Will it be a Ladybug Subaru 360, or a Rhinoceros Beetle UD Trucks Quon?
Takara Tomy’s Tomica–essentially Japan’s version of Hot Wheels cars–are extremely popular in Japan, to the point where they can do cool collabs with everything from Pokémon to Studio Ghibli. Every year, Takara Tomy’s Tomica releases a series of Fukutomi Tomica (Good Luck Tomica) to ring in the New Year. On December 29, 2022, they released their 2023 series of six Fukutomi Tomica, each featuring a different lucky creature. Here’s the full lineup:
Rabbit Suzuki Lapin
Very fitting, as “lapin” is French for “rabbit”. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit, and the rabbit also symbolizes financial luck and marriage or relationship ties in Japanese culture. It has a traditional New Year’s color scheme of red, white, and gold.
Peacock Nissan Fair Lady Z
This is the peacock’s first feature on a Tomica! The peacock’s spread wings are said to act as a protective amulet. Car-wise, the clear green roof is removable.
Lion Toyota GR 86
Lions are basically symbols for super strong luck, so if you really need some luck this year, this is the one to hope for. The car itself is also predominantly red, a lucky color in Japanese culture.
Eagle Subaru BRZ
This car’s white roof and black body are supposed to mimic a bald eagle’s coloring. Meaning-wise, the eagle is said to bring happiness and fortune.
Ladybug Subaru 360
Want both financial wealth and happiness? Get yourself a Ladybug Subaru 360. This car’s cute green wheels look like leaves the ladybug sits on.
Rhinoceros Beetle UD Trucks Quon
Arguably the most unique-looking car of the bunch, this truck’s storage unit is almost completely occupied by a giant–well, in terms of the Tomica world–rhinoceros beetle, or kabutomushi in Japanese. Along with looking really cool, rhinoceros beetles symbolize happiness and luck brought about by expending a great effort. If you feel like you deserve something special after working really hard, this one might be of interest to you.
To make things a bit more fun and festive, these Fukutomi Tomica are either sold as a set of six or as individual “blind boxes”, wherein you can’t see the box’s contents before purchasing. It’s almost like a lucky bag!
The set of six has a retail value of 4,620 yen (US$35.28), and individual boxes are 770 yen per piece. You can find these on the Takara Tomy Mall and other online shopping sites, as well as in select toy stores, department stores, and Tomica stores throughout Japan.
Related: Takara Tomy Mall
Source, images: Press Release
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