to produce as much as possible, and to do what the developers of each product like. Therefore, I think that SO-TA is a company with different genres and not a single direction.

───I feel that SO-TA's products have a charm that is similar to that of crafts rather than easy-to-understand character products.

Ando: Japan is a particularly important source of capsule toys, and I would like to make SO-TA a company that delves deeper into this field. We are trying to create products that when foreigners come to Japan and play with capsule toys, they will think, "That looks very Japanese.

───What led you to establish the company?

Ando: I was originally with Ohchou Shoji (now Lulu Arc), the company that operates "GACHA GACHA NO MORI," but the sales department I was in was to be eliminated, so I decided to start a new company, and four of my colleagues and I set up SO-TA Inc. as an independent company.

───Mr. Ando, were you originally involved in modeling?

Ando: I was originally in the sales field, working as a route salesman replenishing capsule toys, so I couldn't make anything, but I always had the intention of becoming a manufacturer someday.

───Please tell us about the composition of the members when you started SO-TA.

Ando: Three of us were in sales and the other one was in planning and development. Daicho Shoji did not produce products that focused on modeling, and most of the products we handled were miscellaneous amusement prizes such as stuffed toys and cushions, and we did not make products that used molds. Therefore, SO-TA started out as a wholesaler of amusement prizes. Our first project was OEM of amusement prizes for the Aeon family, and for a time we made many products featuring the "Hoppe-chan" character of Sun Jewel. But even at that time, the modeling itself was outsourced, so it wasn't like we were making the products ourselves.

───When did SO-TA reach the turning point in its quest for in-house development?

Ando: It was when we bought a machine for modeling. That was in 2015, when I purchased a 3D modeling software called "FreeForm" and a 3D printer for about 10 million yen, even though I could not use them myself at all. The reason why I bought them is that then, as now, in the capsule toy industry as a whole, manufacturers are mainly in the content business, so to speak, and they commission modeling companies to create their products. This is due to the fact that the number of people at each company is small, and the industry is based on the division of labor. When outsourcing, it costs about 50,000 yen just to ask a company to "slightly correct this curve. In the end, if we wanted to make a particular product, we would inevitably have to incur such costs, so we had no choice but to cut that part of the cost. We thought that if we made the corrections in-house, the corrections could be completed within the company, so we purchased the software and machine. But in the end, no one could use it, so we had to hire someone who could.

─ ─ Now that you have bought the software, you have to master it, right?

Ando: I felt that I had to do it. That was the turning point. Since I couldn't make them myself, I felt I had no choice but to create an environment in which I could make them, so I installed a machine, hired several sculptors, and decided to do everything myself, including the data for modeling, all in one go.

SO-TA's uniqueness established through a win-win relationship with creators

─ Which product will be the first product under the new organization?

ANDO: I think "Daikyo-ya Hanneri Kitsumen Netsuke.

The "Daikyo-ya Hannari Kitsumen Netsuke," which was a turning point for the company.

───The painting is very detailed. I think it would have been very difficult to outsource this work.

Ando: The coloring was extremely difficult. This mold itself was also made by scanning. It sold very well. This product was also a chance for me to work with an individual artist. Originally, "Daikyo-ya" was selling papier-mâché fox masks at Design Festa, and there was a long line of people waiting to buy them.

─ So you are discovering creators at DESIGAFEST. Did you see the potential for new products in the works of individual creators?

Ando: Rather than potential, it was because our company is small and we could not acquire strong IP. So, when we were looking for a way to differentiate our products from those of other companies, we thought that individual artists whose works were extremely cute or detailed but not yet famous would be willing to listen to us, so we approached those who were active at the Design Fest. That's how I came to this point.

───Maybe there were many people who are active in DESIGFEST who would be willing to make a product that would be distributed nationwide.

Ando: That's right. It would be a win-win situation for both parties, as our name would be known nationwide and we would be able to produce a good number of products.

───So you expanded the capsule toy business from there, and now you are also developing amusement prizes at the same time, is that right?

Ando: Yes. In the past, the ratio of amusement prizes to capsule toys was about 8 to 2, but now capsule toy sales are about 3 to 7. Capsule toys and box toys are now the mainstream.

─ You are gradually approaching a lineup similar to that of a general toy manufacturer.

