SWING TOYS, a beloved shop in Shimokitazawa Expanding the world of soft vinyl while pursuing your passion

In October 2026, a figure collection of "SWING BUNNY," the character from "SWING TOYS," a beloved toy shop in Shimokitazawa, was released.

This toy shop, which opened in Shimokitazawa in April 2015, has continued to be supported by discerning fans. Its open entrance, without a door, creates a welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy for anyone to drop in.

The store, packed with merchandise on display, is an exciting place just to look around.

This time, we interviewed Mr. Shirakami, the owner and soft vinyl toy artist of SWING TOYS, and Mr. Inukai, who works as a staff member at SWING TOYS and also handles soft vinyl painting and other related tasks.

From their thoughts on their soft vinyl creations being turned into miniatures, to the details they focused on, and their future plans, the content is such that you can feel the friendly and gentle atmosphere of the two of them as you read.

Please watch until the very end!

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Instagram: @swingtoystokyo

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—First of all, what were your thoughts when you heard about the idea of ​​turning your work into miniature figures?

Shirakami-san: My long-awaited dream!

Inukai-sanWhen I received the email from the sales representative at Ken Elephant, I was incredibly excited. I thought, "It's here!"

A pop and colorful SWING BUNNY figure collection!

—Were you already familiar with Ken Elephant?

Inukai-san: I used to buy products from Ken Elephant's online store all the time (laughs). I've always liked capsule toys. Packages from Ken Elephant often arrive at my house. I'm happy that some products come with bonus stickers. My favorite is Yamazaki Wakana's "THE DRAGON & This is the "WIZARD Figure Collection".

Speaking of which, previously,Satoshi MiyashitaA ceramic artist and sculptor came to our shop! They said they were interested because both of our works had been miniaturized by Ken Elephant and were released in the same month. They just shopped like any other customer. I was so happy because I had pre-ordered Satoshi Miyashita's miniature collection from the Ken Elephant online store!

Shirakami-san: Please definitely write an article about this (laughs).

—That's an amazing coincidence! When your artwork was turned into a miniature figure, were there any points you focused on?

Shirakami-sanActually, for this miniature version, we didn't just shrink the actual soft vinyl figure. The key point is that we changed the proportions from the soft vinyl version to make it look a bit more baby-like.

Inukai-san: close friendsHUMAN ROBOTThe character "Pandead" was dressed that way, so we talked about how it would be cute if it had a similar vibe, and they changed the proportions accordingly.

I've known the person who created the original prototype for a long time, so things progressed quickly.

Shirakami-san: Since we were already friends, it was easier to work together.

—When deciding on the colors, you created an illustration with your desired colors, right?

Inukai-sanI had a general idea of ​​what I wanted at the initial meeting, but ultimately, they adjusted it to match the combination we've been working with in the past.

Lately, the color schemes for the soft vinyl figures are decided by me and Shirakami discussing it together.

We received lovely illustration data and made several adjustments to the colors.

Shirakami-san: If you keep changing the color of the same model every time, and releasing limited edition colors for events, you gradually run out of ideas.

Inukai-san: But there are still more things that keep coming, one way or another (laughs).

—What were your thoughts when you first saw the SWING BUNNY miniature figures?

Inukai-sanWhen it arrived, I was so excited just seeing the cardboard box the product came in. The SWING BUNNY design was printed on the outside.

The capsule itself is exciting. I thought the product itself was simply cute. It's so small!

Its small size is adorable.

Shirakami-san: It's just so cute, isn't it? With the SWING BUNNY soft vinyl figures, we first made a medium size, and then an even larger size. After all, the larger sizes are difficult to carry around. With this figure release, we've been able to create the smallest size yet, making it easier to pick up, and I'm happy that people who buy it are sharing it on social media.

It seems that some stores in Taiwan are also carrying our products, and we've been receiving feedback from fans in Taiwan.

Inukai-san: It's been well-received by people around me and customers, and I've even been asked, "Aren't you going to make miniatures of other characters?"

Many of our customers originally liked Ken Elephant products, learned about SWING BUNNY through Ken Elephant's social media, and then came to our store.

Shirakami-sanThe impact of miniaturization is enormous.

—Of all the figures in this collection, which ones are your favorites?

Shirakami-sanI really like the standard blue color. Also, I'm glad we included the glow-in-the-dark option in the lineup. People often ask for a glow-in-the-dark version.

Inukai-sanI like glow-in-the-dark items too. There's a real sense of accomplishment when you get one. During our meeting, I heard that the way glow-in-the-dark items glow varies from item to item, so I was really happy that it glowed even more beautifully than I had imagined.

The glow-in-the-dark (GLOW) colors that the two of them love

Shirakami-sanAnother key feature is that not only the arms but also the wrists rotate. A customer who learned about SWING BUNNY through this miniature came to the store and praised it, saying, "It's amazing that the wrists move!" That person then came to buy the soft vinyl figure because they wanted to display it alongside their other figures. It's a wonderful development.

--That's a wonderful story. Now, let's talk about SWING BUNNY. What was the inspiration behind SWING BUNNY?

Shirakami-sanIt all started when I was approached about participating in the Taipei Toy Festival (TTF), a soft vinyl toy event in Taiwan, because there was an open booth space.

I had been telling people around me for a while that I wanted to make soft vinyl figures, and then the opportunity to participate in TTF came along, so I immediately contacted HUMAN ROBOT and asked them to "create a character for me!" SWING BUNNY is a character that was created because we decided to exhibit at TTF. Actually, we started selling it in Taiwan before Japan (laughs).

