Griffon Enterprises

An inactive maker remembered for giving Touhou collectors a remarkably broad cast

At a glance

Status: No longer active. Bankruptcy proceedings began in January 2019.
Based in: Yokosuka, Japan.
Known for: Touhou Project scale figures, reaching far into a cast that other makers skipped.
Good fit: Collectors after older Touhou characters who will judge each secondhand copy on its own condition.
Before buying: Ask the seller for photos of the exact copy. Check paint transitions, seams, support points, box inserts, and missing parts.
Research coverage: Solid

TL;DR

Griffon Enterprises was a Yokosuka figure maker incorporated in May 2000. Bankruptcy proceedings began on January 22, 2019, and the company is no longer active.
Its lasting collector identity comes from a deep Touhou Project catalog that reached far beyond the most obvious protagonists.
The figures range from restrained standing portraits to large weapons, clear effects, paired bases, and an articulated Figutto line. Finish and likeness vary by release.
Buy secondhand with the exact copy in mind. Ask for clear photographs, compare the contents with archived listings, and plan for the lack of manufacturer support.

A Catalog That Made Room for the Supporting Cast

Griffon Enterprises made scale figures of Touhou characters that nobody else was willing to produce. It operated from Yokosuka from May 2000. Its figure catalog covered several licenses, but Touhou Project, a long-running Japanese independent game series with a very large cast, became the relationship collectors remember. Griffon did not stop after Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame. It continued through shrine gods, underground residents, moon rabbits, magicians, vampires, and characters that larger catalogs often skipped.

That breadth gave the line a special warmth. A collector could build a shelf around a favorite stage, faction, or pair instead of treating the series as two mascots and a crowd left off-screen. The figures were not uniform in execution, but the character choices made the catalog feel curious about Touhou's whole world.

Action Was Drawn Through the Whole Silhouette

Youmu Konpaku Six Realms Sword Version bends into the slash rather than standing beside her weapon. The long blade, forward torso, and streaming costume form one diagonal, while the second sword and spirit shape keep the rear of the figure from going quiet. The action remains readable even when the small costume details disappear at a distance.

Flandre Scarlet Version 2 uses a different kind of motion. Drapery twists around the legs, clear crystal shapes break the wing silhouette, and a translucent flame effect rises beside her. Optional parts change the display, but the strongest idea is the contrast between the compact body and the restless shapes surrounding it.

These figures show what could be exciting about Griffon's ambition. The company was willing to let a Touhou character occupy real space rather than reduce every design to the same polite stance.

Pairs Could Become a Shelf Within the Shelf

The Satori Komeiji and Koishi Komeiji set treats the sisters as one composition. Their heart-shaped base joins at the center, while the eye cables curl around each body and lead attention back toward the connection. Different poses preserve their personalities, but shared color and repeated hearts make the relationship visible before the viewer reads either name.

Griffon also experimented beyond fixed scale figures. Figutto used articulated bodies, alternate hands and faces, and accessories for poseable versions of Touhou characters. The line did not replace the scales. It offered another way to make a cast interact on the shelf.

Collect the Figure That Exists Now

There is no current Griffon customer service desk, replacement inventory, or new production run to rely on. Condition is therefore part of the product. Sun exposure can change paint and clear parts. Long weapons can bend. Small effects, alternate hands, and base connectors can go missing while the box still looks complete.

Ask for photographs of the face, hair tips, weapon, base connection, and any area hidden by packaging. Compare the parts with an archived retailer page. If two figures connect, confirm that both bases have the required pieces. A sealed copy may reduce handling wear, but it does not reveal every age-related change inside the box.

Griffon is worth remembering with both affection and proportion. The company left collectors an uneven but unusually generous map of Touhou's world, and some of its best choices still have no close substitute.