Traditional Japanese toys include koma (spinning tops) and kami-fusen (paper balloons). Popular games include, of course, the many electronic games which are produced in Japan, the traditional colorful card game called I and a form of Japanese badminton called hanetsuki which is played with a paddle (hagoita) and birdies. There are many traditional dolls which are still enjoyed today during holidays and children’s festivals.

Today, most Japanese children prefer playing electronic games, watching cartoons (anime), reading comic books called manga and pop culture in general. Origami (paper folding) is a traditional pastime in which squares of colorful paper are folded to create such things as birds, insects, flowers and animals. Kite flying is an age-old tradition in Japan which is still enjoyed by both young and old alike.

While Japanese children enjoy many traditional and contemporary games and activities, most of them participate in extracurricular activities such as sports and after-school clubs. Many Japanese children also have music lessons after school – the most popular are piano and violin.

Activities
Children’s Festivals
Dolls
Games
Toys



ACTIVITIES

Anime
Japanese cartoon animation (anime) is popular among children all over the world. Speed Racer (1969) was the first Japanese animated cartoon to be introduced to American audiences. Nowadays there are many Japanese anime programs enjoyed in both the U.S. and Japan including Sailor Moon, Pokemon and Dragonball Z. Japanese animated feature films are also gaining recognition. Princess Mononoke, released in 1999 was a big success in both Japan and the U.S. Then in 2003, the Japanese animated feature film, Spirited Away won the Best Animated Feature Film Award. Since some themes are intended for mature audiences only, it is important for parents to review animated movies, television shows and video games to determine if they are suitable for their child.

Kite Flying / tako age
There are two major kite flying traditions in Japan. One takes place on New Year’s Day when people all over Japan fly kites to welcome a healthy and prosperous New Year. The other is on Children’s Day (Kodomo-no-hi), May 5th, when koinobori (flying carp kites) are hung from the top of flag poles all over Japan. Kite-flying and kite making are both very popular in Japan and there are numerous kite related events and competitions which take place all over Japan throughout during the spring and fall.


Koinobori
Koinobori or "flying carp" is a popular kite theme in Japan. Koinobori are flown from poles outside homes on Childrens Day - a Japanese national holiday celebrated on May 5th. The carp fish is central to the theme of Koinobori Matsuri (Flying Carp Festival) because it is a powerful swimmer and has become a symbol of children growing up to be healthy and strong.


Manga / comics
Comics are one of Japan’s most popular forms of entertainment. They range in theme from the humorous to the dramatic and are written for every age level. It is not uncommon for popular comics to sell well over 1 million copies within a single month. Comics line the walls of little shops at every train station and newsstand and it is not uncommon to see dozens of Japanese at a time, standing up in the shops reading their very favorites. Since some manga are intended for mature audiences only, it is important for parents to review them first to determine if they are suitable for their child.


Origami / the art of folding paper

How to make an origami crane.

Origami is the Japanese art of paper-folding. Ori comes from the verb oru which means "to fold" and gami comes from the word kami which means paper. Since the Chinese invented paper sometime during the first century A.D., they also began folding paper to create a variety of useful and decorative objects. Buddhist priests studying in China first brought paper to Japan during the sixth century and paper-folding was soon adopted in religious rituals and daily customs. Paper-folding was primarily used as a way to wrap special objects and gifts and this tradition continues to this day. Over the years, paper-folding developed into a popular pastime for children who learned how to fold a variety of origami "toys" including, birds, boxes, animals and fish. The first book written about origami was, "Senbazuro Orikata" (The Way to Fold a Thousand Cranes) which was published in 1797.

The paper crane is perhaps the most popular and famous of all origami objects. Legend has it that 1,000 folded cranes will bring health and good fortune and it is customary to make 1,000 paper cranes for people who are ill with the hopes that they will recover. Each year millions of paper cranes are sent by people from all over the world to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima as a symbol of peace and in memory of those who died as a result of the atomic bomb dropped on the city in 1945.

In the 1930's, a Japanese artist named Akira Yoshizawa began creating new origami designs and innovative techniques for folding paper never before seen. His work has greatly inspired not only Japanese people but paper-folders the world over. Today origami has become so popular that there are hundreds of origami associations and clubs in countries throughout the world including the U.S., England, Spain, Germany, Colombia, Israel and Singapore. It is not uncommon to find young American school children who know how to make one or two basic origami objects just like children do in Japan.

Suggested reading for children:

"Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" by Eleanor Coerr

CHILDREN’S FESTIVALS

Children's Day (Kodomo-no-hi), celebrated on May 5th, is a national holiday. Originally this day was reserved for boys however today it is celebrated by families with children of both genders. The traditional decoration for this holiday is a warrior doll adorned with a helmet, a sword and bows and arrows. This symbolized the parent's wish for their son to be brave, strong and successful in the future. Another popular decoration is the hanging of colorful carp shaped kites (koi-nobori) from a high pole. Typical food enjoyed on this day includes rice cakes filled with sweet red beans wrapped with kashiwa leaves and steamed sticky rice (mochi-gohan) wrapped in bamboo leaves.

Girl's Festival (Hina-matsuri), held on March 3rd, is the day parents celebrate their daughters' health, growth and good fortune. Japanese dolls called hina dolls including a prince, princess, court musicians and servants are dressed in kimonos befitting their station and displayed on a tiered shelf in the home and in many businesses. Some traditional foods that are enjoyed on this day include sweet rice crackers (osenbei), rice cakes (hishi-mochi), sake, a colorful sushi casserole called gomoku-sushi or chirashi-zushi and a clear clam soup.

