Toho, Good Smile Company Establish Joint Company for Goods, Promotional Work

Otaku merchandise and figure company Good Smile Company and media and entertainment company TOHO established the joint company To-Smile on December 9. The new company will plan, develop, produce, sell, and promote toys, goods, and merchandise for the two companies. To-Smile plans to sell goods in TOHO CINEMAS in Japan, as well as overseas, focused on North America and Asia.

Good Smile Company already produces anime character goods based on TOHO animation projects. To-Smile will continue that relationship, but will also produce goods based on Godzilla and other TOHO IP outside of TOHO animation projects.

To-Smile has a capital stock of 500 million yen (about US$3.20 million). TOHO owns 60% of the company, while Good Smile Company owns 40%. The company is headquartered at the TOHO Hibiya Building in Tokyo's Yurakucho district, where TOHO is also headquartered. Hidehiko Hotta, who heads TOHO's rights management group and the Godzilla group of TOHO's entertainment and IP/anime division, is To-Smile's president.

Sources: PR Times, Good Smile Company, Nikkei