Tomica

A warm welcome to our information page on the Tomica Hypercity range, recently launched in the United Kingdom and soon to be launched in the United States. I first saw the Tomica Hypercity range at London's Toy Fair 2010, back in January. As a Toy Fair veteran, I'm used to having my senses assaulted by thousands of new toys every time I visit, so it's fair to say that it takes something very special to make me stop and say, "Wow!". However, that's exactly what happened when I was on the Tomy stand and saw Tomica for the first time.

Japanese Toy Fans have known the Tomica brand for a long, long time (see our very brief history below). Now however, with the Hypercity range, we're getting a piece of the action too. The world of Tomica Hypercity is a futuristic city building system, featuring both rail and road. Build wonderful multi-level rail networks high above the city streets, with hi-tech trains speeding around them, or take to the streets with a fabulous range of die-cast vehicles. In case of emergency, the Hypercity Rescue team are on hand to make sure the situation gets under control fast. We're already falling in love with Tomica, and we're only just getting to know it.

As we find out more about Tomica, we'll be bringing you a far more packed page of information. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the contents of this page - you can see some of the playsets and vote for your favourite, watch videos, learn about the history of Tomica and much more besides. Don't forget to give us your thoughts on the new Tomica Hypercity range in our comments section below, too. Enjoy!

Takara Tomy, formerly Tomy Co and once upon a time Tomiyama has been around, making toys in Japan since 1924. In 1970, they decided to get into the burgeoning Japanese Die-Cast market and began producing a range called Tomica. It was and still is a massive hit in Japan, although until Hypercity, the brand had met with limited success outwith Japan.

Over the years, all sorts of scales of die-cast vehicle have been produced under the Tomica brand, however most-famously a three-inch scale - slightly bigger than the 1:64 scale most often seen in North America and Europe. There have also been licensed vehicles featuring Snoopy, Thomas and Friends, Disney Cars, Pokemon and others.

Time to fill the tank up with the Tomica Hypercity Petrol Station. The filling station is one of a wide range of superb destinations to visit in the Hypercity. There's a car wash too, to keep those Tomica cars spotless - it has cool working electric doors.

As usual with the Tomica range, there's a pile of accessories too, including a car, Tomi-kid Figure and various street signs and lights.

Feast your eyes on Tomica, including some great videos highlighting the Japanese range...

The Tomica Fire Crew are on hand and ready to tackle any emergency that might crop up in the Hypercity. There's aflashing lights and sirens and, at the push of a button the Fire Engine launches out into action.

The set comes complete with a Tomica Fireman, Fire-Engine and a host of other accessories.

Here's a current range of Tomica products available right now on Amazon in the US.

The Tomica Police HQ is ready made to look after law and order in the Hypercity. Packed with great sound effects and a car elevator, ready to fire the police car straight out and into action. From the control room, the included Tomica Police Officer is ready to take charge of any situation. The set also includes a police car and police helicopter - there's even a Helipad on the roof!

This fabulous set also includes a whole heap of other cool accessories, and is a must have for Tomica fans.

Simply click to vote - you don't need to register or give any details to take part - it's just for fun.

This guide to Tomica was brought to you by Bus Stop Toy Shop - a toy and hobby retailer based in the United Kingdom. We love Tomica and if you live in the UK, you'll be able to find our Tomica Hypercity products here.

Some vintage Japanese Tomica for the serious collector...

Have your say. What do you think of the new Hypercity and Hypercity Rescue ranges from Tomica? Do you love them as much as we do? What's your favourite in the range? All these things and more, we'd love to know the answer to. Or just say "hello" - that's cool too.

All comments are approved first and normally appear within 24 hours. You don't need to register or give any details to comment - everyone's welcome.