Takara's remote-controlled Beyblade is the latest twist to Japanese spinning tops. (©Takao Aoki, BB2 Project, TV Tokyo)

Competition in Japan's toy market is always intense, and manufacturers are constantly hoping to strike gold by developing a product that will capture the fancy of the nation's youngest consumers. Many of the hot toys recently fall into one of three categories: those operated by remote control, those that allow children to make things by hand, and those that relate to pets. The toy makers are also doing their best to lure adults into the market by making skillful use of popular amusements, social trends, and technological advances.

Radio-Controlled Top Wows Kids and Adults
Remote-control toys are popular recently among boys. Their spread has been assisted by a new generation of tiny motors. Developed for mobile phones to make them vibrate instead of ring, these motors have become very cheap to manufacture.

An example is Beyblade, a modern version of the beigoma, an iron top that is spun using a cotton cord. Beyblade, which uses a plastic "shooter" instead, has been a hit with kids, two of whom compete in a game to see whose top can knock the opponent's out of a ring or can manage to be the last one spinning. The latest version, called the RC Beyblade, was released by Takara in November 2002. It incorporates a remote control in the shooter, which communicates with a motor in the top to adjust the speed and change the direction of the spin.

At around the same time, Konami released DigiQ Train, a model train operated by infrared remote control. The controller can adjust the speed of the train and also operate the rail switch points. At 25 centimeters (10 inches) in length, the four-car train is small enough so that a complicated, multilevel track layout can be set up in a tiny space. Konami has also put out a toy called Combat DigiQ, a set with two remote-controlled miniature tanks. The tanks can be driven around obstacles and across terrain, and most impressively, they can battle each other by firing infrared "shells." Both of these toys appear to have quite a few adherents in their thirties. As a spokesperson for Konami put it, "Model trains make a good hobby for the young at heart, and the tanks have a difficulty setting that makes them a challenge for players at different levels."

Robot Animals Race Toward the 10-Million Mark
Some of the toys popular among young girls this season allow the user to create something by hand. Children can make badges bearing their favorite pictures, or they may weave something from yarn they select themselves. The packaging of practicality together with play in toys is attracting a great deal of notice.

Representative of this trend is a badge-making kit. Can Badge Good, which was released by Bandai in April 2002, creates badges 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) in diameter bearing images cut out of photos or magazine pictures. A deluxe version went on sale this winter featuring a device that cuts pictures into circles exactly the right size. As might be expected, many kids are making badges using photos of themselves and giving them to older relatives as gifts. This hit product has sold more than 1 million units.

Another product with a similar focus is Takara's weaving kit Oshaleg, the name of which was coined by combining oshare, meaning stylish, with leg. One of the hot fashions in recent years is leg warmers, and this kit allows girls to weave their own using their choice of yarn.

Mechanical pet toys are also selling well. They may be no match for Sony's robot-dog Aibo, which is a sophisticated robot, but their simple functions and low prices have proved sufficient for attracting legions of fans. One example is the MicroPet line of toys produced by Tomy. These miniature dogs, cats, bears, rabbits , and hamsters, which are less than 5 centimeters (2 inches) in length, respond to voice commands to move forward or sing. The popularity of these toys has been so phenomenal that Tomy projects sales worldwide to reach 10 million units by the end of March 2003. Sega Toy's Yumeneko (site is Japanese only) (Dream Cat) is another example. This lifelike toy has fur much like that of a cat, and it will meow when stroked on the head or back and purr when scratched beneath its chin.

Another toy popular among animal lovers is Ochaken (Tea Dog), developed jointly by Sega Toys and Horipro. The dog takes its name from the fact that its ears and tail are shaped like tea leaves. There are many different varieties of this toy, including a green-tea dog and a black-tea dog. The company has also released other products, including clothes, bearing the toy's likeness.

The population of children in Japan is now on the decline because of a very low birthrate. Little wonder, then, that toy makers are on the lookout for playthings that also entice adults.