Spam From Japan

Tokyo Toy Show is an annual event where toy makers from Japan demonstrate their latest products. The first two days are for business only, but the weekend is open to the public. For some reason, llamas always seem popular.

My first booth was Groove Inc which has apparently taken over marketing Pullips, a brand of Korean doll, in Japan from Jun Planning. If what I saw at their booth is any indication, they’re doing a great job. The booth manager approached me in English, talked positively about their products and gave me his business card. I was extremely impressed by the professionalism on display here… not to mention the products themselves. My favourites were the new limited edition Steampunk Project dolls, each one based on different doll types. The designs were more than just ticking boxes (“Okay, goggles… top hat… gears… we’re done!”) and detail was incredible.

Hot Toys, on the other hand, were doing the same things they always do. Alien figures, Michael Jackson figures, Mars Attac– wait, who is buying these things? Who has been searching all over for plastic models of Inglourious Basterds’ characters?

A small stand devoted to Hexbug Nanos was hidden in the Bandai booth labyrinth. The bug-like robots, about the size of a thumb, ran around on a tabletop. “Put your hands down!” exhorted the salesperson. “COLLECT THEM!!” If you put your hands flat on the table, the Hexbugs vibrated violently towards you and got stuck between your fingers and you’d amass ten or twenty of the things thrusting into the creases between your fingers.

However, I’ve never bought anything at the Toy Show until today. At the Gentosha Education booth, I watched a demonstration of Doubutsu Shougi (“Animal Shogi“), which has been put together by the Ladies’ Professional Shogi Players of Japan to introduce children to the strategy behind shogi. It’s played on a 4 x 4 board and players control four thick wooden blocks which each have a simple animal picture – a lion, an elephant, a giraffe and a chick, which can be promoted into a cockerel. Despite being aimed at kids, this is a fun strategy game for adults and comes highly recommended.

Finally, here’s a list of Japanese Toy Awards 2010 grand prize winners. I find myself a bit uneasy at the separate categories for girls and boys. I’d suggest they change it to “Toys To Celebrate Domesticity” and “Toys To Celebrate Sports And Engineering” but everyone would be able to see what they did there.