It isn't likely to be a very merry Christmas for Keita Sato this year.
The president of toy maker Takara Co. finds the outlook for the industry's biggest season already bleak, with game consoles from Nintendo and Sony likely to dominate kids' wish lists.
But there is another reason this winter feels especially cold for Sato and his company. The rapid growth of the creator of Bowlingual, Beyblade and e-kara has screeched to a halt, with a large loss expected for the current fiscal year to March.