Popular Toys

There are many traditional and modern toys that are popular in Japan and a few have made their mark in Japan’s culture and history.

A menko is a card made from a thick piece of cardboard shaped in a circle or rectangle with various images drawn on it. The cards are used to either flip an opponent’s cards or knock cards out of a ring much like the way Americans flip baseball cards. Playing menko cards is believed to prepare Japanese boys in his battles against negative elements later on in life.

This game has been in existence for 250 years since the Edo Period in the 1700s. Back then menko cards were made from dried mud or clay and are drawn with the face of a person or an animal. During the Japan-Manchuria wars in the 1890s, the drawings were then replaced by samurai warriors, famous politicians and soldiers. Later on, menko cards started to appear with various figures depicting religious objects, sport figures and Western comic characters.

Another popular traditional Japanese toy is the tako or kite. The traditional tako is made of light bamboo or cypress wood frame and hand-made paper designed with various motifs. It is said that the tako was first brought to Japan by Buddhist missionaries who travelled from China during the Nara Period.  Takos were first believed to be shaped like birds and were later on changed when Japanese developed their own kite designs and traditions.

Most of the beautiful designs used in takos today were developed during the Edo Period when Japan was closed to all foreigners. Characters from Japanese folklore, mythology or religious symbols were used to decorate the takos.

Still widely used today in Japan are Komas or tops which are made of wood or metal. Komas come in various sizes and shapes and are spun by hand or with a string. Komas were mainly played by aristocracy and are used during court ceremonies but during the end of Tokugawa Period komas were used mainly as children’s toy.

Although Japanese dolls are not toys in essence, they are traditional toys in a different sense. These dolls are mainly used as decorative pieces or as displays during ceremonies and festivals. Kokeshi, Daruma and Hina-ningyo are some of the most popular dolls in Japan.

Kokeshi are wooden dolls shaped with round heads and straight bodies. These dolls normally have the face of a girl and are used as decorative items. Kokeshi was originally a folk toy from the Tohoku district and dates back to the Edo Period when it was given out as souvenirs at hot spring resorts.

Representing Zen monk Bodhidharma, the Daruma dolls have more spiritual beginnings. The dolls are spherical in shape with a red-painted body and a white face. Daruma dolls are made without any pupils as these are only painted every beginning of a new year.

Probably the most elaborate Japanese dolls are the Hina-nigyo or Hina dolls. These are dressed-dolls crafted to represent the Imperial Court.

Always being on the top of the latest technology in toy-making, Japan is a big contributor in the industry of toy-making today. A big portion of Japan’s modern toys come from character action-figures most of which are based from “anime” or Japanese animations.

Action-figures range from mechanical robots to mystical creatures and the most popular are those derived from famous television shows.  These toys are fast becoming collectible items in Japan as well as in the US and other countries.

One very popular character known worldwide is Hello Kitty which is placed in a variety of merchandises including mugs and plush toys.

When you say Nintendo, Sega and Sony, one would immediately think of high-technology video games. All three are Japan-based companies that help popularized video games worldwide. Video games not only shaped and defined Japanese popular culture but other countries as well.

Based from the tradition of menko cards, trading cards are another popular modern toy in Japan. The modernized trading cards in Japan now have famous television and video game characters in them.