Less glamorous than the American doll, Licca-chan is 22 centimeters tall, smaller than Barbie, and with a more "familiar" look, reports Minami Murayama, one of her great admirers.

"If I see a stylish woman wearing something that I couldn't wear because of my age or height, Licca-chan can still wear it and look beautiful," she adds.

Licca-chan has been a favorite among Japanese children since it first appeared in toy stores in 1967, and manufacturer Takara Tomy has sold over 60 million of them.

He even launched a "stylish doll collection" aimed at older customers.

A Licca-chan doll by stylist Minami Murayama, January 31, 2023 in Yokohama, Japan © Philip FONG / AFP

The company's official biography features Licca-chan as an 11-year-old girl whose mother is a Japanese fashion designer and father a French musician.

Far from the "top model" that is Barbie, the Japanese doll does not benefit from an enviable wardrobe at Mrs. Murayama's.

The 30-year-old spends hours making clothes, favoring jeans, which her husband helps bleach and tear to get the "aged" look.

For her world of dolls, the young woman has even built a series of sets, with tiny accessories to decorate mini-cafes and fashion studios.

"There are a lot of different jobs I would like to do, like running a cafe or a bakery or being a fashion designer," she says.

Stylist Minami Murayama and her Licca-chan dolls at her home on January 31, 2023 in Yokohama, Japan © Philip FONG / AFP

"Of course, I absolutely couldn't do them all in real life, but in the world of dolls, I could!".

An ordinary life

On social networks, the little Japanese doll even has a channel dedicated to her whose name translated from Japanese means "The real life of Licca-chan".

On videos and photos, posted by her fans, we see her in banal situations, in pajamas or carrying a garbage bag.

One of graphic designer Ryoko Baba's Licca-chan dolls, at her home in Tarui, January 24, 2023 in Japan © Philip FONG / AFP

Licca-chan "doesn't live a glamorous life -- she lives a real life in a messy room and she makes mistakes," says the channel's creator, who has more than a million Instagram followers but requires the anonymity, to avoid trouble at work.

"If you show people that even someone like Licca-chan lives like this, it gives them the courage to be comfortable with themselves," she told AFP.

The manufacturer does not really approve of this image, far from the official image he gave to his doll.

A Licca-chan doll by graphic designer Ryoko Baba, January 24, 2023 in Tarui, Japan © Philip FONG / AFP

But "Licca-chan's real life" strikes a chord with adult Japanese Barbie fans, who form an online community and exchange homemade clothes and accessories.

"National Icon"

Ryoko Baba, a 33-year-old graphic designer, played with Licca-chan as a child and returned to the activity about two years ago to relieve the stress of the pandemic.

"When you wanted to go out but couldn't, you had a lot less opportunity to buy new clothes" for yourself, she points out.

So many have “satisfied that desire by dressing dolls instead,” reports Ms. Baba, who often recreates outfits from her own wardrobe for her dozens of dolls.

Ryoko Baba and her Licca-chan doll, dressed identically, on January 24, 2023 in Tarui, Japan © Philip FONG / AFP

For Ms Maruyama, "there are a lot of adults who play with children's toys" in Japan where "there is not really a separation".

Ms. Baba describes Licca-chan as a "national icon", confident that the doll's success will only grow.

"Recently I've seen a lot of comments from people saying they didn't know this world existed," she said.

"Hopefully I can help get the message across."

© 2023 AFP