HobbyLink Japan

What HobbyLink Japan does

HobbyLink Japan Ltd. is a privately held Japanese e-commerce retailer founded in 1995 as an online overseas mail-order business and formally incorporated on January 6, 1997; it is headquartered in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, and operates approximately 70 employees as of March 2025. The company's primary product is hlj.com—the company's flagship international e-commerce platform cataloguing over 120,000 hobby products spanning anime and action figures (MAFEX, S.H.Figuarts, figma, Nendoroid), Gundam plastic model kits, scale models (aircraft, military, ships, cars, railroad), hobby publications, apparel, and collectibles—plus a parallel domestic storefront at hlj.co.jp launched in 2009. The platform is custom-built and supports 125+ currencies, 9 international shipping options, and shipping to 220+ countries, with bilingual English/Japanese customer support.

The technology stack centers on a proprietary e-commerce platform with multi-currency display, inventory management, and an integrated shipping/logistics backbone. Differentiated platform features include the Private Warehouse free-storage system (allowing customers to hold items for up to 60 days for order consolidation or splitting—currently suspended indefinitely) and a prepayment-free preorder workflow in which customers reserve upcoming releases and are only charged upon fulfillment. HobbyLink Japan earns revenue across three streams: (1) B2C retail of hobby goods priced in domestic Japanese yen to international buyers, (2) B2B wholesale to other retailers and resellers, and (3) third-party logistics and e-commerce services (3PL/3PEC) to outside companies that use its warehouse and fulfillment infrastructure. Beyond the retail storefront, the company operates sub-brands HLJ Pop (fan manufacturing, launched 2019), HLJ Select (premium and limited-edition collectibles, launched 2019), and hobbylink.tv (content including Gunpla TV and Toy Tengoku on YouTube), alongside a wholly-owned subsidiary, Beaver Corporation (acquired December 2013). Distribution partnerships include exclusive international agreements with GomoraKick (Kaiyodo International) for premium Ultraman statues and limited-edition replicas. Revenue figures, funding history, and ownership structure beyond founding management are not publicly disclosed.

Name

HobbyLink Japan

Legal name

HobbyLink Japan Ltd.

Website

https://hlj.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

HobbyLink Japan Ltd. is a privately held Japanese online retailer operating hlj.com and hlj.co.jp, selling 120,000+ anime figures, model kits, and collectibles directly to hobbyists and businesses across 220+ countries via a custom multi-currency e-commerce platform with integrated global shipping.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Hobby & Collectibles Retail

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Toy and Hobby Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423920)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Collectibles, Trading Cards & Blind Box Toys Retail (CRALAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hobby & Model Kits Distribution (RC, Scale Models, Miniatures) (CRAOAMAD)

Keywords

• Online hobby retail
• Anime figure sales
• Scale model kits
• Gundam kits shop
• Collectibles e-commerce

Headquarters

HQ city

Sano

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. B2C Retail Sales: Direct retail sales of hobby products including anime figures, action figures, model kits, Gundam products, hobby publications, and collectibles to individual consumers worldwide.
2. B2B Wholesale: Wholesale sales of hobby products to other businesses and retailers.
3. Third-Party Logistics and E-Commerce Services (3PL/3PEC): Provides logistics, warehousing, and e-commerce services to other companies, generating service fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HobbyLink Japan operates the world's largest online hobby retailer (hlj.com) selling over 120,000 Japanese hobby products — anime figures, action figures, plastic model kits (Gundam, military, aircraft, ships, cars), hobby publications and collectibles — directly to individual hobbyists in 220+ countries at domestic Japanese prices with multi-currency checkout and nine international shipping options. It complements retail with the Private Warehouse storage and consolidation service, the hobbylink.tv content division, and the HLJ Pop and HLJ Select in-house product lines, alongside B2B wholesale and third-party logistics/fulfillment services for other businesses.

