Tatsuhiko “Ryu” Akashi Of MEDICOM TOY At Office In Tokyo.

As a huge fan and also a collector of the Iconic bear, this is where they come alive in the hands of Tatsuhiko Akash, MEDICOM TOY CEO.

MEDICOM TOYS have taken over just about every young and grown individual’s toy fetish since their debut from their Japanese whereabouts. Acclaimed creator and overall visionary Tatsuhiko Akashi has turned the Bearbrick into an iconic piece of pop culture and art with the help of some of the biggest names around.

Be@rbrick is a collectible toy designed and produced by the Japanese company MediCom Toy Incorporated. The name is derived from the fact that the figure is a cartton-style representation of a bear, and that it is a variation of MediCom's Kubrick design. The at sign in the place of the letter a is a visual device that is a part of the Be@rbrick brand, and as such, a trademark of MediCom Toy.

The first figure was released 27 May 2001 as a free gift to visitors of the World Character Convention 12 in Tokyo. Since then Be@rbricks have been released in several different sizes using a variety of materials, including wood, felt, and glow-in-the-dark plastic.

The standard size is seven centimeters high, and these figures are referred to as 100% Be@rbricks. Other Be@rbricks are named for their size relative to the standard: 50% are four centimeters high, 70% are five centimeters high, 400% are 28 centimeters high, and 1000% are 70 centimeters high. A 200% size chogokin be@rbrick has also been produced standing 14 centimeters tall.

Be@rbricks differ from their predecessor Kubricks, in that each series includes 18 figures in 10 different themes , which are constant from series to series.