Toy show in Japan brings new drones, robots, yo-yos

Tokyo: The four-day long International Tokyo Toy Show started on Thursday showcasing drones, robots, yo-yos and other toys. The Toy Show, considered to be a Japan's pacesetter for the toys industry, is hosting around 197 companies from all over the world. 
 

Organised by the Japan Toy Association (JTA), the fair is expecting over 160,000 visitors this year.
 
One of the highlights in the fair, "Sakebe! Tonton Voice-Controlled Sumo Game", currently a popular game in Japan, allows the player to control small sumo wrestlers using microphones. The game showcases a combination of new technology with traditional toy concepts.  
 
"The new kind of toy trending well on the market combines the digital with the traditional," said Satoshi Yamashita, one of the organisers.
 
The fair witnessed traditional toy makers defending their position in the market while technology continued to influence the industry with the new-age technology of drones, interactive robots and virtual reality experience.
 
According to JTA, new technology gave a booming push to the industry making up to 800 billion yen ($7.3 billion) in the last year. 
 
Steve Starobinsky, marketing director from United States company Diverse Marketing, said he was visiting the fair in search of new ideas and toys that could slot into the American market.  
 
With the current motto "EnterTOYment - toys make the world smile", the fair has existed since 1962 – in various forms and with different names. This year, it runs from June 7-10 at Tokyo International Exhibition Center. 
 
(With inputs from EFE)