TOKYO - Japan's major toy trade fair opened Thursday in Tokyo with nostalgic favorites and trend-driven new products featuring themes such as investing and digital technology, targeting not only children but people of all ages as the market grapples with the country's declining birthrate.
Featuring some 35,000 products from 185 companies based in Japan and abroad, Tokyo Toy Show 2026 comes as the toy market reached a record 1.16 trillion yen ($7.3 billion) in fiscal 2025, up 6.3 percent from the previous year, according to the Japan Toy Association.
Tomy Co., a major Japanese toy maker better known as Takara Tomy, showcased a board game based on the popular role-playing video game series "Dragon Quest" to commemorate the franchise's 40th anniversary.
In the game, players take on the role of an adventurer, moving a carriage-shaped token across the board and gathering party members such as warriors, priests and mages, on their quest to become a "legendary hero."
MegaHouse Corp. displayed a board game in which players compete to build their assets by combining investments in gold, stocks and cryptocurrency to fulfill a dream of their choosing, allowing children to learn about investing in a fun way with their parents.
Bandai Co. unveiled the latest model of its popular portable toy Tamagotchi, which has been redesigned as a wearable ring, as part of the toy's 30th anniversary celebrations. With its egg-shaped face measuring just 2.8 centimeters, it is the smallest Tamagotchi model and allows users to raise any of 30 types of virtual characters.
Yuna Kogawa, a Japanese model known as Yuchami, appeared at the booth wearing the newly designed ring, which is available only online, saying, "You can go out together (with the characters) anytime, anywhere."
The event at Tokyo Big Sight runs for four days, with the final two days on the weekend open to the public.