Japanese New Years(Oshougatsu) is one of the most celebrated holidays in Japan and it involves many traditions and customs. On New Year’s Eve most families watch special variety shows on TV featuring Japan’s most popular stars and eat Toshikoshi Soba (New Year’s Eve soba). Each soba noodle is long so it is eaten to symbolize the wish for a long life. Then at midnight, temple bells are rung 108 times in a Buddhist tradition called Juya no Kane meant to drive away evil spirits and to welcome the New Year with a pure heart.

Then very early on New Year’s Day, many Japanese, dressed in kimono , make special pilgrimages to shrines and temples to pray for health and happiness. Throughout the holidays, the entrances of homes and businesses are decorated with either kadomatsu made of pine, bamboo and bamboo grass or shimenawa which is an arrangement made of sacred straw and folded rice paper.

Special holiday food called osechi ryori is prepared the last few days of the old year and enjoyed during the first three days of the new. Nengajoh (New Year postcard greetings) are delivered on the first day of the New Year by a special postal detail.

Japanese children enjoy flying kites on New Year’s Day and to receiving otoshidama which is a gift of money given by adult friends and family members. While most businesses are closed the first three days of the New Year, schools generally recess for about 2 weeks.

Shichi-go-san (Seven-five-three), held on November 15th, is when girls who are seven years old, boys who are five and girls who are three receive a special blessing at the shrine, give thanks and pray for continued health and growth in the future. The children dress up in traditional kimonos and keepsake photos are taken. Each of them is given a bag filled with three long candy sticks called chitose-ame. It is one of the few times a year when children today dress up in kimono.

To read more about the seasons and festivals of Japan, click here.

GAMES

Electronic Games such as Nintendo and Game Boy have been popular with Japanese children for nearly 20 years. They are often based on comic book (manga) and anime characters.

Hanetsuki is Japanese badminton and is played with a paddle (hagoita) and birdies. It is still played during the New Year’s holidays and the paddles are often used as a seasonal decoration.



Iroha Karuta is a traditional New Year’s card game which helps children learn the Japanese alphabet. The object of the game is to spell out Japanese proverbs using the alphabetic letter cards which are dealt to each player.


Menko is a traditional game in which decorated playing cards are thrown on the ground in an effort to flip over the cards of ones opponents.


JAPANESE DOLLS

Dolls / ningyo
The first evidence of dolls in Japan dates back to 300 A.D. with “haniwa” or simple clay animal and human figurines. Throughout Japan’s long history, dolls have been an important part of festivals, cultural observances and home life. The most popular traditional dolls include: hina dolls (imperial court dolls), warrior dolls, kokeshi (wooden dolls) and hakata (dolls made of fired clay).


Daruma Dolls are round, papier-mâché dolls made in the likeness of Dharma, the son of the 28th Zen patriarch who introduced Zen Buddhism to China and Japan. Because it is said that the legs and arms of Dharma atrophied as a result of his 9 year long meditation, the doll itself has been created in a stylized sitting position and is without limbs Daruma dolls are essentially "wish dolls" and come with blank eyes. The custom is to paint one pupil upon making a wish, and then when the wish comes true, the other pupil is added. Many Japanese make wishes with Daruma dolls on the first of the year. When the wish comes true, the second pupil is painted, then the doll is disposed of on the following New Year’s day. Both businesses and political parties often use daruma dolls to mark an objective, then when the business or political goal is achieved, the second pupil is painted.


Hina Dolls (imperial court dolls) are the traditional decoration used in celebrating Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival) otherwise known as “Girls Day Festival,” on March 3rd. Hina dolls include a prince, princess, court musicians and servants which are dressed in kimonos befitting their station and displayed on a tiered shelf in the home and in many businesses. To read about celebrating Hina Matsuri in Hawaii, click here.


Kokeshi Dolls are simple wooden dolls with a cylindrical body and a round head. They are widely made in the Tohoku region of Japan and are a popular souvenir for people traveling to this area.


Maneki Neko is the “welcome” or “beckoning” cat which is often seen in the entrances to restaurants. There are several legends about the origins of the maneki neko. What they all have in common is some old-time tale of how a cat saved a person in some way, so today, the maneki neko is generally regarded as a good luck token.


Warrior dolls are samurai dolls adorned with a helmet, a sword, and bows and arrows which are popularly displayed in celebration of Children’s Day (kodomo-no-hi), a national holiday taking place on May 5th. Since Kodomo-no-hi used to be “Boys Day Festival,” the warrior doll became a popular decoration because it symbolized strength, bravery and success – the things that parents wished for their growing sons.


TOYS

Fuku-warai is a popular New Year’s game much like pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. Children are blindfolded and try to correctly place cut-outs of the eyes, nose and mouth on a cartoon face of a woman. Today popular manga characters are also used as the subject of the game. Fuku-warai has been enjoyed by Japanese children for almost 400 years.


Kami-fusen are traditional Japanese paper balloons made of waxed rice-paper. They resemble beach balls and are usually red, green and white in color.

Koma are spinning tops made of wood and string. They were introduced to Japan from China about four hundred years ago. Although children today do not play with them on a regular basis, they are popularly enjoyed over the New Year’s holidays.