What Kaiyodo Co. does

Kaiyodo Co., Ltd. (株式会社海洋堂) is a Japanese figure designer and manufacturer founded in 1964 and headquartered in Osaka, operating across roughly 30 distinct branded product lines, a wholly-owned museum subsidiary, and multiple retail and production sites in Japan. The company's core offering is collectible action figures and scale models built around proprietary articulation systems — most notably the Revolver Joint mechanism used across the Revoltech line and the Yamaguchi-style mono-shaft engineering that powers the Amazing Yamaguchi line. Supporting product categories span capsule toys (CapsuleQ, MiniQ) at 300-500 yen, standard articulated figures at 1,500-8,000 yen, premium collector figures at 9,790-19,800 yen, and high-detail 3D-printed digital garage kits priced up to 38,500 yen.

The revenue model is product-led and primarily direct-to-consumer through kyd-store.jp, company-operated retail locations (including Hobby Lobby Tokyo in Akihabara, Kaiyodo Figure Museum Kurokabe in Shiga, and renovated museum venues in Kochi Prefecture), thousands of capsule vending machines distributed nationwide, Amazon.co.jp, specialty hobby retailers, and event sales at Wonder Festival. Customer-facing segments are vertically organized around anime/manga collectors, comic and sci-fi collectors, nature/biology hobbyists, and model-kit builders; enterprise-side counterparties are IP licensors (Gainax/Evangelion production committee, Toho, KADOKAWA, Shogakukan) and a handful of brand partners such as Shimano. The company has no external funding, is privately held, and operates with 11-50 disclosed employees alongside outsourced manufacturing for the broader portfolio.

Name

Kaiyodo Co.

Legal name

株式会社海洋堂

Website

https://kaiyodo.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kaiyodo Co., Ltd. is a Japanese figure designer and manufacturer (founded 1964) producing collectible action figures, capsule toys, sofubi vinyl figures, and 3D-printed garage kits under proprietary Revolver Joint articulation technology for anime, comic, gaming, and fine-art collector segments, sold through its own online store, museum showrooms, nationwide capsule vending, and hobby retailers in Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collectible Figures & Model Kits

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Miniatures & Figurines (Display/Collectible) (CRALAKAB)

Keywords

• Collectible figurines
• Action figures
• Garage kits
• Capsule toys
• Plastic model kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Figure and Model Product Sales: Kaiyodo generates revenue primarily through direct sales of proprietary figure lines including Revoltech action figures, Amazing Yamaguchi comic character figures, capsule toys (CapsuleQ), sofubi figures, plastic model kits, digital garage kits, and limited-edition specialty items. Products are sold through company-operated online store, physical retail locations, and third-party retailers with pricing ranging from budget capsule toys (300-500 yen) to premium collectible figures (up to 38,500 yen for detailed digital garage kits).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kaiyodo Co., Ltd. designs, sculpts, manufactures, and sells collectible figurines including Revoltech action figures with proprietary Revolver Joint articulation, capsule toys (CapsuleQ, MiniQ), sofubi soft vinyl figures, plastic model kits (ARTPLA), Digital Garage Kits (DGK) produced via Formlabs 3D printing, and artist collaboration sculptures. Products span licensed properties (Evangelion, Godzilla, AKIRA, Marvel/DC, Star Wars) and original brands (Amazing Yamaguchi, RevoGeo, Maschinen Krieger, KT Project, Character Classics). Sales channels include the company-operated online store, physical retail and museum locations in Japan, nationwide capsule vending machines, Amazon.co.jp, specialty hobby retailers, and Wonder Festival event booths.

Product overview

Kaiyodo Co. is a Japanese figure manufacturer offering a diverse portfolio of collectible products organized into multiple branded lines. The core product is Revolver Tech, an action figure series using proprietary Revolver Joint technology for articulation. Supporting sub-brands include Evangelion Evolution (dedicated Evangelion line), Amazing Yamaguchi (American comic figures by Katsuhisa Yamaguchi), and Movie Revo (Hollywood characters). Kaiyodo also operates capsule toy lines (Capsule Figures, MiniQ) featuring miniature dioramas, plastic model series (ARTPLA), artist collaborations (Artist Collaboration, KAIYODO ART PROJECT with artists like Atsuhiko Misawa), specialty lines (KT Project, RevoGeo, Maschinen Krieger, Character Classics), and soft vinyl offerings (Sofubi Toy Box, Mega Sofubi Advance, Kochi Shikoku Factory). Additional services include an online store, physical retail locations (Hobby Lobby Tokyo, Kaiyodo Space Factory), and Wonder Festival event participation. The company serves collectors across anime, manga, movies, dinosaurs, animals, art, and cultural heritage themes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• リボルテック (Revoltech): Action figure brand featuring proprietary Revoltech joints for movie, manga, and anime character figures
• Evangelion Evolution
• Amazing Yamaguchi
• Capsule Figure (カプセルフィギュア)
• KT Project (竹谷隆之作品)
• RevoGeo
• DGK (Digital Garage Kit)
• Maschinen Krieger
• miniQ (ミニキュー)
• Movie Revo
• Okamoto Taro Works (岡本太郎)
• Artist Collaboration (アーティストコラボレーション)
• Artmaster 3D
• Character Classics
• Assemble Borg Nexus (アッセンブルボーグネクサス)
• Event Limited (イベント限定)
• Sofubi Toy Box (ソフビトイボックス)
• Nature (ネイチャー)
• Wonder Festival (ワンダーフェスティバル)
• Yotsubato (よつばと)
• Mega Sofubi Advance (メガソフビ・アドバンス)
• Senmu no Heya (センムの部屋)
• Shimanto Factory (高知四万十ファクトリー)
• KAIYODO ART PROJECT
• ARTPLA (アートプラ)

Products and services

• Revoltech (リボルテック) Action Figure Series Poseable action figure line for collectors featuring proprietary Revolver Joint articulation technology. Covers movie, manga, and anime characters from franchises such as Evangelion, Bio Booster Armor Guyver, NINJA GAIDEN, Resident Evil, and others. Standard articulated figures priced 1,500–8,000 yen with premium versions up to 19,800 yen.
• Evangelion Evolution (エヴァンゲリオン・エヴォリューション) Premium dedicated Evangelion franchise action figure line, treated by Kaiyodo as a standard title since the 1995 TV broadcast. Includes action figures and capsule toys, with exclusive online store releases and special exhibition collaborations.
• Amazing Yamaguchi (アメイジング・ヤマグチ) High-end articulated action figure line by sculptor Katsuhisa Yamaguchi featuring Western comic book characters (Marvel, DC) and video game/anime characters. Uses Yamaguchi-style poseable engineering combining Revolver Joints and Mono-shaft mechanisms. Premium pricing 9,790–19,800 yen.
• Capsule Figures (カプセルフィギュア / CapsuleQ Museum) Capsule toy series offering low-priced collectible figurines at 300–500 yen per capsule (1,800–4,080 yen per box of 6). Covers a museum of themes including animals, dinosaurs, art, yokai, tanks, food culture, and licensed characters from Detective Conan, Crayon Shin-chan, and other franchises. Sold via nationwide capsule vending machines.
• MiniQ (ミニキュー) Miniature Figure Series Monthly miniature figure series featuring detailed diorama-style vignettes capturing scenes from anime, movies, manga, and art. Palm-sized collectibles released monthly with capsule vending machine distribution.
• ARTPLA (アートプラ) Plastic Model Series Plastic model kit series featuring detailed sculpture works based on iconic properties including Godzilla, King Ghidorah, and reproductions of Taro Okamoto's Tower of the Sun. Monthly releases of buildable plastic models for hobbyist collectors.
• RevoGeo (リボジオ) Biological Figures Biological figure line featuring arthropods, crustaceans, dinosaur skeletons, and other creatures supervised by Shinobu Matsumura. Collectible organisms forming a three-dimensional encyclopedia spanning geological time, appealing to scientific curiosity and nature collectors.
• Digital Garage Kit (DGK) Premium digital garage kits produced using Formlabs 3D printing technology, updated from indie scene garage kit originals. Unpainted kits featuring complex designs with minimal parts assembly, allowing collectors to finish and customize. Premium pricing 35,000–38,500 yen.
• Maschinen Krieger (マシーンクルーガー / Ma.K.) Plastic model series based on the Maschinen Krieger (Ma.K.) sci-fi universe created by designer Ko Yokoyama. Features sci-fi vehicle and mecha designs as a designer toy and model line.
• KT Project (KTプロジェクト) by Takayuki Takeya Sculpture figure series by sculptor Takayuki Takeya featuring traditional Japanese craft techniques and yokai-inspired designs rendered as contemporary figures.
• Movie Revo (ムービーレボ) Action figure line featuring movie and cinematic franchise characters using Revoltech articulation, focused on Hollywood film properties.
• Artist Collaboration Figures Limited-edition figure collaborations with fine artists including Atsuhiko Misawa (三沢厚彦) and Seiji Fujishiro, blending fine art with figure craftsmanship. Pieces priced 18,000–19,800 yen with numbered certificates.
• Okamoto Taro Works (岡本太郎) Reproductions Plastic model and figure reproductions of works by avant-garde Japanese artist Taro Okamoto, including the iconic Tower of the Sun.
• Artmaster 3D Figures Figure line combining digital 3D sculpting with analog craftsmanship techniques to produce detailed figures that leverage both digital precision and traditional finishing.
• Character Classics by Takashi Kinoshita Character sculpture series by sculptor Takashi Kinoshita focusing on ultra-realistic expression of characters, going beyond photorealism.
• Assemble Borg Nexus (アッセンブルボーグネクサス) Next-generation Assemble Borg figure series with newly designed bodies, combining action figure articulation with block-toy style customizability for posing and assembly.
• Sofubi Toy Box (ソフビトイボックス) Soft vinyl figure collaboration series with Union Creative, leveraging Kaiyodo's Revolver Tech articulation track record for new sofubi figure releases.
• Nature Animal Figures Animal figure series showcasing Kaiyodo's dedication to detailed craftsmanship in wildlife representations across diverse species.
• Mega Sofubi Advance (メガソフビ・アドバンス) Large-scale, painted, completed soft vinyl figures suitable for desktop display. Premium oversized sofubi figures with high factory completion quality.
• Senmu no Heya (センムの部屋) by Miyawaki Senmu Specialty figure series by Kaiyodo veteran hobbyist Miyawaki Senmu featuring models of personal interest crafted as collectible figures.
• Shimanto Factory (高知四万十ファクトリー) Classic Sofubi Kits Classic sofubi kit reprints produced at Kaiyodo Space Factory Nankoku in Shimanto, Kochi Prefecture. Revives beloved sofubi kits from the early days of Japanese figure culture.
• KAIYODO ART PROJECT Art project launched in 2022 collaborating with fine artists such as Atsuhiko Misawa and Seiji Fujishiro to three-dimensionally reproduce fantasy and sculptural works. KAIYODO ART GALLERY brand page added in February 2026 expanding art gallery operations.
• Kaiyodo Online Store (kyd-store.jp) Official Kaiyodo direct-to-consumer online retail store (kyd-store.jp) for purchasing all product lines including Revoltech, Amazing Yamaguchi, capsule figures, and limited editions, with online-exclusives and early access releases.
• Yotsuba to! (よつばと!) Character Figures Action figures based on the Yotsuba to! manga series, featuring the energetic protagonist Yotsuba with multiple optional parts for posing and play.
• Wonder Festival Exclusive Products Event-exclusive figure products released at Wonder Festival, Japan's largest figure and hobby event where Kaiyodo exhibits with exclusive releases and prototype displays.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SHIMANO (Shimano Inc.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2022Cross-brand collaboration producing SHIMANO×Kaiyodo STRIKE FANTASY fishing-themed collectible figures. Products feature aquatic creatures and fishing scenes in sofubi format, blending Shimano's fishing gear brand identity with Kaiyodo's figure manufacturing expertise.
• Various Museums and Cultural InstitutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with museums including Shikoku Aquarium, Takasaki Science Museum, and others for special exhibition collaborations featuring Kaiyodo figure displays and exclusive event products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Medicom Toy: Tokyo-based collectible figure maker best known for the Kubrick and Mafex lines. Comparable as a Japan-domestic collectibles maker with premium articulated figures (Mafex) and strong Western IP licensing (Marvel, DC, Star Wars).
• Kotobukiya: Japanese figure and model kit manufacturer producing ARTFX, Bishoujo, and plastic model lines. Comparable product categories (anime figures, scale models), similar price points, and overlapping licensed IP including Western comics and Japanese anime.
• Good Smile Company: Japanese figure manufacturer best known for Nendoroid and figma lines. Directly comparable as a domestic competitor in articulated collectible figures, premium anime/manga licensing, and direct-to-consumer online sales (Good Smile Online Shop).
• Sideshow Collectibles: US-based premium collectibles manufacturer and distributor (statues, sixth-scale figures, licensed prop replicas). Comparable in premium collectible category and Western comic/movie IP, though with less focus on Japanese anime lines.
• Max Factory: Japanese figure manufacturer behind the figma line and POP UP PARADE series. Direct overlap in articulated action figures (figma) and anime/manga IP licensing, competing for the same collector and D2C channels.
• Hot Toys: Hong Kong-based premium 1/6 scale figure maker (Marvel, DC, Star Wars, anime). Comparable as a high-end articulated collectible figure maker with strong Western IP licensing and global D2C distribution.
• Taito (Square Enix / Taito Prize Figures): Japanese figure maker producing prize/crane game and core figure lines for Square Enix and other anime/game IP. Comparable in licensed character figures distributed through Japanese hobby and amusement channels.

Broad incumbents

• Bandai Namco Holdings (Bandai Spirits / S.H. Figuarts): Largest Japanese toy and figure manufacturer. S.H. Figuarts and FiguartsZERO lines compete directly with Revoltech in articulated licensed action figures, and Bandai has deeper IP relationships and global distribution than Kaiyodo.
• Banpresto (Bandai Namco subsidiary): Japanese prize/crane game and budget figure maker, now a Bandai Namco subsidiary. Overlaps with Kaiyodo in anime character figures and Japanese amusement/hobby retail, though positioned in the mass-market prize segment rather than premium articulated.

Emerging players

• Union Creative: Japanese figure maker known for soft vinyl (sofubi) and designer toy collaborations. Already a Kaiyodo partner via Sofubi Toy Box, comparable in sofubi production, niche designer figures, and limited-edition drop model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kaiyodo_pr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2xvK69N55bmY3S9_kjBplg
• Facebookfacebook.com/KAIYODO1964
• Instagraminstagram.com/kaiyodo_pr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kaiyodo Co.