2025 Tokyo Toy Show Kicks Off

Tokyo, Aug. 28 (Jiji Press)--The 2025 International Tokyo Toy Show, one of the biggest toy trade fairs in Japan, kicked off at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center Thursday.

The event, sponsored by the Japan Toy Association, will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, following a two-day period for business talks from Thursday.

The toy market is recently driven by so-called kidults, or adults who themselves enjoy toys. This year, some 35,000 toys from 221 companies are showcased, including old-time popular toys that have been updated to cater to all ages.

Admission is free for junior high school students and younger, while high school students and older must pay 2,000 yen.

Toy association leader Michihiro Maeda expressed confidence about the event, saying that "general visitors will find it enjoyable." The association aims to attract more than 70,000 visitors over the weekend.

Bandai Co. is exhibiting "Tamagotchi Paradise," the latest in the iconic Tamagotchi virtual pet series, which will mark the 30th anniversary of its debut next year.

Tamagotchi Paradise allows users to encounter over 50,000 virtual pets, whose characteristics are "inherited." It also has a zoom function enabling close observations of the characters up to the "cellular" level.

Bandai hopes to attract those in their 20s and older who enjoyed older versions.

Tomy Co. is displaying its Vehicle Block Town Box, designed for children to enjoy the world of its "Tomica" miniature cars and "Plarail" railway toys, both of which are also popular among kidults. The box contains components that are easy to assemble. The components can be connected to Tomica roads and Plarail tracks.

Megahouse Corp. is showcasing the "Butaminton" sports game, whose original version was released in 1987. In this game, air is blown from a pig doll's nose to propel a feather over to the opponent's court. The game was revived this year with improvements for easier play.
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