Modern versions of traditional toys

Some traditional toys have been revamped by toy manufacturers to appeal to children of today. For example, there is Beyblade, which is a spinning top modeled on the beigoma, as well as DIGI-KEN (dejiken), a digitalized version of kendama, with flashing lights and sounds.

What they all have in common is the ease with which one is able to acquire the skills to enjoy them, compared to traditional toys. With Beyblade, one attaches the top to a special device that anyone can spin. Another characteristic is that many of these games are tie-ins with manga, video games, and anime. Beyblade, which went on the market in 1999, became popular after characters in manga played with it and its anime version was aired on television. Its popularity rose to the extent that national competitions were held, and in the first half of the fiscal year 2001, over 15 million were sold.

The popularity of such modern versions of traditional toys is fleeting, and both Beyblade and DIGI-KEN are no longer on the market. However, the popularity of Beyblade led to renewed interest in beigoma, and an increase in beigoma playing population. These modern versions of traditional toys, which provided people a shortcut to enjoyment, in fact led to a renewed interest in traditional toys that offer the pleasure to be gained when you take time to polish your skill.