Product overview

HobbyLink Japan operates a multi-platform e-commerce ecosystem centered on HLJ.com, the world's largest online hobby retailer. The core offering includes over 120,000 hobby products across anime figures, model kits, Gundam products, and collectibles. Key supporting services include Private Warehouse for consolidated shipping optimization and hobbylink.tv for content creation. The company extends its reach through sub-brands: HLJ Pop (manufacturing brand for anime/pop culture goods) and HLJ Select (premium collectibles), while providing wholesale, third-party logistics (3PL), and third-party e-commerce services (3PEC) to business partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HLJ Pop: Manufacturing brand for anime, sci-fi, and pop culture goods, created by fans for fans. Launched with Animemories product line.
• HLJ Select

Products and services

• HobbyLink Japan Online Store (HLJ.com) International e-commerce storefront offering over 120,000 Japanese hobby products — anime figures, action figures, plastic model kits (Gundam, military, aircraft, ships, cars), hobby publications and collectibles — to individual hobbyists worldwide, with multi-currency checkout in 125+ currencies and nine international shipping options.
• HLJ Domestic Store (hlj.co.jp) Domestic Japanese e-commerce storefront at hlj.co.jp selling the same catalog of Japanese hobby products to customers inside Japan.
• Private Warehouse

Quantifiable outcome

• Ships to over 220 countries worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GomoraKick (Kaiyodo International)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2019Partnership for exclusive US distribution of limited-edition 1/10 scale 3D-CAD replica of 'Discovery One' spaceship prop from '2001: A Space Odyssey' (160cm/5ft 3in length, handcrafted by Japanese modelers). Launched under HLJ Select premium merchandise brand.
• GomoraKick (Kaiyodo International)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2019Partnership for premium Ultraman statues including Ultraman Tiga (80cm, ¥158,000), Ultraman Taro (35cm, ¥34,800), and Garamon (20cm, ¥59,800). GomoraKick provides highly-detailed statues sculpted by Takashi Kinoshita and Ryu Oyama, with exclusive international distribution by HobbyLink Japan.
• Beaver CorporationcoreOthers100% owned subsidiary of HobbyLink Japan Ltd. Located in Japan with its own website at beavercorp.jp. Acquired in December 2013 as a subsidiary company.
• MailchimpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing platform used for email newsletter distribution. Customer information is transferred to Mailchimp for processing in accordance with privacy practices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AmiAmi: Japan-based online retailer specializing in anime figures, model kits, and hobby goods with global shipping. Closest direct competitor to HLJ in the Japanese hobby e-commerce category.
• Mandarake: Largest Japanese specialty retailer of secondhand and new anime, manga, and hobby collectibles, with international shipping. Competes directly with HLJ for anime figure and collectible buyers.
• CDJapan: Japan-based e-commerce exporter of anime merchandise, figures, music, and hobby goods. Direct peer in cross-border Japanese hobby product export.
• BigBadToyStore: US-based online retailer of action figures, import toys, and collectibles. Competes with HLJ for North American collectors of Japanese import figures and model kits.
• Hobby Search (1999.co.jp): Japanese online hobby shop offering model kits, figures, and collectibles with international shipping. Direct head-to-head competitor in scale model and figure categories.
• Crunchyroll Store: Online retailer of anime merchandise including figures, apparel, and collectibles tied to Crunchyroll's streaming audience. Competes with HLJ in anime fan e-commerce.

Broad incumbents

• Good Smile Company: Major Japanese figure manufacturer and distributor (Nendoroid, figma, scale figures). Both supplier and adjacent retailer; competes for premium figure buyer mindshare.
• Amazon Japan: Dominant marketplace carrying hobby products, model kits, and collectibles. Competes with HLJ on convenience, pricing, and Prime shipping for the same buyer base.
• eBay: Global secondary marketplace with strong depth in collectible figures and rare hobby items. Competes with HLJ for international collectors, particularly for used/out-of-stock items.
• Kotobukiya: Established Japanese manufacturer of plastic model kits and figures with its own retail channels. Supplier to HLJ but also a competing retail destination for hobbyists.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hobbylink
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hobbylinktv/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/HobbyLinkJapan
• Instagraminstagram.com/hobbylink.japan
• TikToktiktok.com/@hobbylinkjapan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HobbyLink Japan