THE JAPAN NEWS

 

AMAGASAKI, Hyogo — Local businesses in this Hyogo Prefecture city have pinned their hopes on a new type of building blocks — invented in the city and inspired by piping joints — hoping they will become a symbol of Amagasaki and make the city’s manufacturing abilities better known nationwide.

Named Tublock, the stylish toy was created by Amagasaki-based toymaker Tublock Co. The company was founded in August, and is a spin-off from the project development office in an Osaka factory of piping joints maker Benkan Corp. Benkan is based in Ota, Gunma Prefecture.

Tublock President Takaya Suzuki had been in charge of developing new products in the office since 2013, and came up with such ideas as making furniture using the joints as a frame. The office had some success but struggled to make its products widely known.

The office continued brainstorming, focusing on the joints’ ability to change the directions of pipes so they can form various shapes. Eventually, it invented the building blocks, which appeal to both children and adults.

Last winter, the office completed a prototype that was a miniaturized version of real pipes and joints. Each block has prongs and dimples on the same side to help it link to others in any direction. Assembled pieces can take the shapes of animals and vehicles, for example.

The joining sections revolve flexibly, allowing the animals to tilt their heads or move their limbs around.

The office submitted the blocks to an exhibition organized by the Amagasaki chamber of commerce to seek feedback from consumers and found that not only children but also adults showed interest and picked them up.

The chamber of commerce helped promote the blocks and sought feedback from students of childhood education at a university in the city. The students’ comments telling them the round shapes were safe for children to use encouraged the office to commercialize the blocks.

The office created 22 kinds of parts and was able to have some prospect in this spring of putting the blocks into mass production. It then participated in a toy exhibition held outside the city and found they were popular among building block fans. It even received orders from leading toy retailers and overseas companies.

After the office became an independent company, it released 25 kinds of Tublock sets on Oct. 21. The Entry Set (priced from ¥1,000 plus tax) contains enough pieces to build three kinds of animals including a bear and an elephant, while the Factory Set (¥20,000 plus tax) contains parts to build a factory.

On the package, it says the product was born out as a new challenge for a pipe maker.

“We hope people will show interest in various industrial materials through these blocks,” Suzuki said.