Japanese Traditional Toys

There are many objects that are part of daily life in Japan, and among these we can find a wide variety of traditional toys that appear in manga, anime, and video games. Obviously, the toys are made for children to play with but they can also be a “souvenir” or omiyage from Japan.

Taketombo

It consists of a propeller put on a stick. To make it “fly” it is enough to put the chopsticks between the palms of your hands and rub them at high speed. When you release it, it will fly several meters. It is used by Doraemon and his friends on the head to fly!

Kendama

It consists of two wooden cups of different sizes placed in the center of a wooden pike that has a smaller cup on its opposite side, and a ball tied with a string. The basic idea of ​​this toy is to catch the ball with a cup or a pike. The kendama is a very popular toy in the Japanese tradition, to the point that there are tournaments nationwide. There are even apps for smartphones! Genis Sage, one of the protagonists of the video game Tales of Symphonia, uses a kendama as a weapon.

Den-den Daiko

A small drum with two percussive faces and two marbles tied to it. It is struck by turning the drum by the handle so that the marbles hit the drum. It is used in religious rituals, but is currently very popular as a toy for children or to make “noise” at festivals. Enel, a character from One Piece, carries four Den Den Daiko in a metal ring on his back.

Darumaotoshi

This traditional toy consists of a Daruma on 5 wooden blocks of various colors. The object of the game is to use a small wooden hammer to remove the bottom blocks without the others falling.

Kamifusen

These are balloons or balls made of special waxed paper, which can be inflated (and re-inflated numerous times) with a gentle blow. They even continue to inflate due to the “blows” they receive while you play so that they don’t fall to the ground. Currently, they can also be found for decorative uses.

Koma

The history of the koma or Japanese tops dates back 1,300 years, when they arrived from China made of bamboo. They work in a very similar way to the tops or spinning tops that we know in Spain and Latin America. And likewise, they are a challenge to master!

There are more traditional games and toys from Japan. We had the opportunity to play several of these with our friends from the YouTube channel Yotsuba Nikki and we had a great time! You can watch the video below.

Which of these traditional toys did you already know? Which would you like to try?