History -
BANDAI ※バンダイナムコ統合前となる2005年までの歴史を記載

Palbox transferred certain operations to MegaHouse Corporation.

Sponsorship provided for the activities of the theater company Hikosen.

Shuku Keitai Kaitsuu! Tamagotchi Plus launched.

Comprehensive master licensing contract concluded with Sanrio Company Ltd. for the character Cinnamoroll.

Steamboy released (directed by Katsuhiro Otomo).

Cumulative total shipments of Zatchbell The Card Battle surpassed 300 million units.

Participated in the Shanghai International Character Expo, China’s first character event. Over nine days, 100,000 visitors attended.

For the film Daremo Shiranai, which was co-produced by BANDAI VISUAL, lead Yuya Yagira won the Best Actor award at the Cannes International Film Festival.

BANPRESTO concluded basic agreement to take over the operation of the ASAKUSA HANAYASHIKI amusement park.

Opened World Toy Museum in Karuizawa, exhibiting antique toys (closed in November 2007).

New headquarters building completed.

Cumulative total shipments of Gundam series home video games surpassed 20 million units.

Kaette Kita! Tamagotchi Plus launched.

BANDAI VISUAL listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

BANDAI NETWORKS listed on JASDAQ.

Total number of BANDAI CHANNEL paid viewings surpassed three million.

Zatoichi, whose production BANDAI VISUAL participated in, won the Silver Lion for Best Director award at the 60th Venice International Film Festival.

Entered the building block market through cooperation with Mega Bloks Inc., the world’s second-largest manufacturer of toy building blocks.

Opened Bandai Museum, a character museum(closed in August 2006).

Invested in confectionery manufacturer Tohato Inc.

Name of Yutaka Co., Ltd., was changed to Popy Co., Ltd.

Tsukuda Original and Wakui Corporation implemented a management integration and the company name was changed to Palbox Co., Ltd.

BANPRESTO listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Capital tie-up with Tsukuda Original.

BANDAI CHANNEL CO., LTD., established as an on-demand online distribution company.

BANDAI VISUAL listed on JASDAQ.

Cumulative total sales of Gashapon HG series surpassed 100 million units.

BHK TRADING LTD. established.

Capital tie-up with Seika Note Co., Ltd.

BANPRESTO CO., LTD., listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Network Department spun off from BANDAI to establish BANDAI NETWORKS CO., LTD.

Invested in Sotsu Agency (currently, SOTSU CO., LTD.).

Character Research Institute established.

Network Department established.

Content for i-mode became popular and surpassed one million paid subscribers.

BANDAI KOREA CO., LTD., established in South Korea.

HAPPINET CORPORATION listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Primo Puel talking stuffed toys launched.

Concluded agreement with Mattel, of the U.S., regarding joint business development (contract covering the Japanese market canceled in December 2003).

HANA-BI, whose production BANDAI VISUAL participated　in, won the Golden Lion award at the 54th Venice International Film Festival.

Gundam plastic models surpassed cumulative total sales of 300 million units.

DIGIMON ADVENTURE became an animation.

Start of service for Dokodemo Aso Vegas, the first content for NTT DOCOMO’s i-mode.

WonderSwan, a new mobile game machine, launched.

Takeo Takasu was appointed president and representative director.

HAPPINET CORPORATION listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Founder Naoharu Yamashina passed away (October 28, age 79).

HAPPINET CORPORATION offered its stock on the over-the-counter market (currently, the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange).

Group companies Kaken, Angel, and B-I merged to establish MegaHouse Corporation.

Takashi Mogi was appointed president and representative director.

Launched Tamapichi,a PHS phone that incorporated Tamagotchi functions.

Bandai Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., established in Shanghai.

Launch of the Pippin Atmark.

Three companies established in the U.S.—BANDAI HOLDING CORP., BANDAI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CORP., and BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT INC.

Technical Design Center (Tochigi) went into operation.

SUNRISE INC. became a Group company

BANDAI’s visual products business transferred to BANDAI VISUAL CO., LTD.

Name of Bandai Transport was changed to BANDAI LOGIPAL INC.

Tosho, Dairin, and Seiko merged to establish HAPPINET CORPORATION.

Chara-Can, which packaged toys with drinks through a tie-up with Suntory, are a big hit.

Bandai (Taiwan) Co., Ltd., established as local company in Taiwan.

Sally the Witch Spikatact surpassed one million units.

Bandai Transport registered on the over-the-counter market (currently, JASDAQ).

Name of Shinsei Manufacturing was changed to Yutaka Co., Ltd.

Advanced into the music field (launch of the Emotion label).

Completed head office building in Komagata,Taito-ku, Tokyo.

Cooperated in the production of the musical The Forest is Alive/ Twelve Months of Nina.

BANDAI listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Sales of CARDDASS started.

Media Department established. Made full-scale entry into the visual products business.

Contract signed with The Walt Disney Company. Video products launched.

Chairman Naoharu Yamashina was appointed executive advisor.

Quick Curl launched. Entered the field of practical lifestyle sundries.

Released Royal Space Force: The Wings of Oneamis,a full-length original animation feature.

Joint venture firm BANDAI AND K.C. CO., LTD.,established in Thailand.

Products related to Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac) series became hits.

Entered the movie field by cooperating in the production of The Baby Elephant.

BANDAI listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Capital: ¥240 million.

First Famicon software, Kinnikuman-Muscle Tag Match,launched. Became a major hit with sales of one million units.

Advanced into the Chinese market with the establishment of a Japan–China joint venture firm,China Fuman (Fujian) Toys Co., Ltd., in Fujian Province,China.

Fuman (H.K.) Co., Ltd., established in Hong Kong.

Gundam plastic model series surpassed 100 million units since the launch.

Launched Air Condition series, which was created from original video software music and video.

Launched Darosu, an industry-first original video animation.

Apparel Department established.

Kinnikuman capsule toy launched; became a major hit.

Corporate identity introduced. New BANDAI philosophy established—“Dreams and Creation.”

Absorption-type merger of seven companies—Popy, Bandai Models, Bandai Manufacturing, Bandai Overseas, Mameet,Celent, and Bandai Publishing.Capital increased to ¥711.39 million.

Emotion Ltd. established. Opened Emotion video shop, the first video shop authorized by the Japan Video Software Association.

Frontier Department established as planning and production unit for animations and films.

BANDAI UK LTD. established in the U.K.

Entered the candy toy market.

BANDAI FRANCE S.A. established as sales base in Europe.

Celent established.

Tonka Japan changed its company name to Mameet.

Makoto Yamashina was appointed president and representative director, and Naoharu Yamashina was appointed chairman.

Candy-Candy Nurse’s Bag became one of the biggestever hit products among girls’ character toys.

B-I Electronics and B-I Mibu established.

BANDAI AMERICA INCORPORATED established as U.S. sales base.

Launch of LSI Baseball, which later became a hit electronic game.

Bandai Publishing established.

BANDAI (H.K.) CO., LTD., established as overseas manufacturing base in Hong Kong.

Started sales of capsule toys through vending machines.

Established Popy Mibu factory.

Published Ugoku E-Hon and entered the publishing industry.

Jumbo Machinder exported to Mattel, of the U.S. Became a best seller in 1977 under the name Shogun.

Alliance with Monogram, of the U.S.

Trademark and logo changed.Expressed the dramatic combined worldwide growth of nine BANDAI Group companies.

Three Group companies(BANDAI, Popy, and Tonka Japan) implemented an industry-first, full-page newspaper advertisement.

Jumbo Machinder Mazinger Z won the Grand Prix prize at the 4th International Trade Fair Toy Concours.

MiniMini Fish launched.

Established Popy as a specialist character toys manufacturer.

Bandai Models established.

Tonka Japan established.

Acquisition of plant in Shimizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture.Start of production of plastic models, such as the Automobile series, Thunderbirds 2, and the Beetle series.

Customer service center established.

Naughty Flipper series was a big hit, winning a gold medal at the New York International Innovative Products Exhibition.

New Model Toys Department launched sales of plastic models.

Thunderbirds series of electrically powered toys launched.

Water Motor series became a hit.

Bandai Automobile established.

BANDAI’s new trademark (the BANDAI Baby) formulated.

Crazy Foam launched. Sold 2.4 million units in three months due to intensive campaign, centered on TV promotion.

Toy manufacturing complex completed in Mibu, Tochigi Prefecture.

Racing Car Set enjoyed an enormous boom in sales.

Remote control (RC) toy car became a major hit.

Astroboy was launched as BANDAI’s first TV character toy.

Due to growth of operations, moved to new office building in Komagata 1-chome, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo.

Assigned representative to New York and began sales in the U.S.

Bandai Transport was established.

Company name was changed to BANDAI. Paid-in capital was ¥20 million.

Name of Waraku Works was changed to BC Manufacturing. (Name was changed to BANDAI Manufacturing in May 1966.)

Bandai Toys Company established (transferred to Bandai Overseas Supply in 1971).

Direct overseas sales started.

Trademark (commonly known as the Banzai mark) was established to express the motto that quality is the highest priority.

Metal model cars were commercialized and products with the labels of car series from around the world were launched.

First TV advertisement aired with the catchphrase “The Red Box means a BC-guaranteed toy.”

The BC logo was created by combining the first letters in BANDAI Company.

Office building newly constructed in Komagata 2-chome, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo.

Waraku Works (predecessor of BANDAI Manufacturing) was established.

Transport Division (predecessor of BANDAI LOGIPAL INC.) was established.

A research unit was established to improve the quality of BANDAI brand metallic toys and to conduct R&D in new products.

Product Inspection Department established to perform checks on all products.

Accompanying the expansion of export operations,shipment and warehouse facilities were newly established in Komagata, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo.

B26, the first BANDAI original metallic toy, was launched.

Export sales commenced.

First original BANDAI product was launched:Rhythm Ball.

Bandaiya was founded in the Kikuyabashi section of Asakusa in Taito-ku, Tokyo (President: Naoharu Yamashina). Paid-in capital was ¥1 million. The company conducted sales of celluloid toys as well as metallic toys (passenger cars), rubber swimming rings, etc.