Genesis
Toru Soeya was born in 1959. He worked for a book planning company and a toy sales agency before joining Bandai, the Japanese toy giant, in 1992. In 1996, he founded his own company, Dreams Inc., in Tokyo — not as a typical toy manufacturer, but as a creator of products that heal the soul and soothe mental fatigue. The company's philosophy is: "To create a society full of tenderness. Joy in the hands, healing in the heart." Everything Soeya designs springs from this same soil.
Philosophy of creation
Soeya doesn't design toys — he designs moments of relief. His goal has always been to create products that will be loved for a long time. "We designed them to be healing just by looking at them — function is secondary."
MoMA and the duck
The first Dreams Inc. product was a glow-in-the-dark, roto-molded bath duck with a soft glow. 500,000 units sold in the first year in Japan. The design entered the MoMA collection in New York. To this day, it remains Soeya's favorite product.
Beyond figures
In 2017, Cable Bites — small animals biting charger cables — sold 7 million units annually in Japan. In 2019, Soeya opened Japan's only cafe au lait cafe in Tokyo, and the Marchand de légumes clothing brand — all sewn by Japanese artisans.
Audience diversity
Sonny Angel was created for women over 25. Smiski was intentionally designed to be more gender-neutral to appeal to men as well. Each project is a thoughtful decision about who needs it.
Dreams Inc. Projects
🦆 Rubber Duck Light (1996)
The first Dreams Inc. product. A glow-in-the-dark bath duck — 500,000 units in a year, in MoMA's collection. Soeya's favorite to this day.
👼 Sonny Angel (2004)
A cherubic boy with a themed headpiece. Sold in over 33 countries, over 1300 variations. "He may bring you happiness."
🌿 Smiski (2015)
Mysterious glow-in-the-dark creatures hiding in corners. Name derived from Japanese "sumi" (隅) — corner, nook. More gender-neutral than Sonny Angel.
🔌 Cable Bites (2017)
Small animals biting charger cables. 7 million units annually in Japan. Expanded to include characters from anime, Pokemon, and Sesame Street.
🐷 Coink
A piggy bank designed with the same care as the figurines. Charming for everyday use, not just functional.
☕ Cafe au lait Tokyo (2019)
Japan's only cafe specializing in cafe au lait, in Takadanobaba. Plus the Marchand de légumes clothing brand — all made in Japan.
How to spot an original
Sonny Angel
Smiski
Three pillars of creativity
Healing through design
Every product is meant to heal — through sight, touch, presence
Surprise
Blind box as a ritual of joy — the element of surprise is at the core of every line
Durability, not fashion
"We create products that will be loved for a long time" — Toru Soeya
Curiosities
🎨 Kewpie as ancestor
Sonny Angel refers to Kewpie — a cherub created by Rose O'Neill in 1909, the first published American female cartoonist. The iconography of the cherub lives on in every figurine.
🌙 Smiski — creatures from the corner
The name comes from the Japanese "sumi" (隅) — corner or nook. Smiski are beings that live in hidden places in your home, visible only in the dark.
🐇 Robby — Holy Grail
Robby the Rabbit is the rarest variant of Sonny Angel — a 1/144 chance. In 2024, Dreams Inc. organized a "Rabbit Popularity Poll" with over 60 variants for fan voting.
📱 TikTok and two revivals
Both Sonny Angel and Smiski experienced viral revivals on TikTok — separately, in different years. Gen Z discovered both brands and fell in love with them for their nostalgia and healing.
Follow and discover — Sonny Angel
Follow and discover — Smiski
Dreams Inc.
Toru Soeya does not design toys. He designs moments in which the world is for a moment simpler, warmer, and a little more bearable.
