Plastic Culture: How Japanese Toys Conquered the World

by Woodrow Phoenix



Why does growing up mean you have to grow out of your favorite toys? According to author Woodrow Phoenix, you don’t have to. Plastic Culture: How Japanese Toys Conquered the World is a colorful exploration in the world of plastic toys in both the US and in Japan.

Now that those lovers of the very first plastic toys are all grown-up there is a new breed of designers, artists, and fans on both sides of the Pacific. Plastic Culture opens with a brief history of American and Japanese plastic playthings from post-WWII to the present day. How both toy cultures influenced each other through cartoons, movies, and comic books is reflected on the toys created. For example, we can see how not only Godzilla had an impact on the west, but how American army shows, like “Combat!” influenced the modeling business in Japan.

Plastic Culture is divided into short chapters, each featuring an influential force on the culture of toys. Godzilla, Fast-Food Toys, Event Promotions…all these cultural influences lead to the meat of the book – the modern phenomenon of Urban Vinyl Toys.

Urban vinyl is the natural evolution of toys, as the adults who played with plastic toys in their youth want to recreate the experience, but from a grown-up angle. Several influences and artists are featured. More modern roots are explored, like the explosion of the toy industry with the introduction of Kenner’s Star Wars line in 1978, and Pee-Wee Herman in the mid-80s. We meet artists from the US, Japan and other parts of Asia and can see how this history of trans-Pacific borrowing and expanding hasn’t stopped.

As interesting as Phoenix’s introductions are, the real excitement of Plastic Culture comes from the large, beautiful pictures he has assembled. Urban vinyl is the fusing with toys and art, and it comes through clearly in the photographs. However, putting the older toys under the same lens we can see the classic Godzilla, Hello Kitty! and Planet of the Apes figures as more than just toys, but also as pieces of art. This is the real intention of the urban vinyl artists, and it also seems to be the intention of Plastic Culture author, Woodrow Phoenix.