Toys’ Evolving Possibilities

Visitors to the ITTS this year also got a glimpse of the future of Japanese toys. The JTA characterizes that future with the phrases “dream fulfilling,” “wearable,” “interactive and communicative,” and “neoanalog.”

A dream-fulfilling toy of special note is Takara Tomy’s Linear Liner L0 Series, the winner of the best-in-category prize for innovation at the show. Central Japan Railway Co. has started work on a magnetic-levitation high-speed train line that the planners envision as connecting Tokyo with Osaka. The completion of even the first segments of that line will fulfill a longstanding dream among numerous Japanese. Takara Tomy’s remarkable train, just 1/90 the width of the actual thing, uses the same basic magnetic-levitation technology as the real train system and reaches scale speeds of more than 500 kilometers per hour. “L0 Series,” incidentally, refers to the rolling stock being developed to run on Japan’s magnetic-levitation train line.

Takara Tomy’s Linear Liner L0 Series (magnetic-levitation train set); MSRP ¥37,800, tax included.

Another dream-fulfilling toy that garnered attention at the show is Epoch’s mechanical baseball game. This product, the best-in-category prizewinner in boys’ toys, marks a new stage in the evolution of a traditional toy. Show visitors raved about the lifelike action.

Epoch’s mechanical baseball game; MSRP ¥7,538, tax included.

Wearables and Flyables

Toymakers have been quick to capitalize on the wearable trend in information technology products. Sega Toys’ Jewel Watch, for example, was the best-in-category prizewinner in girls’ toys at the International Tokyo Toy Show. It is, of course, far more than just a timepiece. Jewel Watch owners can use the touch panel to summon any of some 300 video games and other amusements.

Sega Toys’ Jewel Watch; MSRP ¥7,020, tax included.

CCP’s Nano Falcon DigiCam is an ultrasmall, remote-controlled helicopter equipped with a camera. More drone than toy, this flying apparatus takes still photos and video footage that users can view on computer screens. It captured the best-in-category prize for “high target” (adult) toys at the ITTS.

An adult orientation was also evident in the numerous toys on display at the show featuring Star Wars themes. The latest entry in the Star Wars franchise will begin screening in Japanese theaters this December, and toymakers are moving to tap the expected surge in Star Wars–related demand across multiple generations of consumers.

CCP’s Nano Falcon DigiCam; MSRP ¥9,698, tax included.

Typifying the “neoanalog” movement in Japan’s toy market is Kinetic Sand, a product created by Sweden’s Waba Fun and marketed in Japan by Rangs Japan. An innovative bonding agent in the sand allows for enjoying sandbox fun indoors without scattering the sand or soiling home interiors. Another neoanalog product is Bandai’s Kendama Cross, a modern incarnation of Japan’s traditional cup-and-ball game.

(Originally written in Japanese by Harano Jōji of Nippon.com and published on June 23, 2015. Banner photo: A flyable highlight of the International Tokyo Toy Show: CCP’s remote-controlled Nano Falcon DigiCam helicopter, complete with onboard camera [June 18, 2015; Tokyo Big Sight]. © Jiji.)