When Only Good Plays a Role
Interview with Kim Benjamin Franke, Managing Director of EPOCH Traumwiesen GmbH
When children play, they learn. Scientists agree on this. Especially in role-playing, they experience emotions like joy and anger, hope and disappointment. Conflicts must be resolved, concentration, empathy, and creativity are fostered, and vocabulary is trained. The cute animal figures of the Sylvanian Families, distributed by EPOCH Traumwiesen GmbH, are perfect for this.
Sweet, small, velvety animal families such as rabbits, dogs, hedgehogs, bears, squirrels, or kangaroos make children's hearts beat faster all over the world. These figures, originating from Japan, are lovingly designed with a keen sense for details. "Sylvanian Families embody solely positive things," explains Kim Benjamin Franke, Managing Director of EPOCH Traumwiesen GmbH in Nuremberg. "They live in fantasy worlds where the focus is primarily on family, friends, nature, and love. It is an idealized world, in stark contrast to the present marked by many crises and is deliberately designed this way. With Sylvanian Families, you immerse yourself in a world where only good exists."
Game Makers and Game Changers
Sylvanian Families were launched nearly 40 years ago by EPOCH Co. Ltd., the Japanese parent company of the German EPOCH Traumwiesen GmbH, which ranks among the top 3 toy manufacturers there and is the largest provider of puzzles. "Japanese culture differs in many ways from German culture," explains Kim Benjamin Franke.
"In Japan, there is the phenomenon of Kawaii, a ubiquitous cuteness that is increasingly spilling over to Europe. The Sylvanian Families perfectly embody this cuteness, exclusively positive. The popularity of anime and manga also shows the increasing enthusiasm for Japanese culture." Kim Benjamin Franke has been the managing director of EPOCH Traumwiesen since April 2024 and has been in the toy industry for over 20 years. He greatly appreciates being with a Japanese company again. "I find the cultural backgrounds very appealing and exciting," he says. "The working culture in Japan and Germany is very different; communication in Japan is challenging, less direct than in Germany. Great importance is placed on harmony and consensus."
From Freya Chocolate to Super Mario
The parent company was founded in 1958 by Taketora Maeda; it remains a family business with strong traditional values to this day. The focus from the beginning was on the production and distribution of games, initially specifically board games. The first game was a baseball board game and was an immediate success. In the 1960s and 1970s, more games such as the classic foosball, table bowling, and the first video game were added. A milestone was the attendance at the 1970 Nuremberg Toy Fair, which has been on the agenda every year since then. In Nuremberg, EPOCH presented, among other things, video games with consoles and modules that were later replaced again by more traditional toys. An important milestone was the introduction of the Sylvanian Families and their peaceful world in 1985. The Aquabeads launched in 2004, craft beads that connect uniquely by being sprayed with water without the need for irons and glue, are also a trademark of the company. "With Aquabeads, children can let their creativity run wild," explains Kim Benjamin Franke. "The great advantage is that the raw materials for the beads come from medical technology and are completely safe for health. If swallowed, they simply dissolve. In the meantime, many competitors have tried to copy the beads, which is always a sign of success in the market." The portfolio is supplemented by the EPOCH Games division.
Board games, often licensed, are indispensable in many families. Highlights include Super Mario and Jurassic World. "The coming year will be a special one for EPOCH: 2025 will mark the 40th anniversary of the Sylvanian Families," says Kim Benjamin Franke. "The small figures with their imaginative accessories are the largest pillar in our portfolio. Children can create their own stories with the figures, replay their world, a safe world where only positive values exist. Interestingly, not only children between the ages of three and six yearn for a healed world, but also teenagers and young adults."
The Play with Longing
Japanese pop culture enjoys wide acclaim around the world. In Nuremberg, 20 employees focus on distribution and marketing in the DACH region, Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. EPOCH Traumwiesen operates on multiple tracks, working directly with specialty retailers and trading partners like Müller or Smyths Toys, selling online, and focusing on key accounts for major customers. To intensify direct contact with the target group, social media activities are being expanded, there are events with mascots, a dedicated Instagram account, and contributions in print media. Furthermore, EPOCH plans to increasingly participate in public trade fairs such as SPIEL Essen and fan conventions next year. "We believe that the conditions are good to further strengthen our market position over the next five years," says Kim Benjamin Franke. "Animes, mangas, everything about Japanese pop culture is in. There will be more products that offer children refuge in a peaceful fantasy world, where they can play and simultaneously learn for real life."