Takara Takara doll
Subtitle: When Mascots Go Wrong
I’m actually not sure if this is a Takara Barbie or a Takara Jenny, but here’s an absolutely adorable doll dressed in a very problematic outfit. I wonder if her official name is something like Takara Mascot Barbie.
The idea is a neat one: dress Barbie/Jenny in an outfit celebrating her parent company, Takara. The problem is Takara’s mascot at the time (mid-’80s), Dakko-chan, an offensive golliwog figure. Dakko-chan has been redesigned, but I remain conflicted over this doll in my collection from Japan.
Take away the mascot all over her outfit and you’re left with some pretty wonderful ’80s fashion: cropped striped overalls with oversized pockets, sleeveless layered shirt, ankle boots, and big earrings.
The crest on her overalls reads “Dakko-Chan Club/Since 1960.” This is a common detail added to Japanese fashion. I’ve seen it on shirts and jackets: “The [Whatever] Club/Since 19[XX]”
She’s such a sweet looking doll, but OHMYGoodness whyWHYwhy those earrings? I mean, I know why, but it’s unfortunate.
And here’s a closeup of the offending earring: a pink Dakko-chan dangling on a white flower. The flower can be worn alone as an earring, but with the mascot literally everywhere else on this outfit, changing the earring doesn’t help much.
The print on her shirt features the mascot along with the name “Dakko-chan” in bold red caps.
Here’s Barbie/Jenny’s cute little flower ring. I do love the huge pockets on the overalls with the yellow dart.
I haven’t been able to find any information on this doll. I would love to know if it’s a Jenny or Barbie and especially the name of the doll. Please comment if you know anything about her.
UPDATE
I found two sites with more information about this doll. On a whim, I searched for “Dakko-Chan Club,” and it turns out that’s the name of the doll. She’s a Jenny and apparently a rare one. The blue boots are not native to this particular doll. You can see in the photo below that she’s wearing pink high-top sneakers (which I do still have).
Chinoiserie dream
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was such a Barbie devotee that when I lived in Japan as a child, I only wanted Takara Barbie dolls, not Takara Jenny — even though they were identical twins!
However, circa 1986, I saw something so amazing that I had to make an exception to my “Barbie only” rule: Takara Jenny’s “China Dress” outfit from the “Collector’s Dress” series.
I’ve long adored this Chinese-style dress called a cheongsam or qipao. I wonder if this doll outfit is where my love affair began.
This is actually a Takara Barbie doll modeling Jenny’s outfit. The gold and the peach colors are surprising — and beautiful together. The pattern is lovely.
Here is a closer look at the collar and closures.
This is a card that came with the fashion set.
A side view.
Close-up of the slit to the thigh (there is only one, on the right side). Her shoes are one of my favorite parts of the ensemble: clear with gold glitter!
Above is the front of the package the dress came in. I can’t believe I kept it! The outfit cost 2200 yen, which is about $22 nowadays. Back in the ’80s, that was about $11. Kind of expensive for a girl, back then, but I do think this whole set is worth it. Especially because there’s more! The accessories…
Gold folding fan with white fur trim and a ruby-like bead accent on the wrist strap. (The fan doesn’t actually fold open or closed. It is flat.)
White fur stole and gold evening bag. Doesn’t she look like she’s about to go on a date to the opening night of a Chinese opera?
And above is the back of the package, which is a real treat in that it’s a mini-catalog of the other offerings in the “Collector’s Dress” series: Ballerina, Boxing, School Dress, Tennis, and Golf.
The Barbie Aisle 