Maker record
S.H. Japan
S.H. was the trade mark used by Horikawa, a Japanese toy wholesaler, from 1959. Horikawa sold tin robots and space toys, including rockets, space stations and capsules. Its early robots were wind-up; later models used battery-powered motors and added moving features. During the 1970s, plastic replaced some tin components in robot toys. Horikawa’s range included products made by other firms, including Metal House.
- Founded
- 1959
- Countries
- Japan
- Locations
- Japan · 1950
The story of S.H. Japan
Horikawa used the S.H. trade mark from 1959. It operated as a wholesaler of Japanese battery-operated toys, including robots and space-themed toys. Its early robots were wind-up models about 22 cm tall. Later versions replaced the spring mechanism with AA-battery motors; these grew to about 30 cm and added action features. The range included fighting robots, the Attacking Martian Robot, Super Space Commander, Rotate-o-Matic Super Astronaut Robot, Mr. Zerox, space stations and space capsules. Horikawa’s products were not all made in-house: most of its robots were made by Metal House in Tokyo.
During the 1970s, plastic became more common in robot toys, replacing some tin parts. Horikawa continued selling robots and related toys through the following decade. Its catalogue included both tin and plastic-bodied examples, alongside a range of mechanisms and action features. The S.H. mark is associated with Horikawa products, though the mark does not appear on every robot; some are marked only “Made in Japan.”