Many visitors at the Bandai Co. Booth at International Tokyo Toy Show in Koto Ward on August 29. (©Sankei by Naoki Aikawa)
The International Tokyo Toy Show is an annual convention where toy makers from around the world showcase their most innovative products. The 2024 event was held from Augerust 29 to September 1 at Tokyo Big Sight in Ariake. It marked the 61st show since its inception in 1967.
The convention featured approximately 35,000 products displayed across 192 booths, including exhibits from 74 overseas companies. Each year, tens of thousands of attendees come to experience the excitement of the latest toy trends and rediscover the sense of childlike wonder that many products inspire in adults.
Snow@home
As summers grow increasingly hotter, many families are opting to stay indoors for safety. In response, "Snow@home" offers a refreshing alternative to the sandbox. This innovative product allows children to develop fine motor skills while staying cool and comfortable inside. It comes from the Fanssi Toy Company, a Chinese toy and chemical manufacturer. Sold by weight, it currently goes for ¥990 JPY ($6.65 USD) per 150 grams.
"Snow@home" feels like pure magic. Japanese households can now enjoy the fun of snowfall from the comfort of their air-conditioned homes. The faux snow hardens when squeezed, allowing it to be molded and shaped. With a little friction, it returns to its soft, snow-like form, mimicking the best aspects of real snow — without the need for cold weather or waiting for winter. The best part? It doesn't melt, so cleanup is easy. And the snow can be used over and over again, with no wet puddles left behind for parents to wipe up.
While the substance may seem a bit mysterious, it claims it has passed all safety regulations. That includes the rigors of testing under the Japan Food Sanitation Act (for non-consumable products) and all relevant European Union standards.
Chogokin Rubik's Cube
Despite the toy market's target demographic being children, in recent years there has been a growing number of adult consumers. Now the Tokyo Toy Show dedicates an entire award category to toys popular among adults. These toys fall into the "Kidult" category. The term Kidult is a combination of the words "kid" and "adult." Generally, it describes a person who enjoys products typically made for children.
Nostalgia seems to be a key driving factor behind this trend. One such example is the resurgence of the "Chogokin Rubik's Cube," first released by Bandai in 1974. This Rubik's Cube transforms into a robot. After celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, what was once a hit with schoolboys has found a new audience among adult men.
Liccachan
In this category, the grand prize went to Takara Tomy's "Photogenic Liccachan Series." Licca has been a familiar face in the Japanese toy industry since 1967. It is a beloved doll with enduring popularity.
This particular product features a 'Neo-Licca-body' with movable joints and an emphasis on hair and makeup. It also comes with a variety of outfits that allow for a fun styling experience.
2024's series allows for natural posing, with extra attention to detail in hair and makeup. Fans of the toy can join in on "Licca-katsu," a social media trend where users share artistic photos of their Liccas.
Sylvania Family
Epoch's Sylvania family presented their new "Baby Collection" This series is addictive as the product uses the "gacha" product method. Gacha conceals the products within its packaging, giving the buyers a select variety of goods or characters they could unwrap.
This kind of packaging is thrilling for its buyers as it builds anticipation for the product. It also encourages some consumers to become collectors. Initially, the product was mainly aimed at young girls. However, it has gained momentum with an audience of adult women.
Similarly to "Licca-katsu," "Shiru-katsu" is a trend on social media where participants can take their Sylvania figurines out, at times in hand-made clothing, and create a photoshoot with them for posting on social media.
A Growing Market
The show is not only to garner publicity from eager consumers. It is also a space that helps the industry better understand the ever-changing toy market. Information is gathered from export surveys and policy reviews, and a report is submitted to the Diet.
The 2023 fiscal year sales data was of high interest this year. For toymakers, children's toys are their primary market. They racked up a record-breaking ¥1.193 trillion ($8 billion) in FY2023, a 7.1% increase from the previous year.
This marks the fourth year in a row of toy market sales growth. In 2024, many toys had digital features with communication functions reflecting the advancing technology in the market.
"Hobby Items" showed a sales growth of 4.7% in FY2023 these include goods such as buildable models and figurines. Other "hobby items" such as card games grew an impressive 18.1% in sales.
An additional factor for the sales growth could possibly be the surge of inbound tourists. Souvenirs of anime or cartoon-related items have reached 20.7% in sales growth in FY2023. High-tech toys grew the most this year at 21.5% from the previous year.
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Author: Natasha Takahashi
