Japanese clones?

[crossmr]

Anyone know if there is a Japanese clone brand at all? I saw a small clone list which included Oxford, some Chinese companies that were bootlegging both oxford and lego, and a couple european companies. I'll be popping over to Japan for a week in about 3 weeks and I just wondered if anyone was aware of any Japanese clone brands? I googled and didn't find much but found a picture of a couple small sets bought in a dollar store type place that had figures that were Oxford style but that was it.

[def]

Not really, Japan is pretty strict with copyright enforcement. But there is a major other company, Daiya-blocks, which make similar sets to LEGO, and they also make Nano-blocks, which look pretty cool.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%B2%B3%E7%94%B0-NBH-004-nanoblock-%E3%82%B5%E3%82%B0%E3%83%A9%E3%83%80%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%83%9F%E3%83%AA%E3%82%A2/dp/B002GWV7D4/ref=pd_sim_t_1

[crossmr]

Not really, Japan is pretty strict with copyright enforcement. But there is a major other company, Daiya-blocks, which make similar sets to LEGO, and they also make Nano-blocks, which look pretty cool.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%B2%B3%E7%94%B0-NBH-004-nanoblock-%E3%82%B5%E3%82%B0%E3%83%A9%E3%83%80%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%83%9F%E3%83%AA%E3%82%A2/dp/B002GWV7D4/ref=pd_sim_t_1

It shouldn't be a copyright issue unless they were bootlegging right? Their brick patent is expired so people can make compatible clones. I'm not looking for bootlegs

[def]

Well, I don't see anything here at minifig scale if that's what you're looking for. Daiya Blocks tends to be 2x8 and bigger.

I'll keep an eye out this weekend, but the ¥100 (hyaku-en) shops haven't had anything that I've seen up to now.

[crossmr]

Well, I don't see anything here at minifig scale if that's what you're looking for. Daiya Blocks tends to be 2x8 and bigger.

I'll keep an eye out this weekend, but the ¥100 (hyaku-en) shops haven't had anything that I've seen up to now.

Here in Korea we have one of the Japanese 100 yen shops, Daiso. They actually carry a couple small lego clone sets I'll pick up sometime and take some pictures of. One is a train and doesn't look half bad.

http://mind.dqax.com/Forums/DisplayComments.php?file=Found%20in%20Japan/Fake_Lego_in_Japan

This is the post I found on a couple dollar store sets someone found in Japan.

It was a couple years ago. I just wondered if Japan had a domestic brand like Korea has Oxford.

I thought if they did they might have some Japanese Military sets like Korea does or even some Japanese themed historical sets which would be kind of cool.

[def]

well, za-daiso are all over here, but I've never seen clones... But I've never deeply looked. You might find some. Za-Daiso isn't hard to find though, so you'll have a chance to do so yourself

[Modulex Guy]

I really really want some of those nanoblock sets, I tried ordering from amazon.jp but it wont let me put the order through due to customs.

[SpiderSpaceman]

I really really want some of those nanoblock sets, I tried ordering from amazon.jp but it wont let me put the order through due to customs.

Excuse me for bumping but Ohio Art (the Etch-a-Sketch company) distributes a selection of nanoblock sets stateside (at Toys 'R' Us) as of a sometime in 2011 - 3 of the architecture sets @ $15 dollars, 6 bagged animal models @ $8.

Picked up a terrific little koala set.

[Aanchir]

Excuse me for bumping but Ohio Art (the Etch-a-Sketch company) distributes a selection of nanoblock sets stateside (at Toys 'R' Us) as of a sometime in 2011 - 3 of the architecture sets @ $15 dollars, 6 bagged animal models @ $8.

Picked up a terrific little koala set.

My twin brother got that same koala for Christmas this year! And I got a tree frog.

That's also the only Japanese clone brand I know of, and it can hardly be called a clone brand since it's completely incompatible with LEGO and similar only in that it has a stud-based building system (as well as parts with the same basic proportions as LEGO parts-- 2x4, 2x2, 1x4, 1x1, etc).

[SpiderSpaceman]

it can hardly be called a clone brand

Exactly! Don't feel like I'm cheating on Lego

I hope they distribute more of the line soon.

The tree frog did look cool, but for me it was just a toss up between the panda and the koala - I think I picked well

[AFOL SF]

Here in Korea we have one of the Japanese 100 yen shops, Daiso. They actually carry a couple small lego clone sets I'll pick up sometime and take some pictures of. One is a train and doesn't look half bad.

http://mind.dqax.com/Forums/DisplayComments.php?file=Found%20in%20Japan/Fake_Lego_in_Japan

This is the post I found on a couple dollar store sets someone found in Japan.

It was a couple years ago. I just wondered if Japan had a domestic brand like Korea has Oxford.

I thought if they did they might have some Japanese Military sets like Korea does or even some Japanese themed historical sets which would be kind of cool.

I've seen these small sets in my local Daiso store about a year or so ago at the toy section. Haven't been paying much attention to it nor looking since then. Don't know much about the quality of the bricks...

[crossmr]

I've seen these small sets in my local Daiso store about a year or so ago at the toy section. Haven't been paying much attention to it nor looking since then. Don't know much about the quality of the bricks...

Yes, I ended up posting a review on it. They were bad. Terrible clutch and they smelled awful. It took about 2 or 3 months for the smell to mostly go away. I haven't seen them lately in the Daiso stores.