Kotobukiya business profile: the figure and model kit maker behind the anime shelf
Kotobukiya does not animate anything, but its figures and model kits are a direct read on anime merchandising demand in Japan and overseas.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: Kotobukiya Co., Ltd. is a hobby goods manufacturer listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard market under code 7809, headquartered in Tachikawa, Tokyo. It plans, develops, and sells anime figures, plastic model kits, and character goods, and reports a single hobby business segment. For the fiscal year ended June 2026, its first on a consolidated basis, revenue was JPY 16,777 million and net income was JPY 497 million, as profit was squeezed by higher manufacturing, labor, and shipping costs.
What Kotobukiya is and who runs it
Kotobukiya is a Japanese hobby goods company whose products sit at the center of anime merchandising: scale figures, plastic model kits, character goods, and related books and card items. Stock records trace the business to 1947, while the incorporated company dates to January 1953. Its head office is in Tachikawa, Tokyo, and it employed 192 people according to recent market data.
The company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard market under ticker 7809. It first listed on the JASDAQ Standard market in September 2017 and moved to the Standard market in the April 2022 TSE restructuring. Its representative director and president is Kazukazu Shimizu, and the company remains closely associated with the founding Shimizu family.
Revenue and profit: steady sales, shrinking margins
Kotobukiya's recent history shows revenue holding near JPY 16 billion to 18 billion while profit has fallen. For the fiscal year ended June 2025, the last reported on a non-consolidated basis, revenue was JPY 16,502 million and operating income was JPY 1,610 million, down from JPY 18,099 million and JPY 2,614 million two years earlier.
For the fiscal year ended June 2026, the company moved to consolidated reporting and posted revenue of JPY 16,777 million with net income of JPY 497 million and ROE of 6.1%. In the first nine months of that year, revenue rose 10.4% year over year while operating income fell 41.5%, which the company attributed to rising manufacturing costs, labor costs, and packing and shipping fees on top of softer per-item sales.
Kotobukiya annual results. Fiscal 2023 to 2025 are non-consolidated; fiscal 2026 is the first consolidated year. Sources: Minkabu settlement data and Kabushiki Shimbun flash report.| Fiscal year (ended June) | Revenue | Operating income | Net income |
|---|
| 2023 | JPY 18,099M | JPY 2,614M | JPY 1,757M |
| 2024 | JPY 16,379M | JPY 1,656M | JPY 1,103M |
| 2025 | JPY 16,502M | JPY 1,610M | JPY 1,091M |
| 2026 (consolidated) | JPY 16,777M | n/a in flash report | JPY 497M |
Segment-definition note: Kotobukiya's securities filing states it has a single reportable segment, the hobby-related products manufacturing and sales business, so it publishes no segment revenue breakdown. Figures above are company-wide totals in Japanese yen. Fiscal 2026 covers July 2025 to June 2026.
Where anime fits in the product mix
Kotobukiya's catalog splits between licensed anime and game IP and its own original lines. On the original side, series such as Megami Device and Arcanadea anchor its plastic model business, and the company said multiple PUNI MOFU items from Megami Device and the Arcanadea character Gii contributed to sales in the period. On the licensed side, it released figures from properties including hololive production and the VTuber unit HIMEHINA.
The growth engine has shifted toward plastic models. In the nine months to March 2026, the company said plastic models grew for both domestic and overseas customers while figure sales fell 24% domestically and 16% overseas, with wholesale and retail channels both expanding overall. VTuber-related goods also performed well in its directly managed stores.
Overseas push: events, distributors, and China
Kotobukiya sells through wholesale, directly managed stores, and e-commerce, and has been building brand recognition abroad. In North America it exhibited at Anime Expo 2025 and San Diego Comic-Con 2025, where it said the BISHOUJO series was well received and plastic models led sales. Its US partner Koto Inc., based in Torrance, California, states it has held exclusive distribution rights for Kotobukiya products in North America for over a decade.
In Asia, the company is leaning on the same original-IP model kit lines that drive domestic sales, and it says it is strengthening cooperation with local distributors in China to widen brand touchpoints. Inbound tourist traffic to its Japanese stores, while cooler than its peak, remained at a high level and supported retail sales.
Strategy and what to watch
Kotobukiya's strategy is a two-engine model: proprietary IP model kit lines that it owns outright, plus licensed figures and goods tied to anime, games, and VTuber properties. Owning the underlying IP in lines like Megami Device gives it better economics than pure licensed work, but the licensed side keeps the catalog attached to current anime hits.
The near-term risk is margin, not demand. Management has flagged cost pressure from manufacturing, labor, and logistics, and the company's own fiscal 2026 forecast called for operating income to fall by roughly half even at flat revenue. For anime industry watchers, Kotobukiya is a useful proxy for whether strong anime demand still translates into profit for mid-sized merchandise makers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kotobukiya a public company?
Yes. Kotobukiya Co., Ltd. trades on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard market under code 7809. It listed on JASDAQ in September 2017 and moved to the Standard market in April 2022.
How much revenue does Kotobukiya make?
For the fiscal year ended June 2026, Kotobukiya reported consolidated revenue of JPY 16,777 million and net income of JPY 497 million. The prior non-consolidated year showed revenue of JPY 16,502 million.
Does Kotobukiya make anime?
No. Kotobukiya manufactures and sells figures, plastic model kits, and character goods. Its single reportable segment is the hobby-related products manufacturing and sales business.
What are Kotobukiya's main product lines?
Its best-known lines include the BISHOUJO figure series, original plastic model kit lines such as Megami Device and Arcanadea, and licensed figures for anime, game, and VTuber properties including hololive production.
Sources and methodology
- Kotobukiya (7809) company information, J-LiC Listed Company Search. Listing history, Tachikawa head office, President Kazukazu Shimizu, June fiscal year end, and fiscal 2025 revenue and net income.
- Kotobukiya segment information, J-LiC Listed Company Search. Securities-filing note that Kotobukiya has a single reportable segment: hobby-related products manufacturing and sales.
- Kotobukiya Q3 FY2026 earnings report, gamebiz. Nine-month results to March 2026, figure and model kit trends, overseas events, and cost-pressure commentary, published 15 May 2026.
- Kotobukiya fiscal 2026 flash results, Kabushiki Shimbun. Full-year fiscal 2026 consolidated revenue of JPY 16,777 million and net income of JPY 497 million, published 14 August 2026.