51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Tag - toys

 
Menu
Search
 
July 25, 2026
 

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

TOYS

Buyers look at carts of stuffed toys as they wait to bid on them at the Hamaya wholesale auction site in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama Prefecture, on May 14.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 8, 2026
Demand for used goods from Japan grows overseas
In Japan, the thriving secondhand goods market has doubled in value since 2010, according to market researchers, and multiple Japanese reuse companies are expanding across Asia.
Dry-cleaning professional Masakazu Shimura brushes a soft toy at Cleaning Yonmarusan in Fuefuki, Yamanashi Prefecture, on April 27.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 13, 2026
Japan cleaner goes viral with spa-like service for plushies
Videos of the meticulous care that cuddly toys receive at Cleaning Yonmarusan have mesmerized fans on social media, attracting customers from around the world.
Online searches for "toys for girls" overwhelmingly return pink-themed products like beads and makeup sets, surrounding girls with pink objects from an early age before they are even aware of gender expectations.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / FOCUS
Mar 31, 2026
Calls for more variety as girls still bombarded with gender-coded pink products
There are growing efforts in Japan to move away from color stereotypes, with products such as toy kitchen sets and dolls now more often offered in neutral tones.
Mini Labubu toys are displayed at a Pop Mart store in Beijing.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 16, 2026
Pop Mart bets on post-Labubu future with new toys
The shift will test whether Pop Mart is a one-hit wonder or a durable hit factory capable of competing long term with the likes of Walt Disney and Hello Kitty owner Sanrio.
With Mirumi, a fluffy-furred robot bag charm, robotics firm Yukai Engineering hopes to replicate the Labubu craze in Western countries.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 24, 2026
A fluffy pink robot may be Japan¡¯s answer to Labubu
Mirumi, whose goal is to ¡°steal your heart,¡± arrives as the ¡°kidult¡± market is projected to climb.
A collection of wooden toy cars is displayed at the family home of Koshiro Kido, a boy who died from childhood cancer at the age of 13 in 2021.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Feb 9, 2026
Campaign aims to raise funds in memory of boy who loved woodcraft
Yasunobu Tsuruta crafted wooden toys with Koshiro Kido, who later died of pediatric cancer at the age of 13.
Crying horse plush toys sit on display ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year, at Yiwu International Trade City in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, China, on Jan. 21.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 26, 2026
Accidental ¡®crying horse¡¯ toy wins hearts in China
A manufacturing mistake turned into a viral bestseller for a small shop in Yiwu.
Staff members of Stand-by Amusement Company stand by claw crane game machines during the Amusement Expo 2025 in Tokyo in November.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 23, 2026
Hooked on the claw: How crane games conquered Japan¡¯s arcades
¡°Crane games are keeping the sector afloat,¡± said Morihiro Shigihara, an industry expert and former arcade manager.
Labubu dolls by toy company Pop Market are displayed during a press preview at an AliExpress pop-up shop in London on Nov. 11.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 16, 2025
Pop Mart¡¯s Labubu risks Beanie Baby-style collapse, analyst says
The Labubu craze is about to peak, and doubts about the next sales driver for owner Pop Mart International Group?suggest its shares have limited upside, an analyst says.
Science-themed toy electronics kits for children from the brand MicroKits. When tariffs on Chinese imports spiked above 100% this spring, MicroKits¡¯ founder temporarily stopped importing and slowed down production.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 3, 2025
A toy-maker takes his case against Trump¡¯s tariffs to the Supreme Court
The U.S. president¡¯s tariffs have hit small- and medium-sized businesses particularly hard.
Children play with the AED-themed Toy Cocoro.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 7, 2025
Hokkaido company president develops defibrillator toy to promote awareness
The toy sold out soon after going on sale last autumn, but it will be available for purchase again next March.
The latest version of Tamagotchi, called Tamagotchi Paradise, is awarded the best digital toy at Tokyo Toy Show on Aug. 28.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 2, 2025
Tamagotchi hatches 100 million shipments worldwide thanks to ¡¯90s nostalgia
Fueled by nostalgia and ¡°kidults,¡± the Tamagotchi boom shows no sign of slowing.
A pop-up advertisement for the newly opened Chiikawa Park in Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood demonstrates how the country is chockful of cute characters ¡ª to the detriment of trends like Labubu.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 23, 2025
Character-crazed Japan has little appetite for Labubu
The monster dolls may be driving fans wild elsewhere, but Japan has long had plenty of its own domestically produced characters that know exactly what consumers want.
A boy and his father walk through the toy section of Walmart in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 29, 2019.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 24, 2025
Toy makers nix batteries and other materials to save costs amid tariff war
The duties imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump are particularly painful for companies like Hasbro and Mattel, as 80% of toys sold in the U.S. come from China.
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2025
From Hokusai¡¯s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
There is plenty of room for Lego to grow in Japan, but the low birth rate is undeniably a challenge.
"Handguns" sold over online shopping websites. The National Police Agency has issued a warning about toy pistols sold online that are capable of firing live ammunition.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
May 27, 2025
Police issue warning over toy pistols capable of firing live rounds
Possession of such products constitutes a violation of the firearms and swords control law, the National Police Agency said.
Tomy's time-honored Kurohige Kiki Ippatsu, or Pop-Up Pirate, is set to go through its first rule change in 30 years in July.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
May 19, 2025
Nostalgic games and toys spark renewed interest in Japan
Products from bygone decades have evoked nostalgic memories for adults of a certain age while piquing fresh interest among the younger generation.
Huntar Company CEO Jason Cheung adjusts some of the toys on display at his office in Union City, California, on May 8. His company manufactures toys in China for clients in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 13, 2025
Tariffs crippled U.S.-owned factory in China that made toys for Walmart
Huntar Company CEO Jason Cheung says his company would survive if tariffs come down quickly. If they don¡¯t, he¡¯d lose everything.
Kaz Shiomi is looking forward to the Osaka Expo this year, which will be held from April 13 to Oct. 13.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jan 10, 2025
Kaz Shiomi: ¡®I want to show people ¡­ how to color outside the lines¡¯
Producing toys under her kiko+ & gg* brand, the business owner hopes to encourage children to find their own unique paths in life.
Gifting secondhand used to have a bad rap, but it doesn¡¯t carry the taboo it once did.
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2024
How to buy a secondhand gift someone might actually want
Gifting secondhand used to have a bad rap, but thanks to more environmentally conscious consumers, it doesn¡¯t carry the taboo it once did.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Head of Swiss euthanasia firm dies after collapsing while ascending Mount Fuji
Around 200,000 people typically scale the 3,776 meter Mount Fuji each year.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE 51³Ô¹ÏÍø

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER