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LEGO was first introduced to Asia in 1962, when sales started in Japan,
Singapore and Hong Kong. Sales started off very slowly, and remained so for a
very long time.
One of my new chapters in my LEGO DVD download (free to current owners when the
upgrades are available) describes the struggle that LEGO had in Japan. It
wasn’t just a cost issue, it was also one of culture. Just like Japanese
feeling that Japanese cars are superior to foreign built... the same culture
happened with toys and other household goods.
When the Ahashi Corp. first imported LEGO from Denmark in 1962, sales were very
poor. It wasn’t until the Fujisho Company took over in 1969 that sales improved
somewhat, but that was partly due to the 1970 importation of OLO... a TLG
produced half priced LEGO clone that almost exactly duplicated Minitalia of
Italy. By 1978 sales were still not significant in Japan, and that was the year
LEGO A/S (the overseas subsidiary of TLG) took over sales in Japan. It wasn’t
until 1986 that a LEGO Dacta type set was introduced in Japan that sales started
to increase, as toy stores were being deluged by parents of children who ordered
a set thru their grade schools. A big part of the problem with LEGO sales in
Asia was problems with the distribution network, and the reluctance of toy store
owners to supply a foreign toy. (This is Deja Vu all over again of the 1955-56
scenario of Danish LEGO imported into Germany for the first time.)
It wasn’t until the new millenium that sales in Japan and elsewhere in Asia
started increasing significantly. Today... although Japan is LEGOs leading
market in Asia... other lesser countries (and China) are increasing sales... and
that’s where sales increases this past year have left TLG in the #2 spot. Sales
in Japan, USA and Europe have been somewhat flat by comparison.
The TLG Archives have very little information on LEGO sales in Asia in the early
years... but I have had some contacts with Asian collectors that have helped me
to expand on history of LEGO sets and parts from 1962 onward for my LEGO DVD
download. There are some very interesting sets, parts and LEGO catalogs unique
to the Asian market back then.
Cheers,
Gary Istok
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