Bandai is a Japanese toy making company. It was founded in 1950. It is the world's third largest producer of toys. Some of the early tin plate toys are highly collectible; the pictured model will sell for around US$150.

Bandai has several subsidaries, including the ones mentioned below:

Bandai Visual (Emotion), produces (sometimes in conjunction with the Sunrise animation studio, also a Bandai subsidiary) and distributes many popular anime titles. These titles include Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Escaflowne, the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise and Witch Hunter Robin. The company logo is a statue found on Easter Island.

Bandai America is the American distribution arm of Bandai that makes toy products for the U.S. market, distributes Bandai games, and distributes many of Bandai Visual's anime titles in the United States through its Bandai Entertainment arm headquartered in Cypress, California and in Canada through Bandai Entertainment Canada, which is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario.

Bandai Games produces and distibutes video games based on Bandai properties including Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front and Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo.

External Links:

• http://www.bandai.com/
• http://www.bandai.co.jp/
• http://www.bandai-ent.com/
• http://www.bandaigames.com/
• http://www.bandaivisual.co.jp/
• http://www.sunrise-inc.co.jp/
• http://www.hotline-web.com/