ANDO: Yes. We would like to eventually become like that. We do not simply want to sell capsule toys, but we would like to use artists' works as a place for sales promotion, and we would like artists to use us as well.

──It is SO-TA's unique style to sell the same product in capsule toys and box toys at the same time.

Ando: One of the reasons for this is that we have always wanted to be particular about details, and we have always wanted to do things that are difficult to do with conventional capsule toys, but with the recent depreciation of the yen, the cost of goods has really increased, and we are now in a situation where we cannot produce the products that we have been guaranteeing for so long. But with the recent depreciation of the yen, the cost of goods has really risen, and we are now in a situation where we are unable to produce what we have always guaranteed. We decided to start a business style in which we could maintain the current quality to some extent by offering box toys together with capsule toys in order to reduce the cost of molds, and we had no choice but to do this in spite of the weak yen. However, this worked out well, and orders for both have been increasing, so I think there is a way to do things this way, although there are pros and cons.

Rabbit Void" is offered in two lines: capsule toys and box toys.

─ I have the impression that box toys are high-end products with many additional parts, while capsule toys are entry-level models with simple configurations.

Ando: That is exactly right. I hope everyone will imitate this style. If various manufacturers follow suit, I think the industry will expand.

──As SO-TA has a strong image of valuing creators' works, do you receive any offers from creators?

ANDO: Yes, we do. We are contacted once or twice a week, if not more, and each time, we always bring it up at a planning meeting for consideration. Thankfully, artists who like SO-TA seem to want to publish their works at SO-TA. Some of them even come directly to our booth at DESIGA FESTIVAL to sell their works.

──Which of the items that you have released so far have had a particularly strong response?

ANDO: I would have to say the "Finger Riding Dragon. It was amazing.

Finger-riding dragon

───There are also movable models like the "Bogibako" series, which have a size and detail that is hard to believe they are capsule toys.

Ando: There are still many things that need to be corrected with regard to the movable models, but I think we were able to brush up a lot by working with Yoshi (the creator of the "Bogibako" series), and I hope to continue releasing these as standard capsule toys in the future. I am glad that users can freely modify this series by attaching and painting the parts themselves.

Spinning Box Series

─ Recently, we have seen an increase in IP products such as character products like "Future Boy Conan" and miniature "Insect King" housings.

Ando: I choose things that have been around for a long time and are not so splashy now, but are standard and popular.

Future Boy Conan Action Robonoid

───SO-TA's products have a nostalgic feel to them that sticks with you somehow.

Ando: In addition to that, we don't just make simple, old-fashioned acrylic products, but we try to create points of interest that will appeal to hobbyists, such as making the robots movable or the enclosures the same shape as the real thing. The fans are very demanding. They sometimes give me harsh comments, but I learn a lot from them. I want to somehow convince these people, and the company's modeling ability grows when there are people who say things like that.

─ ─ In addition, you are also developing garage kits.

Ando: Garage kits are developed by a separate company called S.S. Studio, which was established with SK Honpo. This is a company that provides 3D printer output services, and we make three-dimensional objects at the request of creators who participate in events such as the Wonder Festival.

And now to our new brand "Studio Sota" ......!

─ ─ The "TATAMEL BIKE" by ICOMA that we introduced in the last issue was a commercialization of a bike before its release, and I think it was an unprecedented development of an item.

Ando: As ICOMA mentioned, I think it is important to take something that was popular in the past, brush it up in a modern way, and bring it to the phase where we can propose it. I want to bring it to the point where people say, "I want this one because it's cool. We would like to pick up such items and turn them into capsule toys for commercials and sales promotions.

We don't want capsule toys to be just capsule toys; we want them to spread to a variety of media. For example, Yoshi is working hard to make "Bogibako" into a game, and I hope it will spread in that way.

─ By the way, how is the response to "TATAMEL BIKE"?

ANDO: It's been great. Since it is 1/12 scale, customers have displayed it with character figures on social networking sites.

─ ─ That's a good cycle of publicity, isn't it? SO-TA continues to make such new attempts, and you have recently launched a new brand, "Studio Sota.

Ando: The company name will remain the same, but we are thinking of using the name "Studio Sota" from now on. The reason for this is that, although it may seem a bit odd, the inclusion of hyphens in the name has made it difficult to be ego-searched in the past. Since our advertising method is mainly social networking, we would not have minded in the past, but now we want to make sure that we come up immediately. We are trying to solve the situation where it is difficult to get caught in search terms, and furthermore, we are trying to go all out in advertising on SNS.

Until now, people knew about the creators, but they were not recognized as SO-TA's products. But from now on, I think we need to establish SO-TA as a brand, so that people will say, "If it's a product made by Studio Sota, you can be sure it's safe. However, it is not possible to do so immediately simply because the name has been changed. We need to raise the level of safety and quality, but for now, we would like everyone from the elderly to children to remember the brand name well so that they will become familiar with it.

──What are your goals for future product development?

ANDO: We would like to promote capsule toys as a tool to let end users know about artists' works. We would like people to first become familiar with our capsule toys, and then to experience our box toys, and finally to enjoy the 3D printed products. We would like to develop all of these with the same IP as the final destination. Our goal is to build a factory in Japan and manufacture as much as possible in Japan, rather than in China. In each category, I would like to pursue a business model that can connect light users to core fans.

The depreciation of the yen is also a factor, but it is difficult to control production in China. However, the reality is that it is difficult to produce capsule toys and other products priced at 1,000 yen or less in Japan. Therefore, we are aiming to produce expensive products in-house as much as possible and produce them in Japan.

─ By the way, capsule toys are currently enjoying great popularity, but do you see a bright future for the industry?

Ando: Well, ....... It is difficult to say. Sales of the capsule toy industry as a whole are increasing tremendously, and just a few years ago they were said to be in the 30-40 billion yen range, but now they are said to be in the 70 billion yen range. However, the profit margin is getting smaller and smaller due to the weak yen, and there are now about 40 capsule toy manufacturers, with more than 500 items being released per month. The industry itself is growing, so the market size will continue to grow and customers may enjoy it, but as a manufacturer, it will be a fierce competition with new manufacturers entering the market, so it is important to find ways to differentiate ourselves. As I mentioned earlier, unless we have a system that can follow up with users from the bottom to the top, we will not be able to compete with other manufacturers, nor will we be able to fight with those who have large capital. Then there is the overseas market. Capsule toys are expanding in China and other countries. I believe that the market is saturated at the moment, and that there will be a shakeout in the future, so it is a question of how we will compete there.

─ ─ Lastly, what does SO-TA mean?

ANDO: It stands for "states of the art. My brother-in-law is English, and I love Downtown comedy, so I asked him what would happen if I translated "Gottsu-esque" into English. He replied, "states of the art. That's why the company name is "Gottsu-esque" (laughs).

─ I had no idea that was what it meant (laughs). Thank you very much!

Present Campaign Outline

<Prize

Commemorating the launch of "Studio Sota! Eight winners will be selected by drawing to receive an Akiba Research Institute model "Tatameru Bike," which is only available here!

• <Entry requirements
• Entry period: June 10, 2023 (Sat) - June 17, 2023 (Sat) 23:59
• Number of winners: 8
• Announcement of winners: Prizes will be shipped to winners.
• Prize delivery: Prizes will be sent out sequentially ・Please fill out the following application form to apply.

• ＜Please note the following
• Registration (free of charge) is required to enter the contest.
• Only one entry per person is allowed.
• We will not be able to respond to any inquiries regarding the results of the drawing or shipping status.
• Transfer or resale of the prize or rights to the prize winner to a third party is prohibited.
• Kakaku.com Group employees and related parties are not eligible to participate.
• Prizes must be shipped within Japan.
• We will take the utmost care in packaging the prizes, but please note that we cannot accept returns or exchanges in the event that the prizes are damaged due to an accident during transportation.
• Please note that the prize will be invalidated in the following cases
• 　Multiple winners at the same address or in the same household
• 　If you have entered the contest using an unauthorized account (e.g., multiple accounts by the same person)
• 　If the prize cannot be delivered due to the winner's address, change of address, long-term absence, etc.
• 　Prizes cannot be delivered due to incomplete contact or delivery address information.
• 　Prize winners who fail to contact us by the prize delivery address notification deadline
• 　If there is any fraudulent activity related to the application.