Asuka, released as a limited-edition model commemorating Orient Industry’s 20th anniversary

Rethinking Materials for Easier Care

At the time, latex was the primary material used for doll skins. Although flexible, it had some practical drawbacks: it tended to get dirty easily, and keeping it clean required considerable care and maintenance.

For a product intended to be enjoyed over the long term, appearance and sculpting were not the only considerations. Ease of everyday care mattered, too. To address these issues, Orient Industry began exploring soft vinyl as an alternative to latex.

Changing materials involved more than simply replacing one raw material with another. Molding methods, manufacturing processes, and the final quality of the product all needed to be considered. Extensive prototyping and evaluation were necessary to turn the new material into a finished product.

Asuka: The 20th Anniversary Model

Asuka, part of the Candy Girl series, was developed from a prototype body created during the company’s efforts to introduce soft vinyl.

Released for a limited time to commemorate Orient Industry’s 20th anniversary, Asuka was priced at ¥168,000. It was not only a commemorative model but also a symbol of the company’s efforts to incorporate a new material into its products.

Specialized metal fittings were used for the movable joints, while the eyes featured the “Wink Eye” mechanism. The head and body were molded in soft vinyl, however, and the head was not designed to be exchanged with heads from other models.

Asuka therefore brought together two aspects of the product design of its time: the mechanical features of the existing construction and the challenge of adopting a new material. While its specifications differ from those of modern products, the model offers an interesting glimpse into the technology and design priorities of the period.

How Soft Vinyl Changed Product Development

The introduction of soft vinyl offered benefits beyond simply changing the skin material. Compared with latex, it was less prone to getting dirty and easier to maintain. It also offered the advantage of helping to reduce manufacturing costs.

Soft vinyl could reduce the burden of routine care while opening up new possibilities in production. These advantages led to its continued use in products released after Asuka, and it eventually became one of the materials used in Orient Industry’s established product lineup.

Asuka was therefore more than a limited-edition anniversary model. It marked an important stage in Orient Industry’s exploration of new materials and its progress toward the next generation of products.