Types of toys
koma
Koma are spinning tops that originally came from China around a thousand years ago. They were made of wood and hand painted. You had the option of spinning them by hand or by winding string around them and pulling the string to make the koma spin. Koma developed into a competition during the Edo period in which players would aim to knock their opponents tops out of the ring. Koma are very popular among Japanese boys. Some koma have now been designed to spin faster and make sounds.
Menko Cards
Menko cards have been around since the 1700s and used to be made of dried mud or clay. They weren't made of cardboard until the late 1800s. Menko cards are generally a circle or rectangle shape and have pictures printed on them. There are many ways of playing with menko cards but the most common is to attempt to flip the opponent's cards or knock them out of a ring, which follows the concept of sumo wrestling. Crude pictures were often printed on the cards since they were soon battered during gameplay. Modern menko cards have been better designed and more durable prints have been put on them. Menko cards are still used but aren't as popular due to more modern cards being produced.
tako
Tako are kited that date back to around 650 A.D. during the Nara period, when Chinese Buddhists travelled to Japan and brought kites for religious events. There are over 130 different tako designs and shapes, depending on the region. Tako are usually decorated with paintings of Japanese characters from myths, legends and religion. They are usually given as a gift to first-born sons and they are flown on Boys' Day and at other festivals and celebrations.b They are also used at kite festivals where teams compete and battle each other with their tako.
takeuma
Takeuma are stilts made out of a set of bamboo poles. Children playing with them will often pretend they are riding a horse. Takeuma aren't popular anymore but some schools still use them to teach the students better coordination and balance.
kokeshi
Kokeshi are wooden dolls, usually of women in kimono. They are mostly on display for festivals and special events. They are often made into souvenirs such as key rings. They are a simple design with an enlarged head and body made of wood. They generally cost between 1, 000 yen and 2, 000 yen.
kamifusen
Kamifusen are balloons made of paper and they look like paper lanterns. They come in a variety of designs and are often made to look like a puffer fish.
hanetsuki
Hanetsuki is like badminton in which you are required to hit a shuttlecock back and forth between two opponents. Since the Edo period, they have become more of a decorative item rather than a toy. It is often played an New Year's Day.
otedama
Otedama are Japanese juggling toys that are and made out of rice and fabric. They come in many different designs, and the most popular seems to be a woman. You can also get animals and fruit. They have been in existence since the 9th century and were very popular towards the end of WW2. Otedama were only used among girls and were often accompanied by a song. Because otedama were so simple to make, they could be made out of rags and parents often used them to smuggle in food to their children at school, since food was harder to get during the war. In modern day Japan. Otedama refers to juggling in general, and both boys and girls participate. They used to be simple drawstring bags and have now evolved in to fish and people and many other shapes.
kendama
Kendama is a game where you have to work your way around in a circle, getting the ball in each cup and then on the spike. Each cup is a different size and the smaller the cup, the harder to get the ball in it. Similar version of it exist in Europe and elsewhere in the world too.