Konno Sangyo
From Sega Retro
Konno Sangyo | ||
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Founded: 1970 | ||
Headquarters:
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Konno Sangyo / Konno Industries[1] (今野産業株式会社), currently K's Works Co. Ltd[2][3] (株式会社ケーズワークス) is a toy manufacturing company, founded in 1970 in Tokyo, Japan, by Japanese bussinessman and inventor Akihisa Konno[4][5] (明久 今野, 1937 – 2016[6]).
The company is known for pioneering[7] Japanese Gashapon industry (introduced in the 1960's by Ryuzo Shigeta[8][9] / 重田 龍三 a.k.a Gacha-gacha Ojisan / “the Grandfather of Gashapon”, a former entrepreneur, and his brother Tetsuo Shigeta[8][10] / 重田 哲夫, responsible for helping start Penny Shokai Co. Ltd[11] / 株式会社ペニイ商会, currently Penny Inc. / 株式会社ペニイ, the first gashapon vending machine company in Japan, on February 17th, 1965[12][13], as a division of Pittsburgh-based Penny King Co.Ltd, a.k.a The Penny King Company, after its President Mr. Lester O. Hardman[14][15][16] sent them a gum ball vending machine) as one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of capsule toys[17][18][19] in the 1970's (the company worked with a monk who specialized in temple carvings[20][21], which hand carved wooden prototypes exclusively for Konno Sangyo Co. Ltd) before the industry was completely revolutionized in 1977 with the entry of a toy giant, namely, Bandai.
In 1992 the company manufactured a set of Keshigomu (消しゴム) collectible miniature PVC action figures, distributed by Sega in Japan, as part of its Salad Juu Yuushi Tomatoman (サラダ十勇士トマトマン, TomatoMan and the Knights of the Salad Table) series of toys.
In 2014 Konno Sangyo Co. Ltd left its old headquarters, which was demolished, relocating to a nearby building, where it maintains a small office, selling its products exclusivelly through its sales website Galaxy Hanger (ギャラクシーハンガー).
Gallery
K's Works Co. Ltd offices in Sumida, Tokyo (April 2018), just a couple of meters away from the place where Konno Sangyo Co. Ltd headquarters was located, now occupied by a block of apartments (in the background, to the right)
External links
- Patents and inventions assigned to Mr. Akihisa Konno (明久 今野) and Konno Sangyo Co. Ltd (今野産業株式会社) at patents.google.com
- Design Works for Capsule Toys of Konno Sangyo Co.,Ltd. designed by Tokyo-based Graphic Designer and Art Director Tomoyuki Kurosawa (a.k.a. Nemury) at www.behance.net (archived)
- www.nemury.com
- Penny Shokai Co. Ltd history (in Japanese), by Ryuzo Shigeta (重田 龍三) a.k.a Gacha-gacha Ojisan (ガチャガチャおじさん, “the Grandfather of Gashapon”) in www.icity.or.jp
- www.penny.co.jp
- Penny King Co.Ltd at www.mandrakewiki.org
References
- ↑ http://randomhoohaas.flyingomelette.com/bomb/merch/keshi.html
- ↑ http://galaxy-hanger.tokyo/html/company.html
- ↑ http://galaxy-hanger.tokyo/shopbrand/ct9/
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 File:KonnoSangyoMagazineArticle BreakMax JP 2004-03.pdf
- ↑ http://archive.fo/ijJNI
- ↑ https://ameblo.jp/gachagacha1965/entry-12146314900.html
- ↑ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2017/08/19/lifestyle/gachapon-tracing-evolution-japans-colorful-toy-capsules/#.W8hS8mhKjIV
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://www.icity.or.jp/usr/sdr01103/with-boren.jpg
- ↑ http://www.icity.or.jp/usr/sdr01103/los-cablecar.jpg
- ↑ http://www.icity.or.jp/usr/sdr01103/with-broter.jpg
- ↑ http://www.icity.or.jp/usr/sdr01103/P-asahi.htm
- ↑ http://www.penny.co.jp:80/about/about02.html (Wayback Machine: 2013-06-23 02:39)
- ↑ http://www.penny.co.jp:80/about/about03.html (Wayback Machine: 2013-06-24 02:49)
- ↑ File:L.O. Hardman.jpg
- ↑ http://www.icity.or.jp/usr/sdr01103/P-sono2.htm
- ↑ https://books.google.pt/books?id=HA4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT98&lpg=PT98&dq=L.O.+Hardman+the+penny+king+company&source=bl&ots=Zw8xHOoP74&sig=i3rxvtnVEXQwzP-949WXL5UZRVg&hl=pt-PT&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjKndCAkJzeAhVLyqQKHS1lDSoQ6AEwAHoECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q=L.O.%20Hardman%20the%20penny%20king%20company&f=false
- ↑ File:Super7 US 08.pdf, page 13
- ↑ https://www.behance.net/gallery/1729933/Capsule-Toys-(A)-2008-2011
- ↑ http://irurei.blog97.fc2.com/blog-entry-3159.html
- ↑ http://blog.livedoor.jp/gargamel/archives/50372910.html
- ↑ http://www.gachapontoys.com/tag/konno-industries/ (Wayback Machine: 2018-10-18 13:42)
- ↑ https://ameblo.jp/gachagacha1965/entry-11917901384.html