Sofubi
Sofubi is the Japanese name for soft vinyl toys, a contraction of soft and vinyl. The first were made in the 1950s and 1960s, typically modelled on the kaiju and tokusatsu heroes of the day; since the 1990s sofubi has also been an art toy, made in small runs by independent artists and street-fashion brands.
Definition
Sofubi figures are made from PVC, often brightly coloured, in many sizes. What sets them apart from other PVC toys is the culture around them: rather than being purely mass-produced, many are made by individual makers in limited quantities, and some companies specialise in retro-style figures.
Origin
Soft vinyl grew popular in Japan after the Second World War because it was affordable compared with wood or tin. The first soft vinyl doll made in Japan is believed to be Masudaya's milk-drinking doll of 1953. In the same year the United States banned flammable celluloid in products, which led many Japanese toy makers exporting to America to switch to soft vinyl.
The kaiju boom of the 1960s made sofubi a phenomenon, with figures of Godzilla and of Ultraman's world. In 1966 Marusan, known for tin toys in the 1950s, released its first soft vinyl kaiju to match the popularity of Ultra Q. The boom faded in the mid-1970s, but in the 1980s adults who had grown up with the toys began to collect them, and Marusan began to sell reproductions of its 1960s and 1970s figures. Designer sofubi emerged in the 1990s, led by Ura-Harajuku men's fashion brands such as Bounty Hunter. Independent sofubi grew through the 2000s, drawing on West Coast street style and the Hong Kong art toy movement. Medicom Toy, founded in 1996, helps many independent artists produce and distribute their work, and in 2014 it launched a Vinyl Artist Gacha series of smaller versions sold through capsule machines and blind boxes. In Japan, sofubi is often sold at events such as Design Festa and Wonder Festival.
The two eras ask different questions. With a vintage figure we ask who made it, when, and whether it is an original or a later reissue; with a designer figure we ask which maker, which colourway and how many were made. Both are sofubi, and both reward a close look at the foot.
Key facts
| Name | Contraction of soft vinyl |
|---|---|
| Material | PVC, often brightly coloured |
| First Japanese soft vinyl doll | Believed to be Masudaya's milk-drinking doll, 1953 |
| Kaiju figures | Marusan, from 1966; later Bullmark, Bandai and others |
| Designer era | From the 1990s, Ura-Harajuku and independent makers |
How to identify it
- The stamp. Vintage figures usually carry a maker's mark and licence on the foot or back; Marusan's mark and Bullmark's are the ones collectors look for first.
- Reproduction or original. Because Marusan reissued its own early figures, the stamp, the vinyl and the paint must be read together. A reissue is not a fake, but it is not an original either.
- The paint. In our handling, vintage sprayed paint is soft-edged; designer pieces may be hand-painted in tiny numbers, often with the maker's card.
- The header. Original header cards and bags add a great deal to a figure's record.
Where it appears in the collection
The house holds both eras on our sofubi shelf: a Bullmark giant Godzilla soft vinyl figure from the boom, a Bullmark Ultraman Ace figure, and a Yukinori Dehara and Tezuka Productions Astro Boy in black and neon soft vinyl from the designer world. The vintage makers are read in our guide to Marusan and Bullmark kaiju vinyl, and Astro Boy in our Astro Boy collecting guide.
Related entries
- Kaiju: the monsters the first figures depicted.
- Tin toy: the material soft vinyl displaced.
- Deadstock: figures still sealed in their bags.
- The Godzilla collection: the films' monster in vinyl, tin and embroidery.
Sources
- Sofubi, encyclopaedia entry. wikipedia.org
Last reviewed 14 November 2026. The Japonista Curation and Concierge Team, Tokyo, Japan.