It took about 10 months from the time I received the request until the soft vinyl figure was actually completed. I conveyed my image of the character, and HUMAN ROBOT created the design and sculpting.

SWING BUNNY made its debut at TTF!

—Why did you choose a rabbit character?

Shirakami-sanI noticed that we had a lot of Disney's 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' merchandise in our store. I've always liked it, but when I looked at it again, I thought it was really cute. Based on that image, I asked HUMAN ROBOT to create something for us.

--Could you tell us the origin of the name SWING BUNNY?

Shirakami-sanI've always loved music. "SWING" evokes images of jazz and things like that, so I took the name SWING BUNNY from there. As you can see from the fact that SWING BUNNY wears a suit, the concept is a jazz orchestra.

I have other characters besides SWING BUNNY, but when the shop celebrated its 7th anniversary, I made a soft vinyl figure of myself (laughs). It's based on the image of an orchestra conductor.

The second person from the left is Shirakami-san.

—Of all the SWING BUNNY figures you've created so far, which one is your favorite?

Shirakami-san: I really like this one that we sold at the 'ASTRA WANDER | Chiang Mai Pop-up Events' event in Thailand! Inukai-san painted it.

This is Shirakami-san's favorite piece! Inukai-san apparently put a lot of effort into painting the ears.

Inukai-sanWhen we were exhibiting at the event, we had to think about phosphorescent and fluorescent color schemes. We spent quite a bit of time and effort thinking about the color schemes. And they were very well received! At the time, we only made a small number of the larger sizes, but when we exhibited at another event in Taiwan, we made some smaller sizes and brought those along as well.

Shirakami-san: This is my favorite of the year. This is amazing, I think they did a great job (laughs).

--Next, please tell us about your shop (SWING TOYS). What inspired you to start a shop in Shimokitazawa?

Shirakami-sanI originally lived in the neighborhood, so I vaguely thought, "I'd like to open a shop in Shimokitazawa." I spent about a year or two searching for a good location. Around that time, a general store run by an acquaintance of mine closed down, and I was introduced to the owner of that store, which led to the opening of SWING TOYS in its current location.

At first, I thought, "That sounds too good to be true, how can you get such a prime location so easily?" (laughs). It's been 11 years since I started the shop. I never imagined I'd be selling and making toys in Shimokitazawa.

The owner, Ms. Shirakami, has a lovely smile.

—Do you regularly go to purchase products?

Shirakami-sanYes. I've been going to Bangkok quite often lately. I usually go to my favorite market about once every two or three months.

Speaking of which, when I went to Las Vegas last year for a soft vinyl toy event, the products I had shipped from Japan never arrived! I ended up with absolutely no products to sell. So I drove around to several shops in Las Vegas to buy some... I enjoyed that experience too.

—Could you tell us about the key points and special features of your shop?

Shirakami-san: What's something I'm particular about...? I like American toys, so naturally, that's all I have. Basically, I put out things that I like and things that I want.

An impressive selection!

SWING BUNNY characters lined up in the display case will greet you at the storefront.

—Are there any difficulties in running your shop?

Inukai-sanOur shop doesn't have doors and is an open space, so it's tough when it's windy (laughs). The merchandise can get blown away.

Shirakami-san: I don't like rain and wind. Also, pigeons slowly fly around the store, and kids use it as a shortcut (laughs).

Inukai-sanPeople ask me for directions so often it's like I'm at a police station. I get asked so often that I've become quite familiar with the roads around here.

Shirakami-san: I consider that part of the job too (laughs).

—It's just like the information desk for Shimokitazawa (laughs)! So, is there anything you'd like to try in the future?

Shirakami-sanI want to keep my Shimokitazawa shop open, and also attend soft vinyl toy events around the world. I want to spread the love for soft vinyl toys even further.

Inukai-sanI want to become popular in many more countries. Of course, I'd love to be popular in Taiwan, but I'd also be happy if I could become popular in countries like America.

--Finally, do you have a message for your fans?

Shirakami-san: To the fans!?

Inukai-sanI'd love to receive a message! (laughs)

Shirakami-san: We have fans, you know (laughs). We have a physical store, so customers can come to the store and talk to us anytime they like, not just at events, and I'm happy that I can communicate directly with people who love soft vinyl figures. When people come to the store, some of them will ask, "What color will be released next?" or "Please make one in clear color!"

Inukai-sanI think we have a closer relationship with our customers than other soft vinyl toy artists. Normally, it's not easy to meet artists, is it? It's like, "If I meet them at an event, that's lucky!" But we're usually there if you come to our shop (laughs). We have a lot of customers who come to our shop multiple times.

Shirakami-sanThank you as always! I'm so grateful. I can't express my gratitude enough (lol).

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In the ever-changing Shimokitazawa, SWING TOYS continues to be loved by everyone. We were able to hear many valuable stories from these two people who are wholeheartedly dedicated to what they love.

Please do visit the shop and meet them!

Thank you so much, Mr. Shirakami and Mr. Inukai from SWING TOYS, for a wonderful time!

This lovely embroidered piece was apparently a gift from a fan.

How about taking a stroll around Shimokitazawa with the figure you bought at the store in hand?

SWING TOYS "SWING BUNNY" figure collection is now on sale. Purchase hereHerefrom.