11 Comments

Great stuff! I wonder why anything about Japan was suppressed. Was it because "Made in Japan" was initially associated with poor quality?

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Great article, Matt! Thanks for the insight.

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Aug 10Liked by Matt Alt

Loved this, Matt! This hit pretty close to home as I also have an interest in fashion dolls. I’d known about the integral part that Japanese manufacturers(and the group of super-skilled seamstresses) played in getting Barbie off the ground for Mattel, but getting the details of Miyatsuka-san’s contributions was a treat! Might have to see if I can track down a copy of her book.

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author

Postscript for those who enjoyed the article: it might surprise you to know KBK is still in business! They specialize in making toy vehicles now. https://note.com/kokusaiboeki/

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This was never a big secret. You're not giving away secrets here. Barbie was manufactured in Japan. Most of the toys in the United States today are manufactured in Asia.

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Interesting! A side to Japan's 1950s economic return to form that I hadn't heard about before.

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