Games that only require tapping a screen quickly lose their charm. Electronic toys that flash and beep at the push of a button often fail to inspire lasting wonder or excitement. This is why some parents in Hong Kong are now turning their attention to traditional Japanese toys—simple in form, yet rich in depth.
Toys like kendama, koma (spinning tops), taketombo (bamboo-copters), and ohajiki require no batteries, no apps—just a child’s own body and senses. These toys don’t dazzle with sounds or flashing lights. Instead, they captivate through the pure joy of experience, encouraging hands-on play, concentration, and a deep engagement with the world.
Rooted in tradition yet timeless in appeal, Japanese toys offer more than play—they offer a meaningful connection to culture and the art of simplicity.
Playing Through Ingenuity, Not Just Control
One defining feature of many traditional Japanese toys is that there is no single “correct” way to play. Whether it’s figuring out how to launch a taketombo (bamboo-copter) farther or mastering a trick with a kendama, the joy lies in experimenting, adjusting, and learning through hands-on experience.
This open-ended approach to play stimulates a kind of creativity that many children today are at risk of losing—the creativity of inventing their own fun.
As one mother living in Hong Kong explains:
“With smartphone games, the screen tells the child exactly what to do next before they even have a chance to think. But with toys like kendama or ohajiki, children must figure it out themselves. That’s why they don’t get bored—they keep trying.”
This process of “thinking with the head and moving with the hands” is now being rediscovered as a valuable component of home education, not just in Japan, but across cultures seeking deeper, more meaningful ways to nurture growing minds.
Bringing Families Closer: The Timeless Bond of Traditional Toys
Another reason traditional Japanese toys are gaining renewed appreciation is their unique ability to bridge generations. In many Hong Kong households, grandparents fondly remember their own encounters with Japanese culture. Toys like kendama, koma (spinning tops), and ohajiki are sparking intergenerational conversations—“I used to play with this when I was a child,” they say, sharing memories with their grandchildren.
Group games like ohajiki or koma battles naturally encourage interaction and communication. Instead of solitary play in front of a screen, these traditional games foster eye contact, shared laughter, and moments of genuine connection. Many parents say they are witnessing this shift in their own homes.
One mother of three shared, “Watching my child practice spinning a top seriously after his grandfather showed him how to wind the string—it feels like more than just play. It creates something deeply meaningful.”
Beauty That Lasts: The Enduring Charm of Japanese Traditional Toys
Japanese traditional toys are not only cherished for how they are played with—but also for how they look and feel. Crafted from natural materials like wood, bamboo, and washi paper, toys such as kendama and kamifusen (paper balloons) have a gentle texture and a warmth that appeals to both the hands and the eyes.
At one educational center in Hong Kong, plastic toys are being replaced with handmade kendama and paper balloons in classroom activities. Parents have responded positively: “These toys have such a soft, calming appearance—they’re beautiful enough to display at home,” one said. Another commented, “Because they’re reusable and long-lasting, they help children appreciate things rather than throw them away.”
In a world dominated by mass production and disposable goods, these toys offer children a quiet yet powerful lesson: to value the objects in their lives, and to cherish beauty that is meant to endure.
Simplicity Sparks the Imagination
At its heart, the reason why traditional Japanese toys like kendama and taketombo continue to resonate with children today is because they are not “finished” experiences—they leave space. Space for creativity. Space for imagination.
Into that space, children pour their own ideas, their own problem-solving. Parents are invited to join—not to direct, but to encourage, to laugh, and to connect. A single wooden toy can subtly but meaningfully enrich the atmosphere of a home.
Play, after all, is not something that should simply be given. It is something to be created, nurtured, and shared. In Japan’s simple toys, we find a quiet but powerful reminder of that truth—a return to the origins of joyful, imaginative play.