Mainichi’s web site has additional details about Takara’s situation. Some brief notes (based on a machine translation):

• Domestic sales between October and December 2004 were 80 per cent lower than the corresponding period the previous year.
• The company plans to restructure itself before the end of February and will trim its workforce by 580 employees through a voluntary retirement scheme.
• There are some interesting notes about Konami’s role in this. Konami owns 22 per cent of Takara but awkwardly, the two companies compete in the videogame arena. (The article neglects to mention the fact Konami has also begun competing with Takara in the action figure field over the past few years.) Ominously, Mainichi also raises the prospect of Konami taking control of Takara if the Murakami fund (which acquired 11 per cent of Takara) sides with the videogame maker.

Toy-wise, Takara clearly needs to deliver some best-sellers. Products like the upcoming Microman Magneforce and Hybrid Style Galaxy Convoy sound amazing but shareholders are expecting the toy company to come up with major hits like Beyblade circa 2001. Time for Takara’s creative designers to step up and be